Mario Grandi Sandblasted Rhodesian Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

Mario Grandi pipes are made by Italy’s Pierluigi family, headed by Aldo Pierluigi, an artisan pipe-maker since the 1970s. The Pierluigi family are also responsible for the Pierluigi make, as well as Mastro Beraldi.

While I’ve categorized this Mario Grandi as a Rhodesian to better suit search algorithms, as well as our own category system, fans of English pipes may see a moderate resemblance to an altogether different shape -at least, I did. That shape would be the countryman, a shape most famously associated with Charatan, but which also became a minor staple in English artisan pipe-making in the later 20th century, in the pipes of makes such as James Upshall and Northern Briars. The key is in the shaping: the top section of the countryman’s bowl has a distinct, hat-like profile, with a protrusion at the point where the top and bottom sections meet, i.e., like the brim of a hat. Whether this was an intentional homage, or whether it was simply a consequence of the extraordinarily deep sandblasting on the pipe, I sadly do not know. But I do know that I like it.

The condition is excellent. Some very minor darkening at the innermost rear of the rim.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 1.87″ / 47.49mm

Weight: 2.0oz / 58g