The Castle Was Calling, And I answered.

Here's the latest addition to the stable, a Castello Sea Rock Vergin kk billiard. Won it for a decent price from a seller in Italy two weekends ago on ebay. When i messaged him for details, he said he had been the only owner and bought it new around 10 years ago. He said it had only been smoked around 10 times with Penzance, and after receiving it yesterday, i believe him. The pics tell all and besides a minor bit of rim darkening (to be expected with such a light colored briar) and VERY slight scuffing/tooth chatter on the stem, the pipe is in excellent condition. The bowl had been cleaned and disenfected, but not reamed as it had not even been smoked enough to justify it. I proceeded to clean it out thoroughly with a paper towel, some pipe cleaners and some elbow grease to the best of my ability. I then threw a soft bit on it, took the pics below and packed it up with Klondike Gold.
This is one of the lightest pipes i own and definitely the lightest compared to its size. It is a superb clencher and you barely notice it in your mouth. I am REALLY digging my smaller and lighter pipes lately and am glad that i have a nice assortment of small/medium/large/xlarge pipes to choose from. The bowl gets hot rather easily, but that is to be expected with the size of the bowl walls, narrow-ish chamber diameter and the flake tobacco i was smoking in it. Never got too hot though and i just set it down for a minute or two when it got too warm and continued puffing. A couple hours later i packed a flake of my fav Irish Flake and experienced similar results. The pipe smokes fantastic and honestly, smokes like a typical castello. It imparts that famous sweetness from the briar into the smoke which makes it a treat to smoke. The draw is also perfect and wide open, just the way i like it. The narrow chamber really imparts tiny nuances in the tobacco, at least with the two blends i smoked so far, that don't seem to be detectable in my wider chambered pipes. When combined with the open draw, it just smokes like a chimney and is a great pipe so far. This is my second Castello and i look forward to acquiring many more. My Arley Curtz billiard should be arriving at my house from the USPS guy any time with the package so i can break her in and see how she fares. Now i just gotta decide what to smoke in it for the maiden voyage. I'll post a thread/review/pics after i smoke a few bowls in it.

Wow, thanks for all the positive vibes and comments y'all, i sure do appreciate it. That is what is so great about this site, the overwhelming support, helpful advice, and positivity that keeps me on here all day at work, even though i'm not supposed to be, lol. To touch on what a lot of you have said, i am really coming around to the smaller pipes and as my smoking abilities (yes i believe, as many of you do that pipe smoking is a developed skill) get better and my cadence improves with each day, i find myself smoking my smaller pipes more and more. Don't get me wrong, i really like my large and extra large bowled pipes as well, as they serve their purpose, but like Jeremy i like to smoke different blends throughout the day. I don't want to be stuck smoking a 2 hour bowl when all i have is 45 minutes before i have to do something. I want to finish that bowl and be able to pack another with a different blend later on.
IMO, like Al said, this kk billiard is just about perfect and i love it. My other Castello is a kkkk paneled billiard which i have posted a review/pics of not too long ago. I love that pipe as well, both smoking ability and looks are phenominal. I don't think i will ever get rid of either. My Dunhill Root Briar apple group 4ish (it is a 1975, so no group stamping) is the perfect size as well and offers an ideal smoking duration in terms of bowl size. There is just something about Castello that really separates them from the crowd. Maybe its the open draw or the sweet taste the briar imparts. Or maybe its the rich history and sterling reputation. Whatever it is, they are quickly becoming one of my favorite pipe makers, definitely top 3. If you do not have a Castello or have never smoked one, do yourself a favor and hold off on the $100 Peterson, Sav, Stanny, Brigham or any of the other factories around the same cost and save your money for a Castello, estate or new. I love and own numerous Petersons, Stanwells and 1 Brigham and they are GREAT pipes at a GREAT value, but if you really want to step up your pipe smoking experience and enjoy pure tobacco bliss from a pipe, give Castello a shot. I don't think there are many who would refute this and say otherwise.
@junkyarddawg, bro you have no idea how bad i have been, its really a beautiful and awesome TRAVESTY! I am seriously lacking that character trait called self-control i have heard about when it comes to this damn hobby. I really do not post these pipes to brag or boast about my purchases, i just like hearing what other people think and their opinions, whether good or bad, on them. There's always something i can learn with sharing each pipe. I love reading and seeing other people's new PAD purchases and giving my opinions on them. It really gets me stoked to see someone else stoked on a new or estate pipe. I have bought 7 pipes this month and am afraid to look at my bank statement, but i am seriously pipe stoked about all of them and do not regret 1 of the purchases. GO BIG OR GO HOME, as they say!!! Hopefully, i will see a PAD thread by you soon, dawg, at the very least to just make myself feel a little better and less guilty about my May mayhem madness. Get on it, brother!!!