Il Cerchio: Sandblasted Tomato Tobacco Pipe

Meaning "The Circle" in Italian, Il Cerchio pipes are handmade by Angelo Del Prete, who began crafting pipes in 2018 to broaden the selection of briars he offered at his own tobacco shop. He sought mentorship from Massimiliano Rimensi and Davide Iafisco, and began to cultivate an intimate understanding of the nuances of pipe making. He's since developed a distinctive style of his own, drawing on the work of his aforementioned tutors as well as the Danish school of design. His portfolio runs the gamut from old-school Anglo-French classics to more eclectic designs, with this Tomato being a fine example of the former.

This Tomato boasts a wide, full-bodied bowl that's balanced at the fore of a slender oval shank and a demurely curved saddle stem. All supple curves and clear, elegant lines, this piece brings to mind Danish pipe making, as it possesses a certain softness that's at once affable and alluring. The bowl's broad stance and rounded contours conform naturally to the hand, while the shank and stem's languid curve promotes a comfortable smoking posture and lends the shape's profile just a touch of gesture. Dressed in a crisp sandblast, the stummel displays impressive growth rings that climb the bowl's flanks.