Claudio Cavicchi: Smooth Lovat (CCCC) 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 ensures that his pipes are not only beautiful, but also expertly shaped and precisely drilled. Displaying a good deal of height to the bowl, this Lovat from Claudio Cavicchi is a fine example of Italian neoclassical proportions. The tall, stout bowl stands proudly at the end of a comparatively svelte stretch of shank and abbreviated saddle stem, affording this pipe a charmingly plump and alluring profile. This is especially true as the extended shank pushes out from the wide transition to meet a brief saddle stem of black acrylic. The bowl itself is robust and stands on a firm heel, cultivating ample thickness about its walls' easy cinch toward a flat rim, with this thickness aptly insulating the capacious chamber quite well. Dressed in one of Cavicchi's iconic honey-blonde stains, this pipe has earned the carver's CCCC-grade, and it showcases a wealth of handsome grain, with dense bands of flame wrapping the bowl and plenty of birdseye to appreciate across the rim and underside.