La Biota Sandblasted Poker Artisan Briar Pipe, Antler Shank, Handmade in Italy [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 la Biota is a bit of an oddity in Michele’s catalog, as it is a far more ‘classical’ shape than I’m used to him making. It is, for all intents and purposes, a poker, or perhaps a cherrywood. At the same time I don’t think I’ve ever seen a poker whose shank is comprised almost entirely of a large section of genuine antler. In any case, it’s a beautiful composition, one made all the more so by the crisp, bird’s-eye grain sandblasting of the bowl, and the understated tan hue of the ebonite stem. A must-buy for lovers of the poker shape who want to add something a little different to their collection, this pipe would also make the perfect seasonal gift for the pipe smoking outdoorsman (or outdoorswoman).

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: 4.8″

Bowl Width: 18.5mm

Bowl Depth: 1.5″

Weight: 1.5oz / 44g