Radice Clear Fiammata Smooth Billiard w/ Ebonite Stem Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Radice is one of the great Italian workshop pipe makes, belonging to a historic lineage of such workshops. The company began as a family affair, being established in 1980 by Luigi Radice, along with his son, Gianluca, and father, Paolo. But Radice’s pipe-making ‘family’ is a little larger than that. Prior to founding Radice, Luigi ran Caminetto, which he had founded with Guiseppe Ascorti in 1968. Prior to Caminetto, Radice had worked alongside Ascorti in the Castello factory, under the supervision of its owner, Carlo Scotti. It’s quite an impressive genealogy, which is clearly reflected in the quality of Radice pipes.

Ordinarily, Radice pipes have Lucite stems, which is more or less the norm for Italian high-grade pipes. This was the case for Caminetto, where Luigi Radice worked prior to founding Radice pipes, and it was the case for Castello, where Luigi Radice worked before co-founding Caminetto. And it still is the case, except for rare occasions. A pipe such as this one is, I’d say, as good a reason as any. It is from the Radice Clear line, i.e., the workshop’s smooth finish pipes, but it is also a “Fiammata” grade, which is exclusively awarded to pipes with extraordinary grain patterns. In this instance, the bowl is covered in 360 degrees of straight grain, along with a rim and base brimming with bird’s-eye. It seems the addition of a hand-cut cumberland stem was to be the cherry on top. As such, this pipe carries the “F” (“Fiammata”) and “E” (“ebanite,” or what we Anglophones call “ebonite”).

This pipe is completely unsmoked, and comes with its original sleeve. When new, a Clear Fiammata with an ebonite stem retailed for at least $500 last time I checked. As it was previously owned (though never used) prior to arriving via our trade-in program, we’re offering it at a good deal less.

 

Details:

Length: 4.2″ / 106.6mm

Bowl Width: 0.79 / 20.06mm

Bowl Depth: 1.58″ / 40.13mm

Weight: 1.0oz / 30g