Ser Jacopo: Historica 2016 Rusticated Calabash with Silver (40) (R1) Tobacco Pipe

Founded in 1982 by Giancarlo Guidi, Ser Jacopo has built a reputation on crafting high-quality briars that are renowned for their robust proportions and playful shaping cues. The Italian marque's style has since defined the Pesaro style of pipe making, each of their pipes imbued with a sense of character and reflecting the whimsical creativity that went into crafting them. Their Historica series seeks to modernize some of their older, more novel shapes, refining the designs and often accenting them with flashy silver work. This example in particular is Ser Jacopo's release from 2016, and is one of the most unique designs in pipe making canon: the Captain Warren Calabash. This shape is defined by its dramatically extended heel and mid-set transition, pairing a Hawkbill-like shank and stem combination to a tall, Egg-like bowl that's rich with curves for the fingers to enjoy. Its chamber cap here is rather large and pressure-fits into the expansive condensation chamber, its start marked by a briar expansion ring that adds firmness to the composition. Dressed in a craggy rustication, there's plenty of rich texture to appreciate here, the auburn stain contrasted by lighter, smooth areas at the nomenclature panel and chamber cap insert area.