Ardor Urano 2023 Bent Bulldog, Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked [SOLD]

Description

Like many Italian workshop brands, Ardor pipes are a family affair. The name itself is an acronym of Angelo Rovera and Dorelio Rovera, father and son pipe-makers who created the brand in 1972. The Rovera family’s history with pipes goes back much further, however, as Angelo’s own father, Francesco, had previously established the Sociedade Rovera pipe company with his brothers in 1911. All Ardor pipes are completely hand-made from briar that has been seasoned for at least 4-5 years, and the brand is noteworthy for its playful and innovative approaches to design. As a result, Ardor pipes are both quintessentially Italian, while also being somewhat different, having a style that is wholly their own.

I’ve categorized this pipe as a bulldog, but I’ve done so because the shape of this Ardor doesn’t have an established name. It shows parallels with the “surfing bulldog” and “eskimo” shapes carved by Tom Eltang and many other artisans, but it isn’t exactly one of those either. What it does that is comparable to those shapes is that it warps and stretches the familiar lines of a bulldog; the shank has four sides, but it is also wider than it is tall; these sides also do not dissipate completely when they meet the bowl, resulting in a “lip” that ultimately runs parallel to the bottom of the pipe’s rim section, where bead-lines would traditionally be placed. It is a bold design, but it’s also highly ergonomic, as the concave recession that runs around the bowl, between the two lips, slides perfectly between the thumb and fingers. Whoever said that form and function was a binary choice?

This Ardor is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating from the Rovera workshop. It also comes with its original box and sleeve.

 

Details:

Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.86 / 21.84mm

Bowl Depth: 1.64″ / 41.65mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 56g