This week, The Piperack has a select group of unsmoked American Smoking Pipes from Mark Tinksy, as well as a great selection of unsmoked Radices - not to mention unsmoked Rinaldos and Stanwells on sale, so let's get to it!

Mark Tinsky has to be my favorite US pipemaker because he offers the perfect balance between quality and price for his customer base, and he knows exactly what makes his customers happy. He has been creating unique, well-crafted pipes under the "American Smoking Pipes" brand for nearly 30 years now. Mark utilises only the finest hand selected Grecian Plateau briar and each pipe is fitted with comfortable black Italian Lucite stems, which Mark has had made to his specifications. Considering the cost of materials and time involved to hand make these "Made in the U.S.A." pieces, they are a true bargain compared to many higher priced pipes coming out of Europe. This week there are six to choose from; you won't want to miss the Long-Shank Canadian One Star, or the Coral 5 Cherrywood!

There are also eight fantastic Radices. Radice pipes have been around since 1980, providing smokers the world over with top-quality Italian craftsmanship and design. A true "family affair", today all Radice pipes are made by only three craftsmen: Luigi "Gigi" Radice and his two sons, Marzio and Gian Luca. As Radice is celebrating 30 years of pipe making, there are some exciting additions to the lineup for 2010. The Piperack is one of the largest Radice dealers in the world, and I've had the honour of hearing about some of these changes and being the first to offer some of them. There are new lines (such as the limited edition "Rubens Rhodesian" with the next Pease/DiPiazza design collaboration coming soon), new sizes (including a first for Radice: "Magnum" stamped pieces that are truly enormous!), new shapes (a new series of seven "classics" will be available by spring, complete with a seven-day-set case) and even more goodies to come. And even though there has been a slight price increase for 2010 (which was expected), the retail on these pieces is still far below comparable lines from other manufacturers. By eliminating the middleman, the Radices continue to offer world-class, hand-carved Italian pipes at what can only be considered a steal. Rinds start at $165 and even the top-grade smooth, the Clear, can be had starting at $250. There's no wonder I recommend Radices above all other brands; when you consider the price against the quality and value you receive, no other maker comes close. Take a look at the selection of Hawkbills (two this week, including a gorgeous Underwood), the rare Morta billiard or the new-for-2010 Magnum - this one a huge Silk Cut Apple - it's HUGE!

We are also continuing our sale on all remaining unsmoked Rinaldos at 20% off, and all unsmoked Stanwells on sale at 20% to 25% off. You can see our selection of sale pipes here:

http://www.thepiperack.com/specials.cfm

This week's "Piperack Pick" goes to the L'Anatra Smooth 3 Egg Bent Apple. L'Anatra was created in the late 1990's by an Italian artisan named Massimo Palazzi. With over 25 years of experience in pipe craft, Mr. Palazzi decided to strike out on his own, and created the L'Anatra line. These pipes feature air-cured briar with strong graining, and artistic Italian design. Production numbers are low - a few hundred a year - so they are not often seen on the estate market. This particular L'Anatra is very nice three-egg full bent apple. The graining is beautiful straightgrain with a bit of birdseye around the top the bowl. The acrylic taper stem features the duck-head in silver. A beautiful and elegant piece, in fantastic condition! Check out the closeup shots! Rated 9.5 out of 10, this piece is in excellent overall condition complete with original box and is sure to make you happy. Also from Italy, there are four fantastic Savinellis to choose from, including a 1970s Capri Bruna Dublin and a lovely smooth Churchwarden, an Ardor silver spigot and more. From Denmark, we have a lovely 1970's smooth Knute straightgrain Dublin, a pair of Stanwells and others. Not your thing? Well, from England this week, we have a gorgeous Astleys Handmade billiard that was most likely made by Upshall, a Genod Burgundy 1950 C Grade, a very cool Comoy Highgate, and four great Petersons (don't miss the lovely smooth Sherlock Holmes Mycroft, or the Irish Harp with awesome grain) and more.

Don't miss the Celius Queen bent Dublin with amazing grain, or the lovely Castello Collection Dublin! The next update comes March 12th with more great pipes from around the world!