Sandblasted Natural Acorn with Horn (B) Tobacco Pipe

Max Rimensi of Il Duca is a versatile, intuitive artisan who adapts easily to various styles of pipe making, often infusing classic Danish, German, Italian, or Anglo-French shaping into his creations. This Acorn is a fine example of his skill set, from the selection of clean briar suitable for the natural finish, which will patinate over time and use, to the ring of horn adorning the stem. The curvaceous, robust bowl features a high-set waistline, its suppleness and gentle contours influenced by the Danish school, as is the craggy plateau adorning the rim and sloping shank face. The bowl is rife with tightly stacked ring grain and offers a distinctive taper to the firm heel, the base of which is flattened, enabling this highly organic piece to sit sturdily upright. The elongated shank is proportionately much more trim than the bowl, giving a nod to the Italian neoclassic style, and the angular lines and use of plateau call to mind certain Freehand-style pipes in the Italian tradition as well. It's topped by a jet-black, slender mouthpiece, the pale horn accent matching the hue of the stummel.

-Angela Robertson