Fiamma di Re Maxima Large Squat Bulldog Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

As with so many of Italy’s high-grade, handmade pipes, the story of Fiamma di Re begins with Mastro de Paja. Mastro de Paja was conceived in the early 1970s by Giancarlo Guidi, and the workshop was founded in Pesaro with the help of another pipe-maker, Giannino Spadoni. At the beginning of the 1980s, Guidi departed from Mastro de Paja to found a new make, Ser Jacopo, with Spadoni taking over the reins. Soon enough, Spadoni himself left Mastro de Paja and founded Fiamma di Re as his new pipe-making venture. By virtue of its history, geography, and craftsmanship, Fiamma di Re is part of the great “Pesaro School” of Italian pipe-making, alongside such other makes as Mastro de Paja, Ser Jacopo, L’ Anatra, Don Carlos, and Il Ceppo.

I suppose it doesn’t matter where you’re from or what tradition you belong to, the allure of the English classics is near-irresistible. Here, for example, we have an example of a quintessentially Italian pipe, with its simple, blonde stain and Lucite stem, from a quintessentially Italian maker. And yet the shape? As English as they come. After all, it’s a a dead ringer for the mid-century Dunhill squat bulldog O shape, or the slightly larger version from Dunhill’s OD line, the 838. As I said, the allure is irresistible. This is a shape that homage has been paid to by the likes of Ferndown, JT Cooke, Michael Parks, Jesse Jones, Tristan Lefebvre, and many, many others. This one, from Fiamma di Re, is perfectly executed, and adds its own thing through a mixed finish partial sandblast.

The condition is good. Some minor rim darkening and handling marks, including a small, superficial scrape on the front of the bowl exterior.

 

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.83 / 21.08mm

Bowl Depth: 1.18″ / 29.97mm

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g