Castello Old Antiquari (3K) Sandblasted Author with Briar Inlay (Estate)

In the world of pipes, Italy is famous for its workshops—institutions that operate at a smaller scale to factories, but in which expert artisans work tirelessly to create pipes entirely by hand. Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello is one of the oldest and most renowned of these workshops, and Castello pipes are often spoken of as Italy’s answer to England’s famous Dunhill pipes. Known for its equally high-grade smooth, sandblasted, and rusticated finishes, Castello’s legacy is felt not only in the continued success of the make itself, but also in the various, similarly high-end workshops founded by former Castello craftsmen, such as Caminetto, Radice, and Ascorti.

Like the hawkbill, the author is a shape that, despite being rooted in traditional Anglo-French pipe making, would become a thoroughly “Italian” one in the post-war decades. As such, it is hard not to think of one of the great Italian makes when contemplating the shape in its typically squat, plump form today. This particular example comes from one of Italy’s most esteemed workshops, Castello, and is dressed in the make’s flagship sandblast finish, the Old Antiquari. Interestingly, this one also features something that is not completely out of the ordinary for Castello pipes, though not common either; a stem inlay, in this instance cut from what looks to be briar (like the bowl), though in an even more natural dress than the bowl it is paired with.

The condition is good. A couple of spots of slight charring on the rim, minor finish fading, and very slight tooth marks.

Details:

Length: 5.7″ / 144.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 1.23″ / 31.24mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 48g