Il Cerchio: Natural Smooth Tomato with Mammoth Tobacco Pipe

Meaning "The Circle" in Italian, Il Cerchio pipes are handmade by Angelo Del Prete, who started crafting pipes in 2018 to expand the selection of his own tobacco shop's high-quality pipes. To that end, Del Prete dedicated himself to intense research on pipes and their manufacture, going on to learn shaping and finishing techniques from some of Italy's most renowned artisan makers, including Davide Iafisco and Massimiliano Rimensi. As an artisan, Del Prete draws inspiration mainly from the Danish school of pipe making, centering his aesthetic around elegant forms rich with dynamic curvature and momentum, though he is equally talented in creating classic Anglo-French profiles.

Del Prete has presented us with a number of Tomato renditions in the past, showcasing a different style in each iteration of the shape that we've seen from him thus far. This particular Tomato is not only my favorite out of his takes on the shape, but one of my favorite takes on the shape in general, fusing its namesake with aspects of the Diplomat to create a simply alluring profile. The transition here is wide and lightly cheeked, giving way to a compressed, ovoid shank which lifts as it tapers through the end and into the stem: comprising a fluid, arc that's primed for comfortable smoking. The stem itself is a jet-black taper of vulcanite that's accented at the base with a broad fitment of pale mammoth, balancing some of the visual weight here nicely and pulling the eye back a bit from the bowl. Up front, the bowl sits atop a rounded heel and grows a low-set waistline that supports its thick, hearty walls' arcing taper toward the flat rim. What results is a comfortable feel in hand that speaks to both the supple outline of the shape's archetype and Prete's skill in shaping briar with ample curves. Dressed in a smooth, natural finish, the stummel here showcases straight grain wrapping the bowl and lining the sides of the shank, while the underside and rim display a rich patterning of birdseye.