Il Cerchio: Sandblasted Cutty with Bamboo 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.

Though its shape originates from Old World clay tavern pipes, this Cutty takes on a decidedly Danish outline, however, it's not without a bit of Italian style thanks to its impressive, bowl-forward presence. Said bowl is the timeless Cutty outline, with an Egg-like, mid-set waist resulting from a gentle flare out of its sweeping heel, followed by a sleek, forward-urging taper to the rim. There's plenty of curvature to appreciate throughout the bowl, its nicely rounded walls rising to nearly two inches tall and complete with an appreciable thickness through the waist. A wide transition pairs the bowl to an impressively trim shank, the short stretch of briar here extended by two knuckles of pale bamboo, the dense grass' organic presence extended by two carved divots on the left flank at both the shank and stem: continuing the outline of a pair of divots on the bamboo. The stem here is a sleek taper of black vulcanite, keeping the aft side of this pipe understated and aerodynamic while matching the stummel's inky sandblast for a serious palette.