Brentegani Smooth Long Shank Footed Apple Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

Over the last decade, a new scene of sorts has emerged in Italian pipe making, one dominated by artisans whose work bridges the traditions of high-grade Italian pipes with those of Scandinavia, the United States, and Japan. Michele Brentegani is one such artisan, having first taken up pipe making in the mid-2010s. Though, as is so often the case in this industry, Brentegani’s path toward the life of a pipe maker was decided by two things: community and chance.

Brentegani’s grandfather was a woodworker and it was through time spent in the latter’s shop that a young Michele was introduced to the fundamentals of handicraft. In fact, though his grandfather did not make pipes, his influence on Brentegani was so formative that, many years later, when Michele did take up pipe making, he adopted his grandfather’s signature for the nomenclature of Brentegani Pipe. Still, when adulthood arrived, Brentegani originally opted for an altogether different career. He remained a lifelong working hobbyist, crafting ornaments and instruments in his spare time, but was only in 2015, after being introduced to pipes by a friend, that Brentegani became enamored by them, to the point where he wanted to try making one. He was able to turn a bowl, but was at a loss when it came to making a stem. He was not even sure where to buy the materials to cut one from. To this end, he contacted Italy’s famous Brebbia workshop to ask where he might buy rod stock for cutting stems. Brebbia’s staff gave him pointers and, quite out of the blue, days later he received a package from them containing three pre-molded stems to experiment with.

Soon enough, Brentegani’s pipes were being debuted at shows in Italy; he was admitted to the Accademia della Pipa, a school intended to nurture the talents of Italy’s most promising up-and-coming pipe makers, headed by “Mimmo” Romeo, Gabriele dal Fiume, Davide Iafisco, and Gioacchino Sauro; and, in 2021, he was commissioned to make the 21st Anniversary pipes for mainstay Italian tobacconist Le Pipe Sas. Though it has been a long time in the making, MBSD Pipes is now very pleased to offer Brentegani Pipe in our shop, as well.

When Brentegani was first developing his signature style, certain things were quite notable, such as a proclivity for long, slender designs, or the inclusion of unconventional shaping elements, such as an unexpected cant, or an orific rim. Many of these Brentegani hallmarks have stayed with him in the years since, despite the clear evolution in his design philosophy. This long shank apple, for example, leans a little toward Brentegani’s Danish influences by way of its bulbous, contrast lit bowl, before transitioning back into the kind of sleek profile that’s been part of his work since its beginnings. Though subtle, one can also notice one of Brentegani’s other longstanding signatures, a slight protrusion, or “foot,” extending past the base of the bowl, and upon which the latter balances like a seed on a branch.

Details:

Length: 6.6″ / 167.6mm

Bowl Width: 0.70 / 17.78mm

Bowl Depth: 1.52″ / 38.60mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 48g