Savinelli Autograph Grade 00 XL Smooth Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked, 6mm

Description

It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically styled pipes with a distinctly Italian twist.

Like the Charatan freehand workshop in mid-20th century England, or Tsuge’s Ikebana workshop in late-20th century and 21st century Japan, Savinelli has its own, special area of the company’s campus reserved for master artisans, where non-standard pipe shapes are carved using artisan techniques.

As with other high-grade workshops, Savinelli’s Autograph pipes are also graded. Ordinarily, these grades run from the workshop’s sandblasted pieces, to smooth, or partially sandblasted pipes that are numbered from “3” to “8,” in ascending order of quality. However, the crown jewels of the Autograph workshop are graded slightly differently to the latter, instead bearing the coveted “0” grades. Only a small number of the latter are crafted each year, as they must possess remarkable straight grain and shaping to qualify for this accolade. If a pipe does qualify, it is given a further grade within the “0” schema, beginning at one “0,” and ending at the highest possible grade for an Autograph pipe, the three “0,” or “000.”

This Autograph is a “00” grade, the second highest attainable for a pipe of its kind. It is a large pipe, with a towering bowl, but this has not stood in the way of it possessing an impeccable 360 degrees of “angel hair” straight grain.

This pipe is also completely unsmoked. There are a few handling marks around the bowl, though nothing major by any stretch. It is chambered to accept 6mm filters, such as Savinelli’s own balsa filters, if desired, though it will perform perfectly well without one.

Details:

Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.96 / 24.38mm

Bowl Depth: 2.64″ / 67.05mm

Weight: 2.3oz / 66g