la Biota Partially Sandblasted Bullcap w/ Horn 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 handmade tobacco pipe. It’s been a good while since we last had a fresh batch of Michele Sottocasa’s pipes, but he has been very busy and, as a vendor, one must appreciate the old adage that “good things come to those who wait.” And, indeed, MBSD Pipes’ latest la Biota offerings are very good. The bullcap Rhodesian is a shape that already has a bit of the natural world to it, being a descendant of bullmoose and bulldog shapes which, it seems, took their names from particularly strong-jawed animals, just as those shapes are. Michele Sottocasa’s designs tend to be even more organic than most, however, and this pipe is no exception to that. Exceptionally broad and plump, it almost crosses into the territory of the modern squat tomato, especially with its short and comparatively narrow shank. Sottocasa’s choice of color palette adds even more to this aesthetic, with a relatively soft, partial sandblast (though not without a prominent, ring grain relief—earthy finishing, horn accent, and camouflage ebonite stem.   Details: Length: 5.4″ / 137.1mm Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm Bowl Depth: 1.31″ / 33.27mm Weight: 2.1oz / 60g