Sandblasted Chimney (Two Jellyfish) Tobacco Pipe

Ser Jacopo alum Simone Gaudenzi is well-trained in the Pesaro school of pipe making, which emphasizes clean lines and panache in design. Today, Gaudenzi crafts Valbruna pipes in the small town of Gabicce Mare on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, which plays an important role in the company's nomenclature: per Adriatic legend, Valbruna is a lost, sunken city like Atlantis. Gaudenzi ages the briar for his pipes, which are produced in limited quantities. True to his maritime roots, he uses jellyfish to identify levels of quality.

Two jellyfish mark this Chimney, appropriately named for the considerable height of its bowl — all of two and one-third inches. A fine sandblast allows the cross grain and flame grain of the bowl to shine through the dark stain all the way from the heel to the rim, a long journey considering the bowl's height. Similarly stained plateau rings the rim of the bowl, which is not only tall but muscular, as well. The curves of the shank and stem are relatively subtle, falling only gradually from the bit before fading into the bowl. It's a substantial work from Simone, lengthy at just under seven inches and considerably large in the hand.