Vitale - n. 159
The beautifully rounded bowl and exceptionally slender, elongated shank give this Piero Vitale Apple Pencil – 1 Luna an understated elegance and a distinctive personality. The briar sourced from Mimmo Romeo, purchased in 2023/2024 and naturally seasoned, displays striking vertical flame grain against a rich dark-brown finish, illuminated by warm amber highlights. The smooth finish with Danish oil and carnauba wax enhances the depth of the grain and gives the surface an attractive lustre.
The classic Apple shape, with its full, rounded bowl, creates an appealing contrast with the long, slim shank. At the transition to the black SEM ebonite mouthpiece, a distinctive Afzelia xylay wood insert, stabilised and treated with black pigment, adds a refined decorative touch. Its subtle tones blend beautifully with the dark finish of the briar.
Beneath the apparent simplicity of this handcrafted Italian pipe lies an ingenious technical solution developed by Piero Vitale for his Pencil designs: an internal ebonite tube extending along the entire shank, reinforcing its exceptionally slender structure. The pipemaker chose ebonite rather than metal partly to avoid introducing a material that could contribute to retaining heat in the smoke. A thoughtful construction detail that combines strength, careful material selection and elegant design.