Radice: Rind Bent Billiard with Faux Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

This whimsical bent Billiard from the Radices displays a tall, stout bowl with a curved heel and generous chamber capacity. It's paired to a high-kicking shank-and-stem arrangement in which the briar shank has been carved to resemble two knuckles of bamboo, and the jet-black mouthpiece is downturned a bit to promote comfortable clenching. Meanwhile, the bowl is dressed in the Italian marque's warm, texturally pleasing finish of the Rind rustication, contrasting the shank and smooth rim wonderfully.

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.