Calibano (Mastro de Paja) 114 C2 Smooth Canadian Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

I have seen many references to Calibano pipes as a Mastro de Paja “second,” and while they were made by Mastro de Paja, to call them “seconds” is not entirely accurate. Instead, Calibano was a Mastro de Paja sub brand, and specifically one through which Mastro de Paja offered something more akin to a factory pipe. In other words, while just about every Mastro de Paja pipe is handmade in the Italian workshop tradition, with the typical result being that each has been unique, Calibano pipes were made with the use of fraising machines and, as such, were offered in a roster of set shapes and finishes. It’s a little like Savinelli’s establishment of the Autograph workshop, but in reverse; instead of starting out a factory make and branching out into freehand pipes, Calibano was a case of a freehand pipe workshop branching out into factory briars.

It’s hard to beat a good old Canadian rendition, something even the more adventurous Italian workshops and artisans are happy to concede. This one is far more classical than some of the extra-long, long shanks often favored in the Italian handmades scene, and the purists among us will be all the happier for it. As with the other Calibano pipes we’ve seen thus far, the proportions are, instead, just about goldilocks, with a reasonable, fairly light weight and an ample chamber, all dressed in a fiery, brick-red finishl.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating.

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.68″ / 42.67mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g