Castello Sea Rock Briar Great Line Rusticated Dublin w/ Briar Inlay Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

In the world of pipes, Italy is famous for its workshops—institutions that operate at a smaller scale to factories, but in which expert artisans work tirelessly to create pipes entirely by hand. Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello is one of the oldest and most renowned of these workshops, and Castello pipes are often spoken of as Italy’s answer to England’s famous Dunhill pipes. Known for its equally high-grade smooth, sandblasted, and rusticated finishes, Castello’s legacy is felt not only in the continued success of the make itself, but also in the various, similarly high-end workshops founded by former Castello craftsmen, such as Caminetto, Radice, and Ascorti. In its early years, Castello had a special “Big Line” series of pipes that were, as one would expect, much larger than their more typical output. The designs of these pipes were also more in keeping with a “freehand” approach to shaping, albeit with a more Italian than Danish aesthetic. In other words, these large pipes featured extraordinary grain patterns (in the case of sandblasted and smooth finished iterations), but didn’t quite look like something that had come out of the Preben Holm workshop. In 1972, the “Big Line” was renamed as the “Great Line,” with the “Big Line” appellation subsequently reserved for pipes that were —to put it plainly—huge. Big Line and Great Line pipes remain in production to this day, though, understandably, they appear in a far fewer number than Castello’s other pipes. This particular Great Line wears Castello’s signature, stony rusticated finish—the finish that arguably started it all as far as high-grade Italian rustication goes—the Sea Rock Briar, seen here in its slightly less common tan variation (the Sea Rock Briar is most typically a deep, dark, and near-black burgundy). The pipe also features a smooth polished briar inlay cut into its Lucite mouthpiece, adding even more distinction to the design. The condition is great, with no pun intended. Some very minor inner rim darkening, but no less remarkably preserved.   Details: Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm Bowl Depth: 1.91″ / 48.51mm Weight: 2.3oz / 66g