Brebbia First Calabash RTDA 2005 Rusticated Briar Estate Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

Named for the company’s home township, Brebbia was founded in 1953 by Enea Buzzi, an alum of Savinelli’s manufacturing division. Still in operation 70 years later, Brebbia is one of Italy’s oldest extant pipe companies, with production still being undertaken using simple lathes and traditional methods of hand finishing. More recently, Brebbia has also collaborated with master artisan carvers from across to design some of its pipes, such as Denmark’s Rainer Barbi, Germany’s Otto Pollner and Holger Frickert, Italy’s Fausto Fincato, and Japan’s Tsuge.

As I’ve mentioned in previous listings, Brebbia’s “First” series are their “top quality” pipes, i.e., in the English sense of “first place.” This is in contrast to, for example, the Anglophone notion of a “first pipe,” one that would be purchased just as one is getting into the hobby (Brebbia’s “Prima” line used for the latter). Hence the Brebbia First pipes tend to be highly distinctive designs, adorned with sterling silverware, like this impressive, pebble-dash rusticated Calabash model. This First Calabash is slightly more special than even the standard production model, as it was made for the Retail Tobacco Dealers of America (RTDA) convention in 2005, a pipe and tobacco show that artisans and companies used to attend, often using this as an opportunity to show off their premium wares.

The condition is fair. Rim darkening and some finish fading.

 

Details:

Length: 5.4″ / 137.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.75 / 19.05mm

Bowl Depth: 1.92″ / 48.76mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 56g