Claudio Cavicchi: Smooth Pot (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 expertly shaped and precisely drilled. This Pot is an impressively stout piece that presents a tightly-knit look about its silhouette thanks to the consistent thickness through its stummel. That said, at more than six inches long, this pipe is not a compact piece, but rather one with some impressively balanced proportions that bely its impressive heft. The transition is wide, and it gives way to a subtly tapering, round shank that diminishes toward a sleek, short, saddle stem of black acrylic. This shank and stem balance the presence of a hearty bowl up front, one which stands on a rounded heel and grows remarkably thick, slightly rounded walls that reach toward the rim with a slight forward cant. Dressed in one of Cavicchi's iconic honey-blonde stains and graded four C's out of five, this pipe displays dense flame grain surrounding the bowl and rich birdseye across the rim and underside.