Savinelli: Churchwarden Black Rusticated (403) Tobacco Pipe

Most typically seen fitted with a straighter style of Churchwarden stem, Savinelli's "403" is a trim Billiard design that emphasizes sleek lines and svelte proportions. The bowl is softer of line than the Italian marque's bolder, more firmly heeled renditions, and here it's poised at a strong forward cant on the end of an oval shank, accentuating the shape's streamlined aesthetic. The "403" is perfect for pipe smokers drawn to classic English and French pipes, especially designs with the added benefits of Churchwarden length.

While Savinelli's Qandale series offers a number of shapes in Churchwarden configuration, marked by an Old-World aesthetic, the Italian marque also presents versions of more traditional, minimalist style. The Churchwarden design hearkens back to the long, willowy, clay "tavern pipes" of yesteryear, marked by especially long stems. Myth shrouds the name's origin, with stories speculating that churchwardens smoked these longer pipes so as to keep smoke from their eyes while keeping watch over unlocked churches. Others suggest that churchwardens used the longer stems to hang pipe bowls out a window while they smoked during church services. Regardless, the elongated stem promotes a comfortable smoking posture well suited to peaceful, relaxing smoking sessions, and this particular piece wears an ebony-stained rustication for intriguing texture in hand and a classy presentation.