Sandblasted Volcano Tobacco Pipe

Angelo Del Prete owns a smoke shop in Pordenone, Italy, that has focused on the sale of artisanal pipes since 2014, but it wasn't until 2018 that Angelo began shaping briar blocks out of pure curiosity. He contacted Italian pipe makers to learn more about the craft, spending time learning from the likes of Massimiliano Rimensi and Davide Iafisco. Angelo made his pipes available for sale starting in 2020, and today averages an annual production of 50-60 pipes made with the influences of the Italian and Danish schools of pipe making.

This Volcano from Angelo's workshop is an organic interpretation of the shape, with a high point to the fore that makes the front wall quite short as it falls from the rim and a wide, sweeping heel that gives the stummel a pronounced underside. The waves of sandblast on the stummel are deep and provide a rich touch but do not completely overwhelm the tendrils of flame grain that sprout from the heel. A warm mahogany stain gives the stummel a lovely dark-red hue from the sloping walls of the bowl to the sharply upturned, curvaceous shank, which has a lightly inflated face as it meets the curvy shoulders of the minutely bent vulcanite stem. Rich in color and design, this piece is a great work of Italian craftsmanship sure to please any fan of the Volcano shape.