Radice: Rind Bulldog Tobacco Pipe

With years of experience working for such style-defining Italian marques as Castello and Caminetto, Luigi Radice sought to apply his knowledge to crafting his own pipes, establishing the Radice brand in 1980. Joined by his father, Paolo, and his son, Gianluca, Luigi would further develop his distinctively bold shaping style within his family-run workshop. This Bulldog from Radice is a handsome showcase of Italian neoclassicism, featuring a robust bowl at the front with walls flaring from the firm heel toward the broad, beadline-wrapped waist, which then marks a taper toward the rim. A sturdy diamond shank transitions from the bowl and meets a jet-black acrylic stem, the pair's gradual taper lending greater visual weight to the bowl. Radice's rustication dresses the stummel, granting this piece plenty of rugged texture, with the upper portion of the bowl left smooth, creating a handsome contrast and highlighting lovely swirls of birdseye.