Mauro Armellini XL Rusticated Calabash Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

Armellini is something of a hidden gem in the world of Italian pipe-making. It is also a make that deserves more recognition, given the singular contributions of its namesake, Mauro Armellini, to Italian pipe history. Mauro himself began his pipe-making career at the Rossi factory in the 1960s, before it was acquired by Savinelli. Later, Mauro worked for Savinelli, where he played an instrumental role in developing many of its iconic rustication styles, such as the coveted Corallo finish. After leaving Savinelli, Mauro created his own make, Mauro Armellini. In his workshop in Barasso, in northern Italy, he crafted these pipes alongside his four daughters. After Mauro passed in 2004, his daughter Wilma took the reins of the Armellini workshop, which continues to produce hand made pipes in both traditional and modern freehand styles.

While arguably closer to a cavalier shape, the “Calabash” is a recurrent motif in Mauro Armellini’s pipes. Being hand made, each is a little different, and some versions—like this one—appear to have used special drills to bore curved draft holes. This has become more common in Italian handmades over the last few decades (early precursors, of course, have existed since the birth of French briars) with other notable examples being Ser Jacopo and the late Luigi Viprati also employing flexible drills to create fascinating, full-bent designs. On the subject of Italian institutions, this Calabash model shows off Mauro Armellini’s own interpretation of the nation’s favorite pebble dash rustication, pairing it with a near-black stain and a Lucite mount.

The condition is great. Some inner rim darkening, though it looks as though much of that is simply a slight overflow of the bowl coating.

 

Details:

Length: 7.6″ / 193.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.89 / 22.60mm

Bowl Depth: 1.55″ / 39.37mm

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g