Graziano Tendi Sandblasted Wide Shank Bulldog 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.

“Wide shank” bulldogs originated with the post-war Danish artisan scene, especially those of Copenhagen and Svendborg, though in contrast to some of the other creations to have come out of Scandinavia over the last 70 years or so, there’s a strong sense of classicism to them, both in form and in intent. Given Graziano Tendi’s own neoclassical proclivities, it should be no surprise that he too is very fond of that specific genre of bulldog renditions. While its shaping is quite modern, this particular wide shank bulldog keeps things very traditional as regards the rest of the design, wearing a deep, dark, ring grain sandblast and being fitted with a black ebonite mouthpiece.

Details:

Length: 5.2″ / 132.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.81 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 1.50″ / 38.1mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 46g