Sandblasted Bent Bulldog Tobacco Pipe

In 2014, Angelo Del Prete took over a tobacco shop. However, the shop was lacking in high-quality pipes, so Del Prete decided to fix that problem himself and began his career as a pipe maker. Looking to expand his skillset, Del Prete visited and learned from two of Italy's most talented pipe makers, Max Rimensi of Il Duca and Davide Iafisco. Today, Del Prete has cultivated his own style, one with Italian roots but also inspired by Danish aesthetics. Del Prete prioritizes compositional harmony and deft engineering, which are represented by the Il Cerchio name, which means "the circle" and represents balance — from traditional shapes to inventive Freehands, these aesthetic pillars define every Il Cerchio pipe.

This bent Bulldog by Il Cerchio is dressed in jet-black sandblast that frames the grain remarkably well. The craggy growth rings radiate outward in a concentric pattern from the pipe's nadir, which is positioned directly below the transition. The growth rings sweep across the underside of the shank and ascend along the bowl's fore, but cease at the crisp ridgelines. The sweeping lines of the diamond shank divide the birdseye whorls above from the growth rings below, while the bowl's broad waistline does the same. Additionally, the rim showcases a cherry-red smooth finish, which provides an eye-catching visual and textural contrast to the rugged sandblast while also calling to mind Il Cerchio's namesake — the circle.