Caminetto 2020 Natural Smooth Apple w/ Cumberland Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

Caminetto was, and is to this day, a decisive figure in the history of Italy’s pipe workshop tradition. After spending time developing their skills in the Castello workshop, Sergio Ascorti and Luigi Radice left to found their own venture, which they named, “Caminetto.” Here, Ascorti and Radice were able to create their own now-classic shapes and finishes, such as the rusticated “Business,” and the hand-carved, wax-drip “new dear.”

While high-grade Italian pipes, as with most other contemporaneous high-grade pipes, were originally fitted with ebonite stems (including Castello), for a long time in the post-war decades, the gold standard for a good mouthpiece was, instead, Lucite. Castello, Mastro de Paja, Caminetto, Ser Jacopo, Radice, Il Ceppo, Ascorti, and many others hand-cut their stems from Lucite of various hues. It is only relatively recently that ebonite has returned to the Italian high-grades scene, at least in its most historic workshops, and it remains the exception, rather than the rule. I mention this because this particular Caminetto, an apple, or anse, shape in the make’s Natural finish, is one of those rare examples of a Caminetto with a genuine cumberland mouthpiece—something perfect for those who enjoy well-made Italian pipes but prefer the brindled tones and softer feel and comfort that only ebonite affords.

The condition is very good. Some wear to the rim and minor handling marks. The pipe comes with its original box and sleeve.

Details:

Length: 5.2″ / 132.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.76 / 19.30mm

Bowl Depth: 1.33″ / 33.78mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 42g