Ser Jacopo L2 Smooth Straight Dublin Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

Ser Jacopo is likely the most famous contemporary example of high-grade, workshop-made Italian pipes. It also belongs to a very special tradition in Italian pipe-making, having been established by Giancarlo Guidi and Bruno Sordini after the two had left another great Italian workshop, Mastro de Paja. Together, Guidi and Sordini created a brand of pipes that reflected their Renaissance sensibilities – even the figurehead of Ser Jacopo happens to be taken from a painting of a nobleman from centuries past – one that would soon become esteemed for creating unique and beautiful tobacco pipes that smoked just as well as they looked.

Ser Jacopo pipes very nice, but this is a very nice Ser Jacopo. And, it’s a little special, which I’ll explain as briefly as possible. If you’re familiar with contemporary Ser Jacopo pipes, you’ll know that the stem logo on them is normally a silver ‘J,’ except for the La Fuma pipes – their more affordable offerings – which have a red dot instead. This Ser Jacopo has a coral – not red – dot inside of a silver ring. Why? Because this was the stem logo used by Giancarlo Guidi and Bruno Sordini when they first started making Ser Jacopo pipes, in the years between 1983 and 1997. As such, these pipes are highly valued by collectors – in fact, this particular pipe came to us through our trade-in program by a collector of high-grade Italian pipes. It’s a fairly traditional, saddle Dublin – though with a slight Italian inflection – with the most magnificent vertical straight grain around its bowl, and a sea of chatoyant bird’s-eye on the rim. The straight grain is further accentuated by what looks to be a mild contrast stain on the stummel.

The condition is excellent. There’s a very small amount of darkening on the innermost lip of the bowl, and one or two small tooth nicks on the stem, but these are very minor imperfections. The pipe is well preserved, and has even been kept with its original box and sleeve.

 

Details:

Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.81 / 20.57mm

Bowl Depth: 1.71″ / 43.43mm

Weight: 1.8oz / 52g