Radice Underwood (G) (Twin Bore) (Oil Cured) Wax Drip Canadian (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.

Radice’s Underwood has a long, storied lineage, and can be considered as one branch in the evolution of a veritable institution within Italian pipe making. That institution is the “wax drip,” an approach to rustication that involves carving away at a bowl in a somewhat figural manner, evoking the look of a candle as it slowly burns away. Many high-end Italian makes have their own interpretation of this motif, though Radice’s has a direct connection to one of its earliest guises, the Castello Epoca. After leaving Castello, Luigi Radice and Guiseppe Ascorti crafted wax drip pipes at the Caminetto workshop, which went by the name of the New Dear. After going solo, Luigi and his family continued employing wax drip finishes, first under the name of the Wick, which later became the Underwood.

This Canadian is an especially interesting rendition of the Underwood, as it is not only an oversized work relative to Radice’s typical shaping conventions (hence the “G”), but is also fitted with one of Radice’s seldom-used twin bore mouthpieces (hence the “T/B”) and underwent a similarly uncommon, special oil curing method during its manufacture.

The condition is fair. Minor inner rim charring, chamber slightly over-reamed and nicked around its inner lip, some dents in the rim, and minor handling marks. The price has been adjusted to reflect this.

Details:

Length: 6.52″ / 165.6mm

Chamber Width: 0.90″ / 22.86mm

Chamber Depth: 1.96″ / 49.78mm

Bowl Height: 2.17″ / 55.11mm

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g