Castello Collection Great Line Smooth Freehand 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 Sergio Ascorti, who developed their skills in the Cantu workshop before leaving to start Caminetto, or the handing of the reigns 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.’

In its early years, Castello had a special “Big Line” series of pipes that were, as one would expect, much larger than their more typical output. The designs of these pipes were also more in keeping with a “freehand” approach to shaping, albeit with a more Italian than Danish aesthetic. In other words, these large pipes featured extraordinary grain patterns (in the case of sandblasted and smooth finished iterations), but didn’t quite look like something that had come out of the Preben Holm workshop. In 1972, the “Big Line” was renamed as the “Great Line,” with the “Big Line” appellation subsequently reserved for pipes that were —to put it plainly—huge. Big Line and Great Line pipes remain in production to this day, though, understandably, they appear in a far fewer number than Castello’s other pipes. This particular Castello is an example of the latter. It’s something of a “mini magnum,” with an overall size and weight that’s very manageable (it’s actually surprisingly light), while also having a tall, palm-filling bowl and a chamber that could carry a whole evening. This one is also an example of a Collection-grade Great Line, representing some of the most high-end pieces to come out of the Castello workshop. I didn’t notice a sub-division of the Collection grade stamped on the pipe (which is represented using the 1-4 “k” system today), though it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve encountered that. I’ve a suspicion that earlier Great Lines weren’t subdivided within their respective grades as standard-production pipes are.

The condition is good. Some minor inner rim charring, handling marks, and a couple of superficial scratches on the bowl.

Details:

Length: 6.4″ / 162.5mm

Bowl Width: 0.89 / 22.60mm

Bowl Depth: 1.92″ / 48.76mm

Weight: 2.0oz / 58g