Il Cerchio: Sandblasted Natural Bent Bulldog 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.

A particularly sinuous interpretation of the classic shape, this bent Bulldog features a broad, muscular bowl that stands at the fore of a willowy diamond shank and a demurely curved tapered stem. Though framed by numerous facets, the shank appears rather soft in profile, its intersecting ridgelines less pronounced, especially from a distance. As is traditional for the form, a beadline wraps around the bowl's broad waist and demarcates the flaring heel from the tapered rim, allowing both aspects of the bowl to appreciated individually. Dressed in a crisp sandblast, the stummel offers a handsome mixture of birdseye and growth rings.