Posella Grade "SR" Tobacco Pipes

The Pipes
Posella Pipes: Grade "SR"

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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.

Pipe Code:	PS080	Price:	CHF 180.00
Shape:	Billiard	Weight:	43g / 1-17/32 oz
Chamber ų: 21mm -- Chamber Depth: 41mm -- Wall Thickness: 9mm -- Cleaner Passes? Yes



COMMENT: Nothing beats the Billiard when it come to simplicity and elegance, and this pipe does indeed illustrate my point. While the entire shank has been rusticated, the whole of the bowl is smooth and stained with a beautiful light brown-golden color. One of the things that immediately attracted me to this pipe is the gorgeous Bird's Eye and Crossgrain. It is quite rate to see a Billiard cut out of a piece of wood in a way to bring out the Bird's Eye, as opposed to Straight Grain. I love the tapered mouthpiece, which manages to accentuate the overall classic feel of the pipe. If I had to compared the size of the tobacco chamber to that of a Dunhill, I would say it's at least a Group 5.

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Pipe Code:	PS081	Price:	CHF 180.00
Shape:	FF Dublin	Weight:	46g / 1-5/8 oz
Chamber ų: 22mm -- Chamber Depth: 37mm -- Wall Thickness: 9.5mm -- Cleaner Passes? Yes



COMMENT: I'll try to be brief here. To describe this pipe as a straightforward "FF Dublin" is a major understatement, and let me tell you why. First of all, the bowl is indeed most similar to that of a Dublin; however, there is undoubtedly an evident influence of the Pot, due to the relationship between the bowl height and diameter. The overall impression can also lead to the Lovat; however, and upon closer inspection, you realize that the shank is NOT more in length that the bowl is in height, which is a necessary element of the Lovat/Liverpool. This means that technically, these proportions should lead to an ordinary Dublin, with a round shank! What adds to this confusion is the short, saddle mouthpiece, which reinforced the idea of the Lovat. Apart from all the technical stuff, I love the fact that the pipe present two distinct personalities: One completely smooth, with beautiful grain, and the other entirely rusticated. Ever time you turn your head while smoking this pipe, people will think you keep switching pipes!

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Pipe Code:	PS082	Price:	CHF 180.00
Shape:	1/2 Apple	Weight:	52g / 1-27/32 oz
Chamber ų: 21mm -- Chamber Depth: 34mm -- Wall Thickness: 10mm -- Cleaner Passes? Yes



COMMENT: The shape here is rather straightforward. The bowl is indeed that of the Apple, with a half bent shank, followed by a slight bend, saddle mouthpiece. As you can see, the smooth part of the bowl shows some of the best Straight Grain you can imagine (see fourth picture, from left to right). This fact alone add so much value to the pipe considering the grade it has been given and the price that is being asked for it. Of course, Posella had to make the pipe even more special, and to do so, he added a gorgeous boxwood shank extension, which contributes a great deal to the overall look of the pipe, creating more color contrast. Oh, I forgot to tell you that the bowl is slightly, very slightly, oval in shape, which is another element of complexity to a classic shape.

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Pipe Code:	PS090	Price:	CHF 180.00
Shape:	FF Dublin	Weight:	40g / 1-13/32 oz
Chamber ų: 21.5mm -- Chamber Depth: 35mm -- Wall Thickness: 10mm -- Cleaner Passes? Yes



COMMENT: Here's a shape that elegantly combines the Dublin bowl with the "body" of the Lovat (long, round shank, followed by a short, saddle mouthpiece). Of course, the bend adds another twist to the combination and pushes it further away from the Lovat. The result shape is quite attractive, and the only partial rustication makes it a great value for the money.

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Pipe Code:	PS091	Price:	CHF 180.00
Shape:	Panel Freehand	Weight:	53g / 1-7/8 oz
Chamber ų: 21.5mm -- Chamber Depth: 37mm -- Wall Thickness: 10-13mm -- Cleaner Passes? Yes



COMMENT: This is a massive piece of briar, one that shows stunning Bird's Eye. It only shows the incredible briar wood that Posella has in his possession, and as you know, most of his wood is as well-cured and seasoned as any wood is today. The shape is quite complex, with all the panels. There are 8 panels around the bowl, but also the bowl top shows 4 panels, and so does the shank. Only about 25% of the pipe surface has been rusticated, and the rest of absolutely wonderful and attractive. The brown stain is natural and very, very light in color, just enough to create the desired grain contrast.

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Pipe Code:	PS092	Price:	CHF 180.00
Shape:	XL Panel Lovat	Weight:	72g / 2-17/32 oz
Chamber ų: 23mm -- Chamber Depth: 38mm -- Wall Thickness: 11-16mm -- Cleaner Passes? Yes



COMMENT: know that a shape definition that has the words "Freeform", "Panel", and "Lovat" cannot be a simple shape to comment on. Having said that, I strongly (and maybe naively) believe that no one would have difficulty realizing the reasons why I chose the words I did. The bowl is of massive size, and if you measure the bowl diagonally, you realize that it measures about 52mm (a little over 2 inches). The entire bowl is of a smooth, natural finish, with the exception of the bowl base which has been rusticated. The pipe can sit still on a flat surface without support.

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Pipe Code:	PS093	Price:	CHF 180.00
Shape:	Brandy	Weight:	51g / 1-13/16 oz
Chamber ų: 21.5mm -- Chamber Depth: 37mm -- Wall Thickness: 10mm -- Cleaner Passes? Yes



COMMENT: I can't tell you how happy I am with this pipe. Finally I get the chance to describe a shape using the word "Brandy", which is actually a classic shape. I wonder if I have ever had this opportunity, and if I did, it must have happened on a very, very few times. Anyway, this is quite an elegant and classy shape. It's quite light in weight, and unlike most SR grade pipes, this one is primarily rusticated, with only the bowl base left in a smooth natural finish, with a walnut color. If you like Lovats, I can see why you will like this pipe. It offers an interesting interpretation of the classic Lovat, combined with the classic Brandy.

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