Internationale Pfeifenmacher » Italien: Il Duca

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Barone Apple with Bamboo (DD)

Zitat:
"Massimiliano Rimensi is an unquestioned wizard with a sandblaster and, more importantly at least to my mind, seems to have an almost DNA level understanding of when a composition calls for a rugged or surface relief. Sleek, low slung and imbued with a good deal of Danish sensibility, Max went a tad more "Italian" with the sandblast, creating a greater depth of grain relief than he often does (and I think that the medium depth is a bit more complementary to this specific composition as well). Finished with splendidly slender bamboo as well as a compositionally perfect mount and bit, this is a stunning amount of pipe for $230.
--Bear Graves"



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 6.35 in./161.29 mm. Weight: 1.10 oz./31.18 g.
Bowl Height: 1.46 in./37.08 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.25 in./31.75 mm.
Chamber Diameter: .82 in./20.83 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.56 in./39.62 mm.
Stem Material: Acrylic Filter: None
Shape: Apple Finish: Sandblast
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Barone Bent Apple (DDD)



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 5.78 in./146.81 mm. Weight: 1.30 oz./36.85 g.
Bowl Height: 1.40 in./35.56 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.08 in./27.43 mm.
Chamber Diameter: .73 in./18.54 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.62 in./41.15 mm.
Stem Material: Vulcanite Filter: None
Shape: Bent Apple Finish: Sandblast
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Barone Bent Apple with Black Palm (DDD)

Zitat:
"I love the combination of the unstained sandblasted bowl and the long black palm shank extension on this elegant bent apple. The rough, light colored bowl is contrasted sharply by the clean lines of the smooth black palm. The sandblasting work on the bowl is excellent, with great grain definition, both of the ring grain that runs around the bowl and the birdseye on the bottom of the bowl.
-- Sykes Wilford"



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 6.05 in./153.67 mm. Weight: 2.10 oz./59.53 g.
Bowl Height: 1.68 in./42.67 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.45 in./36.83 mm.
Chamber Diameter: .85 in./21.59 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.85 in./46.99 mm.
Stem Material: Acrylic Filter: None
Shape: Bent Apple Finish: Sandblast
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Barone Bent Apple with Rosewood (DDD)

Zitat:
"Massimiliano Rimensi is an unquestioned wizard with a sandblaster and, more importantly at least to my mind, seems to have an almost DNA level understanding of when a composition calls for a rugged or surface relief. Sleek, low slung and imbued with a forward momentum that I find almost "Matzhold", Max gave this bowl and shank just a gentle "brush on the cheek" with the pressurized granules. The result is the revelation of a fine grain, without textural distractions from the flow of the overarching composition. The use of the rosewood is subtle, essentially a mount disc that is rewarded with a superlative interface from the bit side of the action.
--Bear Graves"



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 6.98 in./177.29 mm. Weight: 1.50 oz./42.52 g.
Bowl Height: 1.46 in./37.08 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.17 in./29.72 mm.
Chamber Diameter: .77 in./19.56 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.66 in./42.16 mm.
Stem Material: Acrylic Filter: None
Shape: Bent Apple Finish: Sandblast
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Barone Cherrywood (DD)

Zitat:
"This utterly unstained Il Duca Barone DD is the first cherrywood that we have received from Massimiliano Rimensi (for what it's worth, we have yet to see a poker from Il Duca either). My initial impressions are a form that's compact, reasonably broad through the metaphorical shoulders, and Max managed to coax out a right fair amount of organic hints given the execution is quite symmetrical. This pipe, a fine sitter, is perched atop my desk right now, and the birdseye on the rim is putting on quite the fine show.
--Bear Graves"



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 4.76 in./120.90 mm. Weight: 1.60 oz./45.36 g.
Bowl Height: 2.01 in./51.05 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.37 in./34.80 mm.
Chamber Diameter: .83 in./21.08 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.82 in./46.23 mm.
Stem Material: Vulcanite Filter: None
Shape: Poker Finish: Rusticated
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Barone Squat Tomato (DDD)

Zitat:
"When the movie Superman was released in 1978, every coming attraction for the movie ended with the line "You'll Believe a Man Can Fly!". While not taking anything away from the movie, (actually quite technically advanced for its day), the pipe that is now in front of me could give that guy in tights on the screen a real run for his money. It's been a great while since I have seen compositions that could compete, in matters of implied momentum, in a manner that approached the ability of Takeo Arita, and (to me) it seems quite appropriate that the carver is a "young gun" from Italy, home to the likes of Ferrari and Ducati. This Barone came by its DDD grade honestly, the grain possess a startling density and regularity, and Max coaxed out all of that lovely, with very little wood removal. Amazing stuff.
--Bear Graves"



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 5.90 in./149.86 mm. Weight: 1.40 oz./39.69 g.
Bowl Height: 1.30 in./33.02 mm. Chamber Depth: .94 in./23.88 mm.
Chamber Diameter: .78 in./19.81 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.88 in./47.75 mm.
Stem Material: Vulcanite Filter: None
Shape: Bent Apple Finish: Sandblast
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Barone Tomato (DDD)

Zitat:
"Have you ever run across the unique beauty of a top grade ostrich quill leather? The entire surface of this beautifully shaped heel seems to be made of the material. This is the quality and pattern that blasted birdseye aspires to be, but rarely succeeds. That quill is the genesis for a lovely explosion of vertical grain, that rises up on both the bowl and shank, and forms an interlocking pattern with a ring grain on the former. So, what does Max do to frame all of this marvelous grain? Nothing (which is fine by me, I like a great whiskey neat and will take my great grain the same way... thank you very much, barkeep!). The composition has a fine flow and impeccable grace; Max's shaping aesthetic is quite unlike any other carver in Italy. The bit is carved from world class German Ebonite stock, is deliciously thin, and Max's slotting is the stuff of legends.
--Bear Graves"



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 5.87 in./149.10 mm. Weight: 1.50 oz./42.52 g.
Bowl Height: 1.57 in./39.88 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.24 in./31.50 mm.
Chamber Diameter: .80 in./20.32 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.84 in./46.74 mm.
Stem Material: Vulcanite Filter: None
Shape: Bent Apple Finish: Sandblast
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Cavalier Pot (DDD)

Zitat:
"This lovely little pot shape from Massimilian Rimensi draws heavily on Northern Italian stylistic influeces, unlike so much of his shaping which seems to be dominated by a hybrid of Pesaro school and Danish modern styling. While not quite as extreme as Castello, the nearly flat line of the bottom of the shank and the upward sloping line of the top of the shank are certainly evocative of the classic shank shape of that august company. The bowl itself is a fairly classical cylindrically shaped pot. The grain, while short of spectacular, is fairly good, with nice cross grain on the rim, the base of the bowl and the front and back of the bowl.
-- Sykes Wilford"



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 5.25 in./133.35 mm. Weight: 1.30 oz./36.85 g.
Bowl Height: 1.55 in./39.37 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.31 in./33.27 mm.
Chamber Diameter: .81 in./20.57 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.45 in./36.83 mm.
Stem Material: Acrylic Filter: None
Shape: Pot Finish: Smooth
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Conte Bent Bulldog (DDD)

Zitat:
"There are some very interesting stylistic elements at play in this rather unusual bent bulldog variation. The bowl reminds me vaguely of Kurt Balleby's work, while the shank is, to my eye at least, very Giancarlo Guidi. The subtle curvature of the diamond shank and its slight flattening are quintessential Pesaro school stylistic elements. That said, the way the bottom panels are carried forward into the bowl remind me a little of Rainer Barbi. I'm certainly not suggesting that this visual borrowing is intentional, or even that it is borrowing, but Rimensi's aesthetic voice is so versatile that it helps to reference a variety of pipe makers in trying to aesthetically assess his very sophisticated compositions. Back to the bowl, though, and its Balleby-esque shape. The double beading doesn't quite sit at the bowl's widest point, it actually sits just above it. This kind of playing with the bulldog shape is something that we've noted again and again from Balleby. It's not that Rimensi has done so in the same way Balleby would-- he really hasn't. It's more that they seem to be inhabiting the same mental space, playing with this particular shape in unconventional ways to yield interesting new compositions.
Aesthetic influences aside, it's a remarkable composition. All of the components, as disparate as they seem when discussed individually, work remarkably well together. The straight grain, while breaking up slightly on the right side of the bowl, is quite impressive and is nicely, but not overly, highlighted by the medium yellow-brown stain. The cumberland stem with its reddish striations complements the browns of the bowl rather nicely.

-- Sykes Wilford"



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 5.98 in./151.89 mm. Weight: 2.40 oz./68.04 g.
Bowl Height: 1.66 in./42.16 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.51 in./38.35 mm.
Chamber Diameter: .80 in./20.32 mm. Outside Diameter: 2.08 in./52.83 mm.
Stem Material: Vulcanite Filter: None
Shape: Bent Bulldog Finish: Smooth
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Conte Liverpool (D)

Zitat:
"I'm really impressed by Max Rimensi's body of work. He manages to move from Danish inspired shapes to Italian inspired shapes to, like this one, English inspired shapes with an ease and grace that is rarely seen from pipe makers who cross stylistic borders like this. With a shank that is longer than it would be on a billiard, but probably not quite as long as a classic English liverpool shape would be, this stunning piece is also beautifully grained, with excellent straight and flame grain around the bowl being perfectly highlighted by the light orange stain. Further, I'm actually quite surprised this didn't get a higher grade; it's just fantastic. Stunning!
-- Sykes Wilford"



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 5.29 in./134.37 mm. Weight: 1.00 oz./28.35 g.
Bowl Height: 1.62 in./41.15 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.45 in./36.83 mm.
Chamber Diameter: .77 in./19.56 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.27 in./32.26 mm.
Stem Material: Acrylic Filter: None
Shape: Liverpool Finish: Smooth
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Conte Smooth Bent Apple (DDD)

Zitat:
"I always search for both aesthetic and functional solutions, reconciling the study of shapes with experimentalism, innovation and harmony." -Massimiliano Rimensi
When I first saw Max's mission statement, the optimistic pipe enthusiast in me hoped that the young carver could live up to the self-imposed, lofty standard that was set. The cynic in me thought "Let's see it...". Half way through describing my first batch of Il Duca pipes, Max had my interior cynic trying to stabilize his legs long enough to hold the end of the round. This pipe just sent that same cynic to Palookaville. The straight and flame grain of this pipe circumnavigates the entirety of the bowl and then runs all the way down the length of this formidable shank. It would take one heck of a shape to place this fine of a grain into secondary consideration, and that is just what Massimiliano delivered.

--Bear Graves"



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 5.51 in./139.95 mm. Weight: 2.00 oz./56.70 g.
Bowl Height: 1.67 in./42.42 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.39 in./35.31 mm.
Chamber Diameter: .75 in./19.05 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.82 in./46.23 mm.
Stem Material: Vulcanite Filter: None
Shape: Bent Apple Finish: Smooth
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Duca Smooth Bent Apple (D)

Zitat:
"The Duca is the zenith grade for Max Rimensi. Unlike his good friend Claudio Cavicchi, who determines the grade of a given pipe based solely on the criteria of grain and amount of visible pits, Mr. Rimensi also adds shape as a critical grading factor. This pipe is an entry level Duca, a D. Looking at this pipe leaves me with the question "If this is a D, what on earth would a DDD look like?!" for this is a mightily impressive shape and grain by thrice. If you like the outside, you will love the inside. The drilling is immaculate, the tenon nestles flush (to perfection) in the mortise, and the slotting of the vulcanite bit is bound to bring a smile to your face.
--Bear Graves"



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 5.90 in./149.86 mm. Weight: 1.80 oz./51.03 g.
Bowl Height: 1.63 in./41.40 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.40 in./35.56 mm.
Chamber Diameter: .77 in./19.56 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.62 in./41.15 mm.
Stem Material: Vulcanite Filter: None
Shape: Bent Apple Finish: Smooth
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Conte Bent Bulldog (DDD)



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 5.98 in./151.89 mm. Weight: 2.40 oz./68.04 g.
Bowl Height: 1.66 in./42.16 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.51 in./38.35 mm.
Chamber Diameter: 0.80 in./20.32 mm. Outside Diameter: 2.08 in./52.83 mm.
Stem Material: Vulcanite Filter: None
Shape: Bent Bulldog Finish: Smooth
Material: Briar Country: Italy


Zitat:
"There are some very interesting stylistic elements at play in this rather unusual bent bulldog variation. The bowl reminds me vaguely of Kurt Balleby's work, while the shank is, to my eye at least, very Giancarlo Guidi. The subtle curvature of the diamond shank and its slight flattening are quintessential Pesaro school stylistic elements. That said, the way the bottom panels are carried forward into the bowl remind me a little of Rainer Barbi. I'm certainly not suggesting that this visual borrowing is intentional, or even that it is borrowing, but Rimensi's aesthetic voice is so versatile that it helps to reference a variety of pipe makers in trying to aesthetically assess his very sophisticated compositions. Back to the bowl, though, and its Balleby-esque shape. The double beading doesn't quite sit at the bowl's widest point, it actually sits just above it. This kind of playing with the bulldog shape is something that we've noted again and again from Balleby. It's not that Rimensi has done so in the same way Balleby would-- he really hasn't. It's more that they seem to be inhabiting the same mental space, playing with this particular shape in unconventional ways to yield interesting new compositions.
Aesthetic influences aside, it's a remarkable composition. All of the components, as disparate as they seem when discussed individually, work remarkably well together. The straight grain, while breaking up slightly on the right side of the bowl, is quite impressive and is nicely, but not overly, highlighted by the medium yellow-brown stain. The cumberland stem with its reddish striations complements the browns of the bowl rather nicely.

-- Sykes Wilford"

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Barone Apple with Bamboo (DD)



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 6.35 in./161.29 mm. Weight: 1.10 oz./31.18 g.
Bowl Height: 1.46 in./37.08 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.25 in./31.75 mm.
Chamber Diameter: 0.82 in./20.83 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.56 in./39.62 mm.
Stem Material: Acrylic Filter: None
Shape: Apple Finish: Sandblast
Material: Briar Country: Italy


Zitat:
"Massimiliano Rimensi is an unquestioned wizard with a sandblaster and, more importantly at least to my mind, seems to have an almost DNA level understanding of when a composition calls for a rugged or surface relief. Sleek, low slung and imbued with a good deal of Danish sensibility, Max went a tad more "Italian" with the sandblast, creating a greater depth of grain relief than he often does (and I think that the medium depth is a bit more complementary to this specific composition as well). Finished with splendidly slender bamboo as well as a compositionally perfect mount and bit, this is a stunning amount of pipe for $230.
--Bear Graves"

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Barone Bent Apple (DDD)



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 5.78 in./146.81 mm. Weight: 1.30 oz./36.85 g.
Bowl Height: 1.40 in./35.56 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.08 in./27.43 mm.
Chamber Diameter: 0.73 in./18.54 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.62 in./41.15 mm.
Stem Material: Vulcanite Filter: None
Shape: Bent Apple Finish: Sandblast
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Zitat:
"Although Massimiliano Rimensi's grading system may seem complex, even byzantine to the uninitiated, taking into account as it does such ephemeral qualities the very shaping of the pipe, and dividing its named grades further into ratings.. Well, it may take a bit of getting used to, but that Max goes to such lengths to scrutinize and classify his own creations certainly does the artisan considerable credit. In this example, we find a "Barone" grade bent apple, being one of the sandblasts which rates above his entry-level "Nobile" rusticated pipes. However, despite the unstained finish and rather light sandblast, the briar still presents a very clear, symmetrical, and beautiful grain; thus the "DDD" rating, denoting its excellence within its own grade.
- Eric N. Squires"

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Barone Sandblasted Egg with Briar Shank (DDD)



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 5.60 in./142.24 mm. Weight: 1.60 oz./45.36 g.
Bowl Height: 1.97 in./50.04 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.64 in./41.66 mm.
Chamber Diameter: 0.76 in./19.30 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.58 in./40.13 mm.
Stem Material: Acrylic Filter: None
Shape: Bent Egg Finish: Sandblast
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Zitat:
"Plenty of spider-webbing grain on the front and flanks, a rocky landscape of birdseye out back, a pert and seemingly upright form which nonetheless does not lack for for subtle (and not so subtle) curves... it's little surprise this briar earned Massimiliano's "DDD" rating.



- Eric N. Squires"

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Barone Sandblasted Morta Cherrywood (DDD) (Crown)



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 5.74 in./145.80 mm. Weight: 1.40 oz./39.69 g.
Bowl Height: 2.05 in./52.07 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.47 in./37.34 mm.
Chamber Diameter: 0.81 in./20.57 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.73 in./43.94 mm.
Stem Material: Vulcanite Filter: None
Shape: Poker Finish: Sandblast
Material: Briar Country: Italy


Zitat:
"Morta is an interesting material proving to be one of the more popular alternatives to traditional briar. Surprisingly light for something that started out as oak, presenting a texture which us undoubtedly unique, given a light sandblast, and tending to display a rich, dark cross-grain along the rim, it's easy to see why. This poised and finely composed, tapering cherrywood in particular looks great in its morta-and-cumberland theme.
- Eric N. Squires"

Bezugsquelle: http://www.smokingpipes.com/

Barone Squat Tomato (DDD)



Measurements & Other Details

Length: 5.88 in./149.35 mm. Weight: 1.50 oz./42.52 g.
Bowl Height: 1.37 in./34.80 mm. Chamber Depth: 1.04 in./26.42 mm.
Chamber Diameter: 0.75 in./19.05 mm. Outside Diameter: 1.92 in./48.77 mm.
Stem Material: Vulcanite Filter: None
Shape: Bent Apple Finish: Sandblast
Material: Briar Country: Italy

Zitat:
"From the land that gave use Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ducati, we finally have an Italian carver who creates shapes that seem to move with the powerful elegance of their motorized brethren. Sleek, low-slung, and imbued with a pronounced sense of forward momentum that practically begs for a radar gun, Massimiliano Rimensi packs an unbelievable amount of wonderfully grained style, in a length of six inches. And touches like the form of the mount, and the ring of caseine ivory in the bit, help to create a magnificent totality.
--Bear Graves"

Immer aktuelle Bilder gibt's auch hier:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ducapipe/