La Biota Sandblasted Axe Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

A graduate of Italy’s prestigious Academia della Pipa, Michele Sottocasa has been making pipes for over a decade under the la Biota name. Prior to becoming a pipe-maker, Sottocasa trained and worked as a designer and art director, and la Biota pipes continue this drive towards a distinct aesthetic vision. The name, ‘la Biota,’ originally derives from ecology, and symbolizes the deep connection between humans and nature – a connection well represented by the hand-made tobacco pipe.

This la Biota actually reminds me of a few Danish pipe-makers, rather than Italian ones. And that’s not a bad thing at all, as the Danish pipe-makers it reminds me of are masters such as Viggo Nielsen. The combination of the plateau-rim, jagged axe bowl and bamboo shank reminds me of Nielsen’s similar fondness for such shapes and decorative elements. Anyway, what I mean is, it’s a very nice pipe, with good stylistic precedents, while also being very much its own thing. The camouflage-hued ebonite stem is a nice extra touch of color, and the sandblasting on the bowl is masterful in its ring grained execution. The pipe is also surprisingly lightweight – though la Biota pipes often are – at a mere 38 grams. It should clench quite comfortability.

Details:

Length: 5.7″

Bowl Width: 19.4mm

Bowl Depth: 1.4″

Weight: 1.3oz / 38g