La Biota Rusticated Stack Nosewarmer Handmade Briar Pipe, New [SOLD OUT]

Description

A graduate of Italy’s prestigious Academia della Pipa, Michele Sottocasa has been making pipes for over a decade under the la Biota name. Prior to becoming a pipe-maker, Sottocasa trained and worked as a designer and art director, and la Biota pipes continue this drive towards a distinct aesthetic vision. The name, ‘la Biota,’ originally derives from ecology, and symbolizes the deep connection between humans and nature – a connection well represented by the hand-made tobacco pipe.

This particular la Biota is a pocket-friendly nosewarmer, but one whose stack bowl will nevertheless ensure a long, relaxing smoke. I imagine it would be perfect for trails in the great outdoors – and at a mere 40 grams, it would be a comfortable clencher all the while. As for the design, Sottocasa has chosen to dress this pipe in a quintessentially Italian rustication and a naked briar stain, in a manner not unlike Savinelli’s Punto Oro Corallo or Castello’s Natural Vergin finishes. Unlike Savinelli and Castello, however, this pipe is accented with a shank ring cut from genuine horn.

All la Biota pipes are made by hand by Michele Sottocasa in his workshop in the mountainous Northern region of Italy. Sottocasa prefers the wood lathe over the metal lathe traditionally used by pipe-makers, which he uses to painstakingly hand-shape each la Biota bowl, and hand-cut each la Biota stem. As Sottocasa strives to make each la Biota pipe unique and does not like to repeat shapes and design choices he has made in the past, every la Biota pipe is one of a kind – once it is gone, it is gone forever.

 

Details:

Length: 4.5″

Bowl Width: 19.4mm

Bowl Depth: 1.9″

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g