Il Duca: Sandblasted Cherrywood (B) Tobacco Pipe

Il Duca's Max Rimensi is an Italian carver whose style of pipe making is rather hard to pinpoint, since he is so easily able to incorporate the tenets of various design schools into his work. That versatility has led to a portfolio replete with classic shapes, organic designs and rather eclectic, Freehand-like pieces, all of which are precisely engineered, supreme smoking instruments imbued with handsome finishes.

Cherrywoods are a fairly common occurrence within Il Duca's catalog, with each piece offering a unique disposition. This organic, tall, and lean pipe features a forward-leaning, cylindrical bowl rimmed in subtle, yet jagged plateau, its lightly angled, smooth, and flattened heel allowing it to sit sturdily upright. A low-set transition gives rise to a willowy, arcing shank, its gently flaring face also displaying plateau, mirroring that of the rim. Plenty of negative space above the transition allows for casual digit placement and also creatives a fetching "V" design in profile. It's topped by an elegantly tapering, high-rising, cumberland stem, the brindled hues pairing well with the low-profile, dark sandblast. The artisan certainly knows how to precisely shape a block of briar, as the blast reveals tight stacks of handsome growth rings across the entire stummel.