Piero Vitale Smooth Squat Tomato w/ Spalted Tamarind (Moon) Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

As a child, Piero Vitale spent many an afternoon in the workshop of his grandfather, who was a carpenter and luthier. This proclivity for working with his hands translated into a number of artistic pursuits as he grew up, including painting and wood carving. Then Vitale was introduced to the world of handmade pipes by a friend and was immediately fascinated. The work of masters such as Tom Eltang and Kent Rasmussen showed that pipes could be true works of art while also being precisely engineered smoking instruments. For over a decade, Vitale has crafted his own hand made pipes, developing a distinct style that expertly balances form and function. This has led to partnerships with several Italian pipe companies (and MBSD Pipes), for which Vitale has provided designs, but his greatest achievements continue to be those pipes that he makes by hand alone in his workshop, in a small village in Lombardy.

It is often the case that, after many years spent in the craft, an artisan will have created idiosyncratic, “signature” shapes and studies that feature prominently in their output. Italy’s Piero Vitale is a little different, in that the majority of his output is taken up by his signatures—not replicas, but varied renditions of designs that he has spent countless hours creating and correcting. As a result, Vitale pipes are particular and precise, not entirely unlike the pipes that spring from his partnerships with some of Italy’s major pipe factories, but with an added layer of care and craftsmanship that only expert handiwork can provide.

Vitale has a number of decidedly squat shapes in his portfolio, though none are perhaps more so than his signature squat tomato rendition. Closer to the Ukelele of Sixten Ivarsson than the Eskimo popularized by Tom Eltang, it’s a beautifully “ripe” figure, with its buxom bowl perched atop its shank like fruit on a vine. This one wears a striking golden contrast finish, paired perfectly with the black and tan tones of spalted tamarind. In Vitale’s grading system, this one earned a Moon grade, the second highest possible for a Vitale pipe.

Details:

Length: 5.1″ / 129.5mm

Bowl Width: 0.74 / 18.79mm

Bowl Depth: 1.10″ / 27.94mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g