Luciano 2010 31 T Partially Sandblasted Bent Billiard Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Those who were around during the 2010s may remember Luciano pipes. They were the creation of Luca di Piazza, owner of the now seemingly defunct Italian retailer NeatPipes, and were very well received when they made their American debut. First produced in partnership with Radice, then by Italian artisan Davide Iafisco, and including some designs co-created with GL Pease, Luciano became a go-to for a high-quality, reasonably priced, Italian pipe. By the end of the 2010s, however, Neat Pipes, and Luciano with it, had all but disappeared, with production presumed to have ceased.

The Luciano brand underwent a number of successive changes in the early 2010s. A dedicated shape chart and set of house finishes were established; production was moved from partnering companies, such as Radice, to Luciano’s own, new on-site workshop; talented, budding artisans, such as Davide Iafisco, were brought in to make Luciano pipes; and quality was significantly improved, with a greater emphasis on individual handicraft. This one comes from the very beginnings of that transformation, being an early example of Luciano’s “31.T” large bent billiard shape (I think the “T” suffix was used for tapered mouthpieces), dressed in a very striking, bird’s-eye sandblast finish and light, tan top-coat (designated by the pipe’s star stamp).

This pipe is completely unsmoked.

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 1.82″ / 46.22mm

Weight: 2.8oz / 80g