Autograph Sandblasted Bent Dublin (6mm) 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.

The eye is immediately drawn to the heel of this piece, which is heavily pointed at the bottom of the fore wall and narrows to allow for the conical bowl that the Dublin shape requires. The line defining the underside falls slightly from the aft of the bowl to the point of the heel, giving the underside an obtuse angle as it stretches back to meet the minutely bent, tapered stem of black-and-white acrylic. The bowl is sandblasted and stained darkly for a rich touch and handsome appearance that allow this piece to be appreciated for more than its unique shaping alone.