Il Duca: Partially Sandblasted Rhodesian (B) Tobacco Pipe

Max Rimensi, the skilled carver behind Il Duca pipes, enjoys a reputation for being able to easily shift between the various schools of design, imbuing classic shapes with a re-imagined, more contemporaneous aesthetic, be it through stem material, design, or accent. The stem is gingerly bent, a wide and easy taper of black vulcanite that's met by a thick ovoid shank, accentuating the bowl's squatness. This vertical compression leads me to think of the Horn shape, as, if the bowl didn't feature its broad flare at the waist, it would look very much like the aforementioned profile given the entire shape's gradual expansion from the button to the rim. The waist comprises a pair of beadlines that frame a smooth ring of briar, working to imbue the pipe with a more architectural look near the fore. In its entirety, however, this shape is quite fluid, gently ebbing to its zenith along a supple curvature. There's a touch of lift given to the heel, pushing the bowl into a slightly more prominent position and allowing easily focused attention on its width and expert shaping. Rimensi has finished this pipe with a classic dressing, covering the burl in a jet-black sandblast, with the smooth briar ring between the bowl's beadlines offering some rich contrast. A truly striking piece, this silhouette has become a signature of Massimiliano's, and it's not hard to see why: This fusion of classic and contemporary shaping and styling results in a profile sure to stay relevant generations from now.