Massimiliano "Max" Rimensi of Il Duca pipes came by his trade honestly — a love of pipes and a background in woodworking thanks to summers spent in his uncle's workshop. It was in this workshop that he crafted his first pipes and decided, after some decidedly mixed results, he decided to hone his skills in much the same way as a lot of pipemakers do, by visiting every briar mill, workshop, pipe maker, and tobacconist he could locate — all the while accumulating a collection of sketches and designs based on his observations and imagination.

Although the aesthetic sensibilities of his fellow northern Italians can be seen, his designs draw heavily on the Danish and German traditions, which led to an oeuvre focused more on moderate sized pieces with graceful lines and a gentle flow than the large, muscular renditions of the classics seen in the Pesaro and Neoclassical schools. Max is perhaps best known though for his deep and craggy sandblasts, achieved with an initial pass to highlight the natural grain, and then a second pass with a more precise sandblasting nozzle to differentiate the growth rings, and often finished in his airbrushed contrast stain.