Viprati 2 Clover Smooth Acorn Sitter w/ Silver Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, was one of the few entirely self-taught Italian pipe-makers of the 20th century to have reached the same heights as such contemporaries. First picking up the craft in 1972, Viprati would ultimately become one of the defining names in Italian pipes, which he remained until his passing in 2025.

Luigi Viprati was highly respected as a pipe maker during his lifetime and, even toward the very end of that life, he was crafting beautiful, high-grade Italian pipes that never struggled to find an owner. Since his passing, however, that respect for Viprati and the degree to which his pipes are sought after do appear to have been significantly magnified, with more pipe smokers than ever seeking out examples of his work. We’ve been getting Viprati estates in for years and it’s never been difficult to see why he was so admired. This distinctive, silver-mounted acorn sitter, for example, sits at a relatively modest 2 Clovers grade, out of a possible 5 Clovers, yet the consistency of the pipe’s straight grain is up there with Charatan in its prime, or a particularly good Dunhill Dead Root. That’s why he was such a towering figure; his standards were exacting and his pipes were beautiful. Sometimes it’s that simple.

The condition is good. Some rim darkening and some small scratches on the bowl.

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.89 / 22.60mm

Bowl Depth: 1.75″ / 44.45mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 62g