la Biota XL Sandblasted Danish Dublin 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. While the Dublin has been a staple in pipe making since, it would seem, the birth of briars, the “Danish Dublin” is far more recent. It is a post-war invention, characterized by a wider, more rounded bowl that could be (and often is) otherwise considered closer to an especially squat and bulbous acorn, or a mushroom. With this Danish Dublin rendition from Michele Sottocasa, that organic connection is even stronger. Following a similar approach to bowl shaping as pioneered by post-war artisans like Sixten Ivarsson, Sottocasa has added his own, hallmark “la Biota” touches to this rather large Danish Dublin rendition, in the form of an earthy sandblast finish, a horn ferrule, and a beaded, camouflage ebonite stem.   Details: Length: 6.6″ / 167.6mm Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm Bowl Depth: 1.44″ / 36.57mm Weight: 3.0oz / 86g