Radice Rind (G) Partially Rusticated Rhodesian with Faux Bamboo (Estate)

Radice is one of the great Italian workshop pipe makes, belonging to a historic lineage of such workshops. The company began as a family affair, being established in 1980 by Luigi Radice, along with his son, Gianluca, and father, Paolo. But Radice’s pipe making “family” is a little larger than that. Prior to founding Radice, Luigi ran Caminetto, which he had founded with Guiseppe Ascorti in 1968. Prior to Caminetto, Radice had worked alongside Ascorti in the Castello factory, under the supervision of its owner, Carlo Scotti. It’s quite an impressive genealogy, which is clearly reflected in the quality of Radice pipes.

While bamboo has been used since at least the post-war years on pipes as a means of extending shanks and saving on briar (especially in England and Denmark), a certain signature of Radice pipes is that they sometimes feature faux-bamboo carvings on their own shanks. It’s a distinctive addition to the Radice aesthetic, especially given that such carvings are often paired with very Italian forms and finishes. Here we find an example adorning an oversized Rhodesian from the Rind series, which is comprised of pipes dressed in a light, citrus peel-like rustication. Typically, the Rind is accompanied by a dark brown or reddish top-coat, though it seems in this instance a less imposing and far more natural finish was chosen.

The condition is good. Some inner rim charring, a few small scratches on the bowl, chamber slightly over-reamed, and minor handling marks.

Details:

Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.95 / 24.13mm

Bowl Depth: 2.27″ / 57.65mm

Weight: 2.3oz / 66g