Il Duca: Partially Sandblasted Rhodesian (B) Tobacco Pipe

Il Duca pipes are handmade in Italy by Max Rimensi, the name "Il Duca" honoring the historic rulers of his hometown Ferrara. His design style often favors slender shapes, exuding a high degree of refinement and elegance and spanning classic and more avant-garde shapes alike. This Rhodesian rendition beautifully showcases Rimensi's elegant and sleek shaping style in a delightful finish.

Typically, when Rimensi fashions a Rhodesian, or a Bulldog, his signature version favors a gentle, serpentine flow of almost Zulu-like nature but with a Bulldog bowl. This piece, though, drifts from the Italian artisan's convention to feature an extra-sleek, straight version. The slender shank and saddle stem lend the bowl dramatic visual prominence, and the bowl's characteristic beadlines are perfectly mid-set to divide the bowl evenly, with tapers above and below. For an accenting touch, Rimensi kept the briar between the two beadlines smooth, contrasting the rest of the stummel's dark sandblast and resulting in a refined pipe that's exceptionally lightweight.