Savinelli: Punto Oro Smooth Bordeaux (814 EX) (Legacy Stock) Tobacco Pipe

Like the "812," Savinelli's "814 KS" is, in essence, a bent Canadian, the slightly downturned, abbreviated stem further emphasizing the shank's sleekness and the bold, protruding heel at the fore. This "814 EX," though, is decidedly more dramatic in its proportions, having been increased to EX size and exemplifying the Italian marque's neoclassic approach to classic English shapes — the oval shank is trimmer, and even tapers from transition to stem when viewed from above, which thrusts more visual weight toward the tall, cylindrical bowl up front. It's a pipe with plenty of muscular, palm-filling substance, juxtaposed against a streamlined disposition through the shank-and-stem combination.

Savinelli's Punto Oro and Giubileo d'Oro series comprise the upper echelons of the Italian marque's regular-production lineup. For decades, they've delighted pipe smokers with striking finishes and superlative grain, and this particular Punto Oro example celebrates Savinelli's historical renown: It's part of a selection of old-stock examples procured from the factory earlier this year and fashioned sometime between 1975 and 2005 — a rare array that we've distinguished as "Legacy Stock." Though all Legacy Stock pipes are part of the Punto Oro and Giubileo d'Oro series and are offered in either smooth or sandblasted finishes, they vary depending on their production era, with stain colors differing slightly and revealing the evolution of Savinelli's production over the years. This pipe is a chance to own a piece of Savinelli history, limited in supply and with only a few renditions of each shape available.