Cavicchi Black Sandblasted “ODA” Billiard Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

In 1974, after growing impatient waiting for a pipe he’d ordered, Claudio Cavicchi decided he would simply make his own pipe instead. The former farmer from Bologna, Italy, spent the next 15 years making pipes, until his work took off and received widespread acclaim. Cavicchi’s pipe-making exploits have only become more renowned in the decades since. Today, Cavicchi’s pipes hold a firm place at the top of an extraordinarily competitive Italian high-grades scene, being as carefully and meticulously crafted as they are beautiful. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that Claudio himself is a world record holding slow smoking champion.

As I always say, if there’s a shape of pipes that exists, you can bet that Claudio Cavicchi has mastered it, whether it’s a Danish Oliphant or Elephant’s Foot, an Italian author or extra long Canadian, or, indeed, a good old English billiard. In this instance, the Italian virtuoso has turned his attention to a shape far more familiar to North American artisans of late, such as J.T. Cooke or Michael Parks, though which has its roots in the 20th century factory briars of makes such as Dunhill. Taking the form of an exceptionally stout billiard, one notes an overlap between Dunhill’s iconic large billiard variations, bearing proportions similar to original “LB,” though in an overall size closer to early post-war “OD” 835 renditions. The finishing, on the other hand, is where Cavicchi meets his peers in the North American artisan scene, with the pipe dressed in a spectacularly crisp, ring grain sandblast, dressed in a subtle red and black contrast stain that further accentuates the bowl’s rich relief.

The condition is great. Very minor wear to the rim. This pipe comes with its original leather sleeve.

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.89 / 22.60mm

Bowl Depth: 2.05″ / 52.07mm

Weight: 2.2oz / 64g