Ser Jacopo (c.1994-1997) Delecta L1 C Smooth Bent Billiard w/ Silver Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

Ser Jacopo is one of the most famous contemporary example of high-grade, workshop-made Italian pipes. It also belongs to a very special tradition in Italian pipe making, having been established by Giancarlo Guidi and Bruno Sordini after the two had left another great Italian workshop, Mastro de Paja. Together, Guidi and Sordini created a brand of pipes that reflected their Renaissance sensibilities—even the figurehead of Ser Jacopo happens to be taken from a painting of a nobleman from centuries past—one that would soon become esteemed for creating unique and beautiful tobacco pipes that smoked just as perfectly as they looked.

The lingua franca of the Renaissance was Latin and, as a workshop profoundly influenced by that period in European history, it is also the language adopted by Ser Jacopo when it comes to nomenclature. The Delecta, taken from a Latin term roughly equating to “delight,” is one of the names used by Ser Jacopo to designate a specific type of mount on the workshop’s pipes, often in the form of a rather ornate, sterling silver faux spigot. The name is apt, as it is indeed a very delightful addition, especially to more opulent designs like this stacked, champagne glass-like full bent billiard. Interestingly this pipe appears to be a 1990s make, from back when Giancarlo Guidi was at the helm of the Ser Jacopo workshop. It has what looks to be the plexiglass Ser Jacopo stem inlay, rather than the silver “J” used after 1997, the former being used today on sub-lines like the La Fuma, but which was, for a time, used for all Ser Jacopo pipes besides the Gem series. As I’ve detailed before in other listings, Ser Jacopo went through a number of stem logos before settling on the silver “J” used today, from gold-mounted gemstones to sea coral, though each had to be done away with due to circumstances outside of the workshop’s control. Thankfully the superlative quality of the pipes, however, remained much the same throughout.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. It comes with its original box.

Details:

Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.85 / 20.57mm

Bowl Depth: 2.27″ / 57.65mm

Weight: 2.8oz / 82g