Graziano Tendi Sandblasted Nosewarmer Apple Handmade Briar Pipe, New

The Italian artisan scene is, today, more vibrant than it has perhaps ever been. While the 20th century was largely dominated by seminal workshops, such as Mastro de Paja and Castello, their many offshoots, such as Ser Jacopo and Caminetto, and the familial dynasties frequently bound up with them, such as the Roveras, the Ascortis, and the Musicos, the 21st century has seen an emergence of networks of solo carvers, whose talents have come to rival both the great workshops of their homeland and their solo counterparts abroad, such as in Denmark or the United States. Graziano Tendi is just such a pipe maker. Having been enamored with tobacco pipes since he was a teenager, Tendi has spent the last decade crafting pipes under his own name, achieving cult status even among Italy’s notoriously competitive pipe making community. Graziano Tendi is well known for his homages to the classic briars of Anglo-French pipe making, something which extends not just to shapes, but to finishes as well. This one, for example, leans into the shorter, pocket-friendly proportions of 20th century Anglo-French apples, while making full use of the shape’s plump bowl as a canvas for a craggy, ring grain sandblast and deep reddish hue.   Details: Length: 5.1″ / 129.5mm Bowl Width: 0.83 / 21.08mm Bowl Depth: 1.33″ / 33.78mm Weight: 2.0oz / 58g