Graziano Tendi Sandblasted “LBS” Billiard Handmade Briar Pipe, New

The Italian artisan scene is, today, more vibrant than it has perhaps ever been. While the 20th century was largely dominated by seminal workshops, such as Mastro de Paja and Castello, their many offshoots, such as Ser Jacopo and Caminetto, and the familial dynasties frequently bound up with them, such as the Roveras, the Ascortis, and the Musicos, the 21st century has seen an emergence of networks of solo carvers, whose talents have come to rival both the great workshops of their homeland and their solo counterparts abroad, such as in Denmark or the United States. Graziano Tendi is just such a pipe maker. Having been enamored with tobacco pipes since he was a teenager, Tendi has spent the last decade crafting pipes under his own name, achieving cult status even among Italy’s notoriously competitive pipe making community.

While Graziano Tendi is adept at carving pipes in a variety of styles, it is the old, Anglo-French classics that he most frequently returns to. Like any good artisan, he spends a lot of time working with traditional forms, though unlike most artisans, these forms make up the majority of his output, and are among his most acclaimed.

This one leans into the English tradition, specifically its midcentury “LBS,” or “Large Billiard Slender” genre, a shape that takes the timeless proportions of the interwar “Large Billiard” and gives it a slightly lengthier stature. Further cementing its English aesthetic, the pipe wears a rich, burgundy sandblast and is fitted with a hand-cut cumberland mouthpiece.

Details:

Length: 6.1″ / 154.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.86 / 21.84mm

Bowl Depth: 1.75″ / 44.45mm

Weight: 2.0oz / 58g