Ser Jacopo L1 Smooth Apple Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

Ser Jacopo is likely 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 well as they looked.

While the Ser Jacopo workshop does craft many stunning, highly ornate pipes, it’s nice to see that the Pesaro School stalwart hasn’t forgotten its more grounded beginnings. In the case of this one, the design is a little more modest than many other Ser Jacopo pipes today, but it is no less beautiful, calling back to the designs of Mastro de Paja and, indeed, Ser Jacopo’s early years. The shaping is elegant, the stature is lightweight, and the grain is, of course, excellent, with a nice, golden contrast stain setting it properly ablaze.

The condition is good. Some rim darkening, a couple of scratches on the bowl, and a professionally made, replacement tenon.

Details:

Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.82 / 20.82mm

Bowl Depth: 1.18″ / 29.97mm

Weight: 1.2oz / 36g