Castello (1982-2007) Old Antiquari 4K Partially Sandblasted Bent Billiard w/ Silver Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello quickly became known for producing some of the finest smoking pipes in the world. Over the years, the people involved in making Castello pipes has changed – such as Luigi Radice and Guiseppe Ascorti, who developed their skills in the Cantu workshop before leaving to start Caminetto, or the handing of the reins of the company to Francisco “Kino” Coppo after Scotti’s passing—but the superlative quality of Castello pipes has not. It is not without reason that Castello is known as “the Italian Dunhill.”

It is rather rare to see a silver mounted Castello these days, especially one with a silver army mount (or floc, as they say in Italy). If a Castello does feature a mount/floc of some kind, it’s typically the same Lucite used for the make’s stems. There are, however, exceptions, and in the case of this one, it’s not difficult to see why. Crisply sandblasted in Castello’s signature Old Antiquari finish, it’s an especially craggy piece, especially for Castello, with deep ring grain patterns exposed across its bowl. It’s also a rather large, swan-necked rendition of Castello’s shape “66” diamond shank bent billiard, with the finish and the size having earned the pipe a full 4 “k” grade. Judging by the format of the “k” nomenclature, as well as the “Carlo Scotti” stamp, the pipe will have been made at some point between 1982 (when the lowercase “k” grade system was introduced) and 2007 (when the “Carlo Scotti” stamp was retired).

The condition is great. Some minor darkening of the back rim, but overall only lightly smoked.

Details:

Length: 6.6″ / 167.64mm

Bowl Width: 0.76 / 19.30mm

Bowl Depth: 1.60″ / 40.64mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 60g