STONEYARD®’s Post

New product: Radice Rind Partially Rusticated Bent Prince Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates 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. In other listings, I’ve talked about Radice’s rustication style and how it compares to, say, Castello or Savinelli. I speculated as to whether the ‘Rind’ nomenclature gestured at citrus peel (i.e., rind) as opposed to the stony symbolism of the Sea Rock Briar or Rock Grain lines. This Radice, however, appears more in keeping with the geological theme of the make’s compatriots. The pebble-dash approach here is deep and craggy, and covers the entire stummel save for its underside and rim (a nice touch). As a side note, the ’34’ on this Radice is not a shape code, but rather indicates the year of manufacture – 2014 (1980+34). The condition is excellent. There is some minor inner rim darkening, but that’s all I see worth noting.   Details: Length: 6″ / 152.4mm Bowl Width: 0.80 / 20.32mm Bowl Depth: 1.35″ / 34.29mm Weight: 1.6oz / 46g 👉🏽👉🏽Pipe Link: https://nuel.ink/unPjUe #pipesmoking #pipes #tobaccopipe #pipesmoker #pipetobacco #tobacco #smokingpipe #briarpipe #briar #smoking #pipemaker #pipecollector #artisanpipes #mbsd

New product: Castello KK 15 Sea Rock Pot Estate Briar Pipe Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello quickly became known for producing some of the finest smoking pipes in the world. Over the years, the people involved in making Castello pipes has changed – such as Luigi Radice and Sergio Ascorti, who developed their skills in the Cantu workshop before leaving to start Caminetto, or the handing of the reigns of the company to Francisco ‘Kino’ Coppo after Scotti’s passing – but the superlative quality of Castello pipes has not. It is not without reason that Castello is known as ‘the Italian Dunhill.’ The Sea Rock Briar is possibly the most iconic finish in all of modern Italian pipes. It is one that has been coveted and indeed emulated since its inception in the late 1940s. This particular Sea Rock dates from sometime between the end of the 1960s and 1982, as evinced by its uppercase ‘K’ size nomenclature and was an American import, as evinced by its rhinestone (rather than a white bar) stem inlay. This Sea Rock also comes to us through our trade-in program from a particularly careful collector of Italian high-grades. The condition is, understandably, great, and the pipe has also been preserved with its original box and sleeve. There’s a little bit of darkening and finish fading on the rim, but as it is a Sea Rock, this is only visible on very close inspection. There’s also a little bit of chatter on the lucite stem, but it’s very much superficial.   Details: Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm Bowl Width: 0.82 / 20.82mm Bowl Depth: 1.4″ / 35.56mm Weight: 1.3oz / 38g 👉🏽👉🏽Pipe Link: https://nuel.ink/FNIIhS #pipesmoking #pipes #tobaccopipe #pipesmoker #pipetobacco #tobacco #smokingpipe #briarpipe #briar #smoking #pipemaker #pipecollector #artisanpipes #mbsd

New product: GBD Prehistoric 9438 Sandblasted Billiard Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories in London and Paris to meet an increasing demand for the make’s high-quality and highly desirable pipes. Partly owing to the make’s inventive, yet traditional shapes, and partly due to the high standards of their production, GBD pipes are particularly coveted by collectors, as well as those who simply appreciate classic, well-made smoking instruments. The Prehistoric was GBD’s series of sandblasted pipes, with this one having a particularly impressive, ring grain blast all around its bowl. But this Prehistoric has something that not all Prehistoric pipes had: a perspex stem. As if the perspex wasn’t enough of a giveaway, this GBD was made prior to the merger of GBD with Cadogan Investments in 1980. The condition is very good. There’s some rim darkening, but I wouldn’t consider it a major issue.   Details: Length: 6″ / 152.4mm Bowl Width: 0.89 / 22.60mm Bowl Depth: 1.6″ / 40.64mm Weight: 1.2oz / 36g 👉🏽👉🏽Pipe Link: https://nuel.ink/wBPI1O #pipesmoking #pipes #tobaccopipe #pipesmoker #pipetobacco #tobacco #smokingpipe #briarpipe #briar #smoking #pipemaker #pipecollector #artisanpipes #mbsd

New product: Kurt Balleby Smooth Rhodesian Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates, 9mm Along with figures such as Hans ‘Former’ Nielsen, Anne Julie, and Tom Eltang, Kurt Balleby Hansen is one of the living legends of Danish pipe-making. Balleby celebrated his 40th year in the craft in 2023, having first started as an apprentice to Kai Nielsen and Preben Holm. Owing to a highly selective approach to the briar he uses, and to the over 150 steps involved in making a Balleby pipe, production is limited, and their availability is scarce. It is not every day that you get to handle a Balleby. In fact, for most, the probability of ever handling one is close to nil. I feel quite honored in that I was able to inspect this one for myself, though the feeling is bittersweet, as I will not be able to keep it. This one came to us through our consignment program; it’s a stunning, eminently Danish Rhodesian, with a perfect combination of vertical straight grain and bird’s-eye patterns on its rim. The stem is hand cut cumberland, and features an accent that looks – to me – like zebrawood. Finally, at the base of the stem lies Balleby’s emblem: a 14 carat gold inlay. The condition is excellent. There’s a little, minor inner rim darkening, but I see nothing else of note. The pipe is chambered for 9mm filters, but would likely accommodate an adapter for non-filtered use.   Details: Length: 5.4″ / 137.1mm Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm Bowl Depth: 1.65″ / 41.91mm Weight: 2.1oz / 60g 👉🏽👉🏽Pipe Link: https://nuel.ink/pbhlsH #pipesmoking #pipes #tobaccopipe #pipesmoker #pipetobacco #tobacco #smokingpipe #briarpipe #briar #smoking #pipemaker #pipecollector #artisanpipes #mbsd

New product: Nording Smooth Freehand Rhodesian Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates - $200 Nørding was founded by Erik Nørding in the 1960s, and is one of the oldest remaining companies to come out of the Scandinavian pipe-making renaissance that began in the mid-20th century. Now in his 80s, Erik Nørding is one of the most experienced and skilled pipe-makers in the world, and over the decades he has also been a teacher of other Danish masters, such as Poul Ilsted, Svend Axel Celius, Jens Tao Nielsen, Peder Jeppesen, and Søren Erik Andersen. While freehands from the Nording workshop are not difficult to find these days, this one is very different to those pipes. That’s partly because this pipe is a very early Nording, likely from the 1960s, just after Erik had dissolved the SON make and had started making pipes under his own name. Another distinguishing quality of this pipe is its remarkable shape. It is a freehand, yes, but it might be better described as a freehand Rhodesian. In fact, it is almost like a snapshot of a Rhodesian midway through emerging from the briar it’s been made from. Finally, the grain is simply excellent. It has tight, “angel hair” straight grain circling its bowl, grain that dissolves into bird’s-eye patterns at the exact point marked by the bowl’s pair of bead-lines. The condition is great, especially for the pipe’s age. There is some darkening on the pipe’s plateau rim, but this blends will into that rugged, quintessentially Danish outgrowth.   Details: Length: 6.8″ / 172.7mm Bowl Width: 0.90 / 22.86mm Bowl Depth: 1.84″ / 46.73mm Weight: 2.5oz / 72g 👉🏽👉🏽Pipe Link: https://nuel.ink/eVpaUz #pipesmoking #pipes #tobaccopipe #pipesmoker #pipetobacco #tobacco #smokingpipe #briarpipe #briar #smoking #pipemaker #pipecollector #artisanpipes #mbsd

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Hello braillists, would you be willing to give us five or ten minutes of your time? You'll help contribute to new, up-to-date braille research to celebrate 200 years of braille. rnib.in/BrailleSurvey #Braille200 #RNIB [Image description: "How and why did you learn braille? What impact has learning braille had on your life? What do you think would make braille more available and accessible? We'd love to hear from you in our new survey. #Braille200" The Braille 200 logo is in the bottom right corner. it reads "Braille 200 powered by RNIB and EBU."]

New product: Cavicchi CCC Smooth Volcano Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked - $350 In 1974, after growing impatient waiting for a pipe he’d ordered, Claudio Cavicchi decided he would simply make his own pipe instead. The former farmer from Bologna, Italy, spent the next 15 years making pipes, until his work took off and received widespread acclaim. Cavicchi’s pipe-making exploits have only become more renowned in the decades since, while his pipe-smoking exploits have earned him 1st place in numerous slow-smoking competitions. I think this might be the first Italian pipe I’ve seen to employ a technique used occasionally by Preben Holm. By this I mean not just incorporating briar plateau into a pipe design, but by putting it on the bottom of the pipe. This might not seem like much of a big deal, but in this instance, it’s actually pretty ingenious. The reason for this is that, with a block of plateau briar, the striations that travel from the center of the briar to its plateau edge naturally “fan” out. This means, for a conventional Danish-style freehand, orienting the plateau at the pipe’s rim can allow you to capture these striations in the form of straight grain patterns. But what happens if you invert the briar block? Well, if you’re skilled enough, you might make a remarkable looking volcano – which is exactly what Claudio Cavicchi has done here. The only thing more remarkable than the design and grain of this pipe is that it is completely unsmoked. Having come to us via our trade-in program from the estate of an Italian high-grades collector. The pipe also comes with its original, Italian leather sleeve.   Details: Length: 6″ / 152.4mm Bowl Width: 0.85 / 21.59mm Bowl Depth: 1.92″ / 48.76mm Weight: 2.8oz / 80g 👉🏽👉🏽Pipe Link: https://nuel.ink/EDeIEm #pipesmoking #pipes #tobaccopipe #pipesmoker #pipetobacco #tobacco #smokingpipe #briarpipe #briar #smoking #pipemaker #pipecollector #artisanpipes #mbsd

New product: Gigi Red Line 455 Partially Rusticated Rhodesian Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked, 9mm Gigi pipes occupy an interesting position in the history of Italian pipe-making. The story begins with the founding of Sociedade Rovera, a pipe-making company in Varese, Italy, by the Rovera family. As members of the Rovera family left to start their own ventures, the dynasty associated with the name would be split into several companies; Angelo Rovera created Ardor with his son Dorelio; Federico created Fe.Ro; Massimilliano created Mario Rovera; Fiorenzo created Gardenesa; and Giorgio created Giorgio Rovera, along with partners Angelo and Adele Bianchi. In 1964, Luigi Crugnola, nephew of the Bianchis, took over the Giorgio Rovera make and changed its name to his own – Gigi. This Gigi is a rather curious take on the bent Rhodesian. It features a tall bowl, not unlike Peterson’s renditions of the shape, but the shaping has a freehand feel to it. The pipe also has a half-saddle stem inlaid with its titular red line, and rustication more reminiscent of the furrows hand carved into Custom-Bilt pipes than typically Italian approaches to the finish. Nevertheless, it is an inventive and enjoyable design, not to mention highly ergonomic. The pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. It also comes with its original box and sleeve. It is chambered for 9mm, but would likely accommodate an adapter if the owner prefers to use it without one.   Details: Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm Bowl Width: 0.81 / 20.57mm Bowl Depth: 1.8″ / 45.72mm Weight: 1.7oz / 50g 👉🏽👉🏽Pipe Link: https://nuel.ink/DYG4oe #pipesmoking #pipes #tobaccopipe #pipesmoker #pipetobacco #tobacco #smokingpipe #briarpipe #briar #smoking #pipemaker #pipecollector #artisanpipes #mbsd

New product: Stanwell RM 88 Sandblasted Straight Brandy Estate Briar Pipe, Denmark Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were created for the company by iconic pipe-makers in the Scandinavian scene, such as Sixten Ivarsson, Anne Julie, Jess Chonowitsch, and Tom Eltang. As James discussed in his Stanwell pipes dating guide on the main MBSD hub, pipes such as this one were made for slow-smoking competitions. I asked James which slow-smoking competition this one was from, and he suggested that it may have been in the Danish cities of Randers or Roskilde. The pipe would, then, have been offered for competitors at the Randers mesterskab (Randers Championship), or something like that. The ’88’ further signifies that the competition was in 1988. I also asked James which shape this was, and he suggested that it was either the 141 or 169, both being ‘Tulip’ billiards designed by Jess Chonowitsch. He also noted that the model is identical to Stanwell’s brass band, which features two brass rings and a ring of cumberland as adornments. As this pipe is from the 1980s, it has an ebonite stem, and as it is only 36 grams, it should clench very comfortably. The condition is very good. There is some rim darkening and a little residual oxidation on the stem, but the pipe has plenty of life in it yet, and remains as elegant as the day it was made.   Details: Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm Bowl Width: 0.73 / 18.54mm Bowl Depth: 1.63″ / 41.40mm Weight: 1.2oz / 36g 👉🏽👉🏽Pipe Link: https://nuel.ink/jJyrOH #pipesmoking #pipes #tobaccopipe #pipesmoker #pipetobacco #tobacco #smokingpipe #briarpipe #briar #smoking #pipemaker #pipecollector #artisanpipes #mbsd