Two Christmases ago, my wife gave me a Savinelli slightly bent bulldog in the Opera series. This is by my standards a mid-level series in the Sav line-up. I think it originally priced in the $165 to $240 range, and I hope my wife got it on discount, but it was a gift and I'd never ask. I am really impressed. This pipe smokes with the generosity and ease of my highest end pipes, a Ser Jacopo and a Ferndown. Granted, I'm kind of a tramp, enjoying pipes down to the Yello-Bole Checker and Kaywoodie Drinkless Ruff-Tone, but I'm not without critical faculties. I'm afraid some might be put off by the series name Opera, like maybe you have to be in black tie to light this one up, but as we all know, you do as you damn well please on that score. It's just a really fine pipe, well above it's quality point. So if you see a good deal on a Sav Opera you like, I wouldn't hesitate. Despite being factory made and being a brand that covers the waterfront on price, these are definitely good ones if mine is any indication. It's a limited series, and I haven't seen the bulldog version lately, but I'd recommend them.
