Sandblasted Lovat Tobacco Pipe

In 2014, Angelo Del Prete took over a tobacco shop. However, the shop was lacking in high-quality pipes, so Del Prete decided to fix that problem himself and began his career as a pipe maker. Looking to expand his skillset, Del Prete visited and learned from two of Italy's most talented pipe makers, Max Rimensi of Il Duca and Davide Iafisco. Today, Del Prete has cultivated his own style, one with Italian roots but also inspired by Danish aesthetics. Del Prete prioritizes compositional harmony and deft engineering, which are represented by the Il Cerchio name, which translates to "The Circle" from Italian and represents balance: From traditional shapes to inventive Freehands, these aesthetic pillars define every Il Cerchio pipe.

Immediately upon seeing this Lovat by Il Cerchio, one's eyes are instantly drawn to the rim. The smooth finish captures strands of flowing cross grain and dresses them in a shining ruby stain. The stain serves to enhance the color of the whole composition, bringing out mahogany hues on the stummel that might otherwise go unnoticed. Furthermore, the stummel is dressed in a rugged sandblast that exposes a detailed cross grain pattern, rippling growth rings, and large swaths of birdseye.

Overall, this Lovat is a simple shape but oozes technical prowess. The bowl is just barely canted, which gives the pipe a streamlined and balanced profile but encourages the visual flow from bit to bowl. The shank is superbly cylindrical, and it flows into a subtle low-set transition that impeccably marries bowl and shank; it almost looks like the two were fused together, rather than being carved from a single burl of briar. Finally, the hand-cut vulcanite saddle stem completes Il Cerchio's sleek and handsome rendition of the timeless Lovat shape.