It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously produced high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically styled pipes with a distinctly Italian twist. The Savinelli Antica series was a limited release batch of pipes with three notably rare properties, relative to Savinelli’s usual output. For one, the pipes were sandblasted, rather than Savinelli’s preference to rusticate all but their Punto Oro and Pipe of the Year offerings; the pipes also featured black ebonite stems, rather than quintessentially Italian lucite; finally, the series included some of Savinelli’s rarer shapes that are not produced often, if at all, these days. This one happens to be a traditional, bent pot. The sandblasting is very nice, with tight, ring grain around the bowl. The sanguine stain furthermore works well with both the sandblast patterns and the black ebonite stem. Altogether, it’s a highly elegant pipe. The condition is excellent. It’s been smoked a handful of times at most, which can be deduced by looking inside the chamber. I see no issues that need to be pointed out. Bowl Width: 23.3mm. Bowl Depth: 1.5? Weight: 1.9oz / 54g. Co-listed with MBSD Pipes.
