Savinelli: Onda Sandblasted (602) (6mm) Tobacco Pipe

Trimmer and more lithe than is usual in typically robust Italian pipe design, Savinelli's "602" is a bent Billiard with more of a Danish flair, especially noticeable in the sweeping curves of the silhouette and slight taper of the bowl toward the rim. The proportions between bowl and shank, though, return us to bowl-centric Italian territory, contributing to a bold, sporty, and active character, as appropriate in a sports car as in an armchair.

A rather reserved series from Savinelli, the Onda line is presented here in its sandblasted version — the stummel stained a dark hue, with hints of lighter, contrasting color peeking out along the textured peaks of the finish to match the smooth-polished briar of the rim. In Italian onda means "wave," and that motif is manifested in the twin accent rings adorning the shank end: Two brass and nickel accoutrements meet in a wavy, undulating pattern, inspired by the line's sea-worthy namesake to add a dose of flash to the color palette.