Il Duca: Sandblasted Rhodesian with Silver Cap (D) Tobacco Pipe

While Max Rimensi, the artisan who makes Il Duca pipes, produces a variety of creative Rhodesian designs, this broad, low-slung variant is a signature rendition from the Italian carver. It gets plenty of heel, and then some, with with a palmful of comforting briar the extends slightly below the sinuous and comparatively slender shank, and the tapered vulcanite stem flares from a pinched base to a precisely executed fishtail button.

It's dressed in a crisp black sandblast that unifies with the stem and accentuates rippling growth rings climbing the bowl's flare. The wrapping ridgeline endemic to the shape here demarcates the beginning of an elegant, domed silver cap, a striking accent that protects the rim from flame and adds a timeless, bespoke beauty to the pipe. The very inner edge of the rim reveals briar and is chamfered to aid tobacco loading, finished with a smooth, lighter stain for a final contrasting touch. A superlative Italian piece, sure to delight anyone looking for a stylish Rhodesian for their collection.