Il Duca: Sandblasted Acorn with Boxwood (B) Tobacco Pipe

Massimiliano Rimensi's drive to craft artisan pipes stemmed from a longstanding admiration not only of the process, but of the form of the pipe itself. His pipes are utterly singular in design, incorporating inspiration from the Danish, American, Japanese, and Italian schools, often with a palpable sense of organicism about them, and that is especially true in the case of this Acorn. The profile is something of a signature shape for Rimensi, with its poised, almost sculptural posture, subtle curvature, and gentle forward momentum.

Immediately I'm drawn to the bowl, though not because of any exaggerated proportions, but because of its soft rounding and plump build, the dramatic flare to the high waistline building from a petite, flattened heel which balances the weight of the entire pipe. Its feel in hand is excellent, and the way it flares pushes out material in just the right way that I am struck by an image of a blooming flower. The transition is quite tightly knit, and there is a distinct taper immediately, lending the start of the shank's travel a bit of a pinched disposition, though, as it reaches toward its end, we see a gentle flare before its plateau-covered face meets the demurely arced stem at its boxwood-adorned base. Dressing the briar here is a crisp, contrast-stained sandblast that unveils dense stacks of rippling ring grain which coat the bowl on all flanks, its honey hue allowing the darker streaks of visual flame grain to be seen with greater clarity.