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

The founder of Il Duca, Max Rimensi, named his brand in honor of the historical rulers of his hometown, with each grade being identified with a specific aristocratic title. Rimensi's love of pipes came as no surprise to him given his experience working in his uncle's carpentry workshop as a teenager. When he decided to try making pipes for himself in the aforementioned workshop, his first attempts didn't go quite how he planned, but his determined, go-getter attitude led him to persist in the craft, and he is now a well-respected artisan. His style is known to comprise a versatile plethora of shapes, ranging from those rendered in classic Anglo-French style to more adventurous freehands.

This Acorn from Il Duca leans more toward the latter end of the spectrum, its form flowing and organic. The bowl blossoms from the narrow heel like the mushroom cloud of a volcanic explosion as it rises through the atmosphere. Furthering the volcanic imagery is the stummel's crimson and black stripes, which combined with the darker hues of the stem and bamboo rod, promote a smoldering aura about the pipe. The striped stain serves an additional purpose; it accentuates the natural flow of flame grain across the left flank of the bowl. The waist is wide and saucer-like, marking a swift taper into the narrow rim. On its aft side, the waist hangs above the diminutive shank, making for a tight-knit transition. The shank is short, tapering through its abbreviated length into the trim, three-knuckled rod of bamboo that separates it from a svelte, chastely downturned stem. This stem is made of vulcanite and joins to the bamboo via a reverse tenon made of metal.