Posella Grade "L" Tobacco Pipes

The Pipes
Posella Pipes: Grade "L" 1-3

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Not only is the Posella family business based in Calabria, the land of the best Italian briar, but the family has also been known for decades to be one of the most experienced suppliers of Calabrian briar. For this reason, all Posella pipes, with no exception, are made out of the best briar available in Calabria today, and considering the high quality of Calabrian briar, it is only logical to conclude that the Posella pipes are made out of the best briar in the whole wide world. In addition, most of the pipes produced today are made of briar that has been seasoning for at least 10+ years.

Grade: L2

Pipe Code:	PS035	Price:	CHF 210.00 Convert
Shape:	FF Bell	Weight:	63g / 2-7/32 oz
Chamber ų: 22mm -- Chamber Depth: 43mm -- Wall Thickness: ->17mm -- Cleaner Passes?Yes



COMMENT: Pipes in this grade, at this time, and on this page, are quite illustrative of the unbelievably high value that Posella pipes offer. This pipe stands for the value pipes on this page offer! Though the pipe is in the entry smooth grade, it shows excellent grain all around the bowl, and believe me, I have seen pipes being described as straight grain, with less beautiful grain than this. The shape is fantastic. Not only is it an elegant Bell, but it is also quite oval in shape. The bowl measures 47x57mm (1.85x2.24"). I love the angle that the meeting of the bowl and shank created; that angle is so tight and Vitaliano did a wonderful job shaping the edges of that part of the pipe using only sandpaper and apply it by hand. The pipe is quite robust, with so much wood all over, especially in the bowl. The thick shank is followed by an equally robust saddle mouthpiece. A beautiful, beautiful pipe, for a puzzlingly low price.

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Grade: L3

Pipe Code:	PS036	Price:	CHF 230.00 Convert
Shape:	Panel Poker	Weight:	69g / 2-7/16 oz
Chamber ų: 21.5mm -- Chamber Depth: 42mm -- Wall Thickness: 15mm -- Cleaner Passes?Yes



COMMENT: I know from experience that there are a lot of pipe smokers and collectors who have a preference of the classic Poker, and so this pipe will come as a very pleasant surprise. What makes the surprise even more "surprising" is the fact that this Poker come in the difficult and sought-after panel shape. The bowl shows 8 different panels, varying in width and shapes; in spite of these variations, however, the panels seem to be working together to make the bowl what it is. In fact, and when you look carefully, you find that this is nothing that was left to chance. The shank is a very important part of the shape design. Not only is it shaped into 6 different panels, but it is also tapered, starting wide at the bowl-shank joint and getting narrower and narrower the closer it approaches the mouthpiece. A great bonus that so many people love is the flat bowl base which means that the pipe can rest on a flat surface without support.

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Grade: L3

Pipe Code:	PS037	Price:	CHF 230.00 Convert
Shape:	Bulldog-Lovat	Weight:	76g / 2-11/16 oz
Chamber ų: 21.5mm -- Chamber Depth: 45mm -- Wall Thickness: 17mm -- Cleaner Passes?Yes



COMMENT: When I first saw this pipe, I paused for a minute to grasp its shape and size. I don't know exactly what made Vitaliano make this pipe this way, but he definitely managed to bring to life a very unique and most intriguing shape. The bowl shape could go either way: Bulldog or Rhodesian, with only one groove around the bowl. The two sides of the bowl base have been flattened, a touch that took the pipe directly into uncharted territory when it comes to pipe design. Having said that, in yesteryears, Bulldogs were made with that elegant touch. The shank is in the classic diamond shape, which emphasizes more the idea of the Bulldog. Apparently, Vitaliano was not happy with the shank length, which was more than respectable; he made a briarwood shank extension, which took the shank length of 37mm (1.46") to an impressive 69mm (2.72"). Then he fitted the pipe with a short, saddle mouthpiece, also with a diamond-shaped base. What I need to make sure you understand is that this pipe is both extra large and extra long, though the bowl capacity could be compared to that of a Dunhill Group 6 or more. The pipe measures a total length of 158mm (6.22"), and the bowl measures 52mm in height and 54mm in diameter. If you like large, long-shanked pipes in general, and the Bulldog, Rhodesian, and/or the Lovat, in particular, this pipe could not come more highly recommended.