Rinaldo Triade YYY (2) Smooth Billiard w/ Silver Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

As with so many of today’s premier Italian workshop makes, the story of Rinaldo begins at Mastro de Paja. The latter was a workshop founded by Giancarlo Guidi (later of Ser Jacopo) and Giannino Spadoni (later of Fiamma di Re), which the brothers Elio and Guido Rinaldo worked for as teenagers in the 1970s. At the end of the 1980s, the two departed Mastro de Paja to found their own make under their surname. Thus, Rinaldo was born.

The Triade is the Rinaldo brothers’ flagship series of light smooth pipes, though, as is common with high-grade Italian artisan briars, it’s a little more complex than that. For one, Triade pipes are graded based on the consistency of their grain, for which the Rinaldos use the ancient Greek upsilon symbol (“Υ”). Grades begin at one Υ, and progress, with ever finer grain patterns to four Υs, above which there is only the rare Collection subseries. This billiard rendition is a three Υ grade, and the grain is indeed excellent, characterized by billowing flame grain patterns circling its bowl. Then, some Triades are further graded based on the labor involved in their creation, a schema that runs from “1” to “5.” So, this pipe was a little more intensive to produce than others in its grade bracket, which is certainly believable from looking at it. One final thing not exclusive to Rinaldo pipes, but which is always a nice additional touch, is their occasional use of precious metals for ornamentation. This one, for example, wears not only a sterling silver collar, but an intricately engraved one, with a second “ring” of such fashioned into a thick band at the shank’s end.

This pipe is completely unsmoked and comes with its original box and sleeve.

Details:

Length: 6.1″ / 154.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 1.61″ / 40.89mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 56g