2002 Becker 2 Club Sandblasted Fluted Volcano Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

The Becker family is one of Italy’s most renowned pipe-making lineages. Beginning with the painter, sculptor, and WW2 British intelligence officer Fritz Becker, the Becker name became synonymous with Italian high-quality pipes after Fritz was discovered by Giorgio Musico, a pipe-maker himself, and owner of a popular pipe shop in Rome. Both Fritz and Giorgio had sons, Paolo Becker and Massimo Musico who learned pipe-making from their fathers and would go on to collaborate in making the famous Becker & Musico pipes, before parting to return to making Becker pipes and Musico pipes once more. Paolo passed away in 2014, but his son, Federico continues to make Becker pipes, to continued acclaim.

Now this is a unique Becker. While it’s to be expected that, as Becker pipes are handmade, they are all different in some way, some Beckers are more different than others. With this one, I wasn’t even sure how to categorize it. It is a hybrid of shapes and finishes, having a volcano-like, stack bowl, with a side profile almost reminiscent of the Dunhill LC shape, as well as a mixed finish of fluted rustication and ring gran sandblasting. Judging by the date code (02) on this one, it would appear to be a 2002 make, making it one of Paolo Becker’s works.

The condition is great. Some rim darkening.

 

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.76 / 19.30mm

Bowl Depth: 1.7″ / 43.18mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 54g