Sandblasted Natural Bent Apple (B) Tobacco Pipe

The founder of Il Duca, Max Rimensi, named his brand in honor of the historical rulers of his hometown. He got his start making pipes in his uncle's carpentry workshop and has since become a renowned 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 bent Apple from Rimensi leans more toward the former style. The pipe is a great piece to hold in the hand, the bulbous bowl's satisfying curves inviting the fingers to wrap around it with ease. Plump of waist, the bowl's rotundity is echoed in a wide, slightly upturned shank — whose thickness is in turn matched by the acrylic stem tapering swiftly into a bit arched with a Prince-like grace. Naked of stain, sandblasted flame grain and the accompanying growth rings emerge from birdseye adorning the supple heel to wrap around the smooth surface of the bowl, accentuating the walls' roundness.