la Biota “Economica” Rusticated Dublin Handmade Briar Pipe, New

A graduate of Italy’s prestigious Academia della Pipa, Michele Sottocasa has been making pipes for over a decade under the la Biota name. Prior to becoming a pipe-maker, Sottocasa trained and worked as a designer and art director, and la Biota pipes continue this drive towards a distinct aesthetic vision. The name, ‘la Biota,’ originally derives from ecology, and symbolizes the deep connection between humans and nature – a connection well represented by the hand-made tobacco pipe. Over the last decade or so, a number of esteemed artisans have had the good sense to offer pipes at the same level of expert craftsmanship as their usual output, but at at a price point that is, one might say, friendlier on one’s wallet. In Demark, we’ve seen Tom Eltang create his Sara Eltang and Eltang Basic lines, and Lasse Skovgaard his By Skovgaard pipes; elsewhere in Europe, we’ve seen Bruno Nuttens’ Heritage pipes and George Boyadjiev’s NomaD series; over here in the States, we’ve seen figures such as J. Alan, Sean Reum, and Chris Morgan put out the Alan Brothers, Glacier, and Workshop brand pipes respectively. When Michele Sottocasa pitched the idea of doing something similar with his la Biota make, I’ll admit I was skeptical at first. How could he capture the unique style and composition of a la Biota pipe in such a format? Turns out I was wrong to doubt him when these “la Biota Economica” pipes arrived. From their tree-bark rustication, to their Italian olivewood ferrules, to their camouflage ebonite stems, they have Michele Sottocasa’s signature written all over them—doubly so, in fact, if we count his hallmark, hand-engraved la Biota nomenclature.   Details: Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm Bowl Width: 0.76 / 19.30mm Bowl Depth: 1.05″ / 26.67mm Weight: 1.1oz / 32g