Claudio Cavicchi: Black Sandblasted Bent Dublin Tobacco Pipe

Italian artisan Claudio Cavicchi boasts over 50 years of pipe making experience and possesses an uncanny talent for bringing out the very best from a block of briar. His portfolio is full of evocative interpretations of classic shapes, and he is known by many artisans to have some of the best grain in the world, with even his non-graded pipes rivaling the top-tier pieces of other workshops. This gorgeous bent Dublin is but one example of his expertise.

While the walls of this Dublin's bowl do display a subtle flare in keeping with the classic shape, Cavicchi has swapped a tapered heel for a gracefully rounded one. The slightly swelling fore of the bowl melds seamlessly into the heel, which in turn flows effortlessly into the sweeping shank-and-stem arrangement. The sweeping momentum of the composition has also caused the rim to tilt back a bit, offering the smoker a better vantage point to appreciate the beautiful birdseye decorating the area. This birdseye, smooth-polished and stained a rich ruby hue, creates a strong contrast against the otherwise smoky, sandblasted stummel. Rich in saturation and texture, Cavicchi's Black Sandblast emphasizes the gorgeous growth rings rippling across the piece.