Claudio Cavicchi: Smooth Bent Billiard (CCC) 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. A hearty, thickly built take on the bent Billiard, this piece from Cavicchi boasts a slightly Egg-like bowl whose walls feature a subtle, arcing taper to the flat rim. It's topped by a gracefully arcing shank-and-stem combination: the latter downturned to promote a comfortable smoking posture. This sinuous stretch of shank and stem lends the outline of the pipe a fluid undercurve, creating a soft outline that not only keeps the eye held, but that begs to be held in the hand. Dressed in one of Cavicchi's iconic honey-blonde finishes and graded three C's out of five, the bowl is wrapped in dense flame grain, while the rim and underside are peppered with birdseye.