Rossi Extra Large Rusticated Brandy (6mm) (Unsmoked Estate)

In 1886, Fernando Rossi founded the Fabbrica di Pipe di Radica Rossi, a pipe manufacturing company based in Varese, Italy. It was a pioneering enterprise in Italian pipes, and in the decades that followed Rossi became a major player in the production of high-quality smoking instruments. As such, Rossi was a formidable competitor to another of Italy’s most established pipe companies, that of Achille Savinelli. The Savinellis and the Rossis were, however, good friends, and when the Rossi experienced insurmountable financial difficulties in the 1980s, the company was purchased outright by Savinelli. Savinelli has overseen the production of Rossi pipes ever since, keeping the latter’s name going out of respect for their most amicable rival.

Given that this Rossi is chambered for 6mm filters, and given that the size and shaping is unlike any typical Rossi or Savinelli pipe, I’d guess that it came from Savinelli’s Autograph workshop, and may well have been a de facto “second” for the latter. Either way, it’s a nice, big pipe, with a voluminous chamber and an enjoyable, slight contrast rusticated finish. Hard to go wrong there.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. As indicated, the pipe is chambered to accept 6mm filters, such as Savinelli’s balsa filters, though it will perform perfectly well without one, too.

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.76 / 19.30mm

Bowl Depth: 1.83″ / 46.48mm

Weight: 2.9oz / 84g