Piero Vitale Smooth Horn w/ Olive Wood (Sun) Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

As a child, Piero Vitale spent many an afternoon in the workshop of his grandfather, who was a carpenter and luthier. This proclivity for working with his hands translated into a number of artistic pursuits as he grew up, including painting and wood carving. Then Vitale was introduced to the world of handmade pipes by a friend and was immediately fascinated. The work of masters such as Tom Eltang and Kent Rasmussen showed that pipes could be true works of art while also being precisely engineered smoking instruments. For over a decade, Vitale has crafted his own hand made pipes, developing a distinct style that expertly balances form and function. This has led to partnerships with several Italian pipe companies, for which Vitale has provided designs, but his greatest achievements continue to be those pipes that he makes by hand alone in his workshop, in a small village in Lombardy.

I’ve been following Piero Vitale’s work for many years, so I was very excited when we got to meet him in person at the Las Vegas pipe show in early October. I was even more excited when we arranged to stock some of his pipes at MBSD. This particular pipe stood out as a perfect addition, both because it exemplifies his unique style and because it represents the pinnacle of his output, bearing the very rare Sun grade. The design is a horn, historically associated with Danish and Danish-influenced pipes, but the thing about Piero’s pipes is that, no matter what shape he makes, it is always distinctly and recognizably his. From the pipe’s compact and perfectly balanced stature to its broad bowl and “blossoming” motion that follows from its button to its rim, it is a quintessential Vitale creation.

 

Details:

Length: 5″ / 127.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.70 / 17.78mm

Bowl Depth: 1.46″ / 37.08mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g