Radice: Silk Cut Bulldog Tobacco Pipe

Luigi Radice was born in 1939 and began his career working with briar in 1961, finding employment at the venerable Castello workshop. While working for the now legendary brand, Luigi met Giuseppe Ascorti, and the two left together in 1968 to found Caminetto, where he stayed for 12 years, before departing to establish Radice in 1980. With help from his son, Gianluca, and his father, Paolo, Luigi began producing pipes in a striking neoclassical style which quickly amassed acclaim from enthusiasts of such stylized works. Luigi was later joined by his other son, Marzio, and the family-run workshop has since become known not just for their unique take on the neoclassical style of pipe making, but their singular accenting and finishing techniques. A squat and overtly muscular rendition of the Bulldog, Radice's take on the classic shape here is a thoroughly neoclassical one, with nearly all of the visual weight here centered on the bowl. Said bowl boasts thick, hearty walls that are broader than they are tall and take on a slight forward cant from out of the wide transition, its firm heel supporting a flare out to twin beadlines at the midsection before tapering toward the rim. A diamond-shaped shank and stem taper out of the transition and further emphasize the presence of the bowl. This piece comes dressed in the crisp sandblast of the Silk Cut series, revealing handsome grain under a striking red stain.