Mastro Geppetto: Liscia Bent Billiard (1) Tobacco Pipe

Giancarlo Guidi founded Ser Jacopo in 1982, building a reputation on crafting high-quality briars that are renowned for their robust proportions and playful shaping cues. The Italian atelier's style has since defined the Pesaro style of pipe making, each of their pipes imbued with a sense of character and reflecting the whimsical creativity that went into crafting them. Mastro Geppetto is Ser Jacopo's sub-brand of more accessibly priced pipes that still maintain a high-quality of workmanship. Crafted in the Ser Jacopo workshop, these pieces embody the playful Pesaro style of their pricier counterparts, with this bent Billiard being an excellent example. A fluid, sinuous take on the timeless design, the wide transition of this pipe gives way to an impressively curvaceous shank and stem combination. The shank itself tapers gently as it reaches toward the stem, with the stem's white-veined, black acrylic making a smart downturn and continuing the shank's taper. The stem is quite lengthy, its demi-Churchwarden arrangement extending the reach of this pipe to more than seven inches long. Up front, the bowl stands atop a sweeping heel and boasts a low-set waist that here supports forward-urging, tapering walls possessed of ample curvature. These curves make for a comfortable feel in hand, and the arcing shank and stem provide an excellent smoking posture, all while a warm stain across the stummel showcases plenty of handsome grain.