Claudio Cavicchi: Brown Smooth Bent Apple 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 is an interesting take on the bent Apple from Cavicchi, featuring a mostly straight-walled bowl with just a hint of a rounded taper about its upper walls before they reach a vast, plateau-crowned rim. The lower walls and heel are expectedly rotund, with ample suppleness to appreciate in hand, its heel pushing out slightly past the transition to emphasize this curvature and offer a pronounced presence while smoked. The shank lifts out of a tight, slightly raised transition thanks to the effect of the heel, and it's fairly short length comprises an easy flare toward its face, here capped with its own wreath of plateau. A sleek, stylized saddle stem pairs to the shank here, flaring out into a broad expansion ring before it cinches swiftly into the bit and makes a demure downturn for a more comfortable smoking posture. Dressed in one of Claudio's deep, chestnut stains, the stummel showcases handsome grain throughout, as tight striations of flame grain surround the bowl and frame the flanks of the shank.