Autograph Sandblasted Bent Egg Tobacco Pipe

Achille Savinelli set out to break the Italian government's monopoly on tobacco when he opened his own smoke shop in Milan in 1876. Though clay and meerschaum ruled the pipe market in those days, Achille had faith that the briar pipes he designed and had manufactured in Varese would make a breakthrough, and he was right. Production of Savinelli pipes continues to this day, with its Autograph line representing the company's finest products. The line's incredibly high standards, including specially-selected briar, limit the number of Autographs Savinelli can make each year. Savinelli grades its best Autographs on a descending scale of 000, 00, and 0, followed by 8, 6, 5, 4, and 3.

This bent Egg from the Autograph line is sandblasted in rings leading away from the heel and stained a rich dark brown, though flecks of lighter brown can be seen stretching vertically toward the rim. The bowl appears Billiard-like when viewed in profile, but shows the characteristic tapering of an Egg when viewed from the aft or fore. The shank is very brief and upturned into a broad, tapered stem of black acrylic, which makes a timeless complement to the stummel's earthy brown stain. All in all, this is a richly imagined piece from Savinelli, finished in a way that makes it as easy on the fingertips as it is on the eyes.