Il Duca: Smooth Bent Bulldog (D) Tobacco Pipe

When Il Duca's Max Rimensi crafts Bulldogs, they're generally made of morta rather than briar and have become a signature design for the Italian shop. This smooth bent Bulldog, however, is fashioned from briar, making it a rare and most welcome offering.

The muscular bowl is more rounded than the Anglo-French classic versions, the suppleness and softness of line most noticeable on the lower bowl, which forgoes the sharp, angular and quick taper to the heel and instead is softly curvaceous. The form's twin beadlines are pronounced, however, with the waistline set a bit lower, accentuating the domed rim. The diamond shank and saddle stem arrangement is rather lengthy and turns upward from the transition, resulting in a sleek, streamlined silhouette in back.

This full-bodied Bulldog is dressed in Rimensi's signature contrast stain, the rich hues highlighting the briar's handsome mixture of dense grain patterns.