Sahara Bent Dublin (YYY) Tobacco Pipe

Sicilian brothers Elio and Guido Rinaldo moved to Pesaro and started working with Mastro de Paja in the mid-1970s, founding their own titular brand in 1987. They produce about 1,500 pipes a year using briar from Liguria in northwestern Italy, and grade them from one to four Y's, or the highest grade, Fiamatta, denoting excellent flame grain.

This bent Dublin was awarded three Y's, a fair grade for a pipe with such an attractive sandblast and color scheme. The sandblast does a great job of showcasing the grain without overwhelming it and while still feeling substantial in the fingertips, and the stain gives the stummel a warm mahogany hue in between lighter flame grain. The bowl is rounded near the rim in the manner similar to that of an Acorn and canted lightly forward on the front of a substantial heel. Beyond a slender ring of smooth briar, the shank is joined by a lengthy, tapered stem of black acrylic that bends lightly on its way to the bit.