Joe Cortegiano Magnum Smooth Egg Estate Briar Pipe, American Estates

Description

Joseph “Joe” Cortegiano was an American artisan working out of New York. Cortegiano made pipes under his own name – as with this one – as well as house-brand pipes for New York’s iconic pipe outlets, such as E. Wilke, Barclay-Rex, and Ed Burak’s Connoisseur make.

Though Joe Cortegiano is perhaps best remembered for his collaborations with Ed Burak, you can see from his solo work just why Burak felt comfortable giving his designs to Cortegiano, and indeed why the two were such a good fit. Like Burak, Cortegiano’s pipes tend to be on the larger side and they’re also typically quite artistic and willing to make bold choices. This smooth egg of sorts (one could also consider it an acorn, or even a Rhodesian) is a striking pipe, not just due to its colossal stature, but in its strange and beautiful shaping. The grain is great (especially given the size of the block that will have been needed to make it) and the finishing is warm and inviting. Make no mistake, though: if you sit down with this one fully loaded, it’ll be a while before you get back up again.

The condition is great. Very minor inner rim darkening and a small, superficial nick on the rim’s outer edge.

 

Details:

Length: 7″ / 177.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.83 / 21.08mm

Bowl Depth: 2.26″ / 57.40mm

Weight: 3.7oz / 106g