Savinelli: Punto Oro Smooth Bordeaux (173) (6mm) (Legacy Stock) Tobacco Pipe

The "173" is one of Savinelli's more unique shapes, hybridizing characteristic elements of other designs. In silhouette, the profile is a fairly straightforward Apple, perhaps a touch taller than would be considered standard and with a very slight bend to the stem, but upon closer examination the pipe's distinguishing qualities become more apparent. The shank is actually a Reuleaux triangle in cross section, still rounded but with defining ridgelines for a paneled-like motif, and such a cue matches the shank of the Italian marque's "673 KS" bent Bulldog. Following the Bulldog similarities, the bowl of the "173" sometimes features crisp beadlines just above the waist in some iterations, yet all versions always remain continually rounded and devoid of the Bulldog's typically sudden taper toward the rim.

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.