Il Duca: Partially Sandblasted Dublin with Boxwood (B) Tobacco Pipe

Max Rimensi, the talented craftsman behind Il Duca pipes, is known for his innate ability to easily transcend the various schools of design, his portfolio ranging from modern takes on English classics to more organic, sculptural pieces. Rimensi is quite talented in reading a block of briar and shaping it to best show off its grain, as exemplified in this stunning Dublin.

A moderate-sized piece, the bowl displays a pronounced, yet gradual flare toward the gently inflated rim, the pipe's supple curves and softened lines informed by a Danish influence, which is often prevalent in the artisan's work. The shank, too, offers a steady expansion in width from the transition, leading to a trim boxwood accent at its flaring end; and is contrasted by one of Max's ebony-hued, hand-cut vulcanite stems. This piece is dressed in a dark, low-profile sandblast, highlighting a stunning array of tightly stacked ring grain ascending from the heel to the smooth, chestnut-stained rim, which is engulfed in gorgeous clusters of birdseye, the whorls resplendent in their beauty.