Claudio Cavicchi: Brown Sandblasted Bent Brandy Tobacco Pipe

Claudio Cavicchi is truly a master of his craft, and his ability to coax the best possible grain out of every piece of briar will always astound me. His over 50 years of experience ensure that his pipes are not only beautiful, but also expertly shaped and precisely drilled. This bent Brandy is a plump and softly rendered piece, offering a substantial feel in hand and plenty of contours to appreciate while smoking. A wide transition out back gives way to a subtly tapering shank that lifts to meet a more swiftly tapering stem of demurely curved black acrylic. This combination poises the pipe for comfortable smoking and lends the silhouette a flowing sense of sinuousness that naturally balances some of the bowl's visual weight. Up front, the bowl stands on a rounded, gently extended heel that nicely supports its walls as they take on an arcing taper to the rim and make a dynamic forward cant, affording this pipe some charming plumpness and nicely filling out the contours of the hand. The stummel here has been dressed in one of Cavicchi's excellent sandblasts and stained a rich auburn, Claudio's talent for shaping to the grain showcased in the rippling growth rings that cascade down the bowl.