Musico: Sandblasted Rhodesian with Boxwood Tobacco Pipe

A rather compact take on the Rhodesian, this piece is something of a departure from Musico's more readily seen, classically-oriented pipes. The bowl cants forward dynamically and maintains the traditional shape's wrapping ridgeline beneath its easy taper to the rim, though it maintains enough curvature to be comfortable in hand. The heel, however is pointed in profile, resembling the Acorn shape's spur and centering the visual weight at the bowl. An abbreviated shank is extended by a handsome, lengthy mount of boxwood that flares gently at the end and is topped by a short, push-style stem of black vulcanite, the configuration allowing for easy disassembly and cleaning. The stummel is dressed in a crisp, inky sandblast that reveals handsome grain, both flanks of the bowl showcasing textural birdseye.

In 1990, two notable sons of the pipe world joined together and opened up a shop together. Those two were Pablo Becker and Massimo Musicò, the sons of Fritz Becker and Giorgio Musicò, respectively, and two highly respected individuals within Italy's pipe sphere. Starting in 1995, the pair began making pipes together, with Pablo turning the stummels and Massimo crafting silver spigots and bands to pair with the pipes. The duo enjoyed great success during their partnership, but in 2002, Pablo decided to go back to making artisan pipes full-time under the Becker name. Massimo Continued making Musicò pipes, however, and added the Foundation name to subsequent releases, additionally including the rest of his family in the production of the pipes.