Viprati 5 Clover XL Smooth Freehand Sitter Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

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, is one of the few 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.

The majority of Luigi Viprati’s higher end pipes—especially those in smooth finishes—were graded using the stamp of a four leaf clover, or quadrifoglio. These grades began at one clover, or quadrifoglio, and ascended in a numerical fashion, i.e., as a two, three, four, or five clover, or quadrifogli, grade. Those familiar with Viprati’s pipes know that even a one clover pipe is something quite special; a five clover, on the other hand, such as this one, is a genuine marvel. This towering freehand employs similar principles to the Danish cobra, utilizing a broad front face to capture a wall of bird’s-eye that transitions into tiger-stripe cross-grain at either flank. Interestingly, however, Viprati chose to employ concave surfaces, rather than the cobra’s signature convex ones. The result is highly original, leaning more toward the aquatic than the reptilian, especially with the unique “finned” mouthpiece paired with the bowl.

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

Details:

Length: 6.4″ / 162.5mma

Bowl Width: 1.06 / 26.92mm

Bowl Depth: 2.00″ / 50.80mm

Weight: 4.4oz / 126g