Castello Old Antiquari KK Sandblasted “55” Pot Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

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.

As a pipe maker, or pipe company, few things serve as better indicators of lasting success than to create a design that other pipe makers cannot help but reproduce. It could be a shape, a finish, or a style of ornamentation; if other pipe makers are deliberately, or even explicitly, incorporating such into their own pipes, that is a genuine achievement on the part of the original creator. As far as Castello goes, the workshop’s Sea Rock rustication has been inspired countless finishing styles over the decades, but in the realm of open homages, the “shape 55” is likely Castello’s crowning achievement. A distinctive, strong-jawed middle ground between the pot and the hawkbill, the “55” abounds among contemporary artisans and workshops, much in the same way that the Dunhill “LB” and “LC” does. But while there are plenty of excellent studies of the “55” by Castello-inspired pipe makers, it’s still nice to go back to the original, i.e., one made by the Castello workshop itself. This one is a pocket-friendly rendition dressed in a beautifully applied, ring grain sandblast, as part of the workshop’s Old Antiquari series.

The condition is very good. Some minor wear to the rim.

Details:

Length: 4.9″ / 124.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.91 / 23.11mm

Bowl Depth: 1.15″ / 29.21mm

Weight: 1.0oz / 30g