Sandblasted Bent Billiard with Cumberland Stem (Calypso) 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.

This bent Billiard comes from Valbruna's Calypso line and features striking cross grain all around the bowl, sandblasted in rings to draw the eye and stained a rich, dark hue. In the right light, the grain most closely resembles the waves of the Adriatic washing ashore — maybe as Simone intended. Despite the pipe's title, the shank and stem bend only lightly, particularly the shank, which is quite brief before it yields to the tapered cumberland stem. The walls of the bowl taper lightly from heel to rim and are quite brawny, giving the bowl a substantial, satisfying feel in the hand.