Graziano Tendi Smooth Hawkbill 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.

Like the Danes and their acorns and brandies, Italian pipe makers have all but claimed the hawkbill shape as a major part of their national pipe making identity. Whether it’s Castello, Caminetto, Ser Jacopo, or Rinaldo, one finds that it’s a rare occurrence for an Italian make not to put its own spin on the shape. Graziano Tendi is similarly quite taken by the hawkbill, and is known to carve his own renditions every now and then. This one is a little rarer than most in his output, however, being a fully smooth interpretation, with a light, natural finish that highlight’s the bowl’s superb flame grain patterns.

Details:

Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.80 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 1.51″ / 38.35mm

Weight: 2.8oz / 82g