| It's tough not to love Italian pipes. Whether from | | | | during the 1960s and 1970s. Though much of it can be |
| Pesaro or the area around Como, north of Milan, Italian | | | | traced to the Castello factory in Cucciago, influence |
| pipe makers have a sense of flair and elegance that | | | | and history of pipe making in this region is more widely |
| sets them apart in the pipemaking world. This update | | | | distributed and indirect than in Pesaro. Certainly, Carlo |
| spans those two major Italian pipe making regions, with | | | | Scotti's Castello deserves the reputation it has for |
| Ser Jacopo and Rinaldo from Pesaro and Ardor, | | | | being the first maker of upper-end, high-grade pipes in |
| Radice and Brebbia all from near Como. Though there | | | | the region, beginning in 1947. Further, both Luigi Radice |
| is a neoclassical streak in almost all Italian pipes, there | | | | and Pepino Ascorti started their careers with Castello |
| are considerable stylistic differences between the two | | | | in the 1950s. They later (1969) formed Caminetto, |
| regions. | | | | which is now run by Roberto Ascorti, son of Pepino. |
| The Pesaro style, or school, is most closely associated | | | | Luigi Radice created the Radice brand in 1980 and |
| with Mastro de Paja and Ser Jacopo and the man | | | | parted ways with Pepino. The second piece of the |
| behind both companies-- Giancarlo Guidi, who currently | | | | story lies with Brebbia and Savinelli. The Brebbia |
| runs Ser Jacopo, but previously headed up the | | | | factory (or rather the factory that later became the |
| pipemaking team at Mastro de Paja. According to | | | | Brebbia factory) was founded by Achille Savinelli and |
| Guidi and others, the Pesaro school was created in the | | | | Enea Buzzi, originally to supply pipes to the Savinelli |
| 1960s and 1970s by small groups of local craftsmen | | | | shop in Milan. Later (in the early 1950s), Savinelli opened |
| who then splintered off into the various brands. The | | | | its own factory and the Brebbia name was adopted. |
| cross-pollination of ideas generated during the early | | | | Brebbia and Savinelli are different from every other |
| years established the Pesaro school and that | | | | maker mentioned herein in that their culture is that of a |
| exchange of ideas continues today. Il Ceppo and | | | | factory, not a workshop. Brebbia produces about |
| Mastro de Paja are the oldest brands from the area | | | | 40,000 pipes annually, whereas, for comparison, Radice |
| that still make pipes, with Guidi splitting off from Mastro | | | | and his two sons produce less than 2000 pipes |
| de Paja in 1982 to found Ser Jacopo. Georgio | | | | annually, usually between 1500 and 1800. Brebbia's |
| Imperatori, who founded Il Ceppo, worked with | | | | focus has always been manufacturing efficiency-- |
| Giancarlo Guidi in the very early Pesaro school days, | | | | being able to bring a great pipe to the market at a |
| before Guidi founded Mastro de Paja. Similarly, Bruto | | | | reasonable price-- over small scale artisanship. The |
| Sordini of Don Carlos got his start under Guidi at | | | | other great pipemaker in northern Italy also started as |
| Mastro de Paja. Many of the newer Italian brands, | | | | a factory: Ardor, perhaps somewhat influenced by the |
| such as Rinaldo and L'Anatra, also have close ties to | | | | success of Castello, moved their production from |
| one of the older companies. | | | | machine made, mass-produced pipes to meticulously |
| The Pesaro School is most traditionally neoclassical. | | | | crafted, hand-made pipes during the 1960s under |
| Essentially, that means that they took classic English | | | | Angelo and Dorelio Rovera. |
| shapes-- Billiards, Dublins, Bulldogs etc-- and recreated | | | | Indeed, Giancarlo Guidi argues that this is the great |
| them in new and interesting ways. Shapes are in many | | | | difference between the pipe making culture in the |
| cases determined by the grain-- certainly not to the | | | | Como region versus that in Pesaro. He argues that the |
| degree that many Danish, German and American | | | | Pesaro tradition has always been one of small |
| pipes are-- but unlike most English pipes (especially in | | | | craftsmen, while the tradition to the north is one of |
| years past), the Pesaro school certainly considers | | | | manufacturing. While he is correct in saying that the |
| grain in the making of their pipes. Looking back at the | | | | origins of Ardor, Brebbia, Savinelli and, to a lesser |
| beginning of the 21st Century, this seems almost | | | | degree, Castello are manufacturing oriented, the hand |
| obvious. However, in the 1960s, neither the Italian pipe | | | | made pipes coming from the likes of Luigi Radice, |
| renaissance, nor the Danish revolution spurred by | | | | Roberto Ascorti (Caminetto) and Dorelio Rovera ( |
| Sixten Ivarsson and Preben Holm, had yet come to | | | | Ardor) suggests that this is certainly not the case |
| pass. Until then, while attractive grain was considered | | | | today. |
| positive, if it happened, it happened by accident. One | | | | This region's style is certainly not as cohesively |
| need only look at Dunhills, GBDs, Barlings, Comoys and | | | | definable as that of Pesaro. For example, in the case |
| other great English pipes from the 1950s and before to | | | | of Radice, there are considerable elements that are |
| see this. Combining this regard for traditional shapes | | | | traceable to Castello and Caminetto, but much of the |
| with a concern for grain, one begins to understand the | | | | shaping seems to have also been influenced by the |
| Pesaro pipe. Other influences are involved also, though. | | | | Pesaro school. Ardor has a style that is very difficult to |
| For lack of a better descriptor, Pesaro pipes look | | | | trace to another tradition. It is also difficult to quantify, |
| Italian. English pipes reflect British culture to a great | | | | except to say that it is exceptionally inventive and |
| degree, perhaps best articulated by traditional, refined | | | | often whimsical. While their pipes are clearly |
| elegance. Italian pipes, like Italian cars, are thematically | | | | recognizable as Italian, the Roveras have such a style |
| more modern and more chic in their elegance. | | | | of their own that it is nearly impossible to trace a |
| To maintain the vehicular analogy for a moment, Italian, | | | | stylistic lineage. As for Castello and Caminetto, there is |
| and especially Pesaro, pipes are to English pipes as | | | | a focus on traditional, strong shapes with clean lines. |
| 1960s Ferraris are to 1960s Rolls Royces. Both are of | | | | Savinelli and Brebbia are both imbued with a |
| high-quality, but they are entirely different in terms of | | | | manufacturing mentality that is necessary given the |
| design and conception. Pesaro school pipes, both as a | | | | way they make pipes. High-end pipes from both |
| further explanation of their 'Italian-ness' and as an | | | | companies (such as Autographs from Savinelli) |
| adjunct to it, also have an architectural flair that | | | | combine vestiges of this mentality (in terms of simple, |
| focuses on clean lines and holistically and cohesively | | | | well defined, robust forms) with the rigorous focus on |
| designed shapes. Clearly, discussion and assessment | | | | hand made perfection espoused by Castello and |
| of the Pesaro style, be it from an artistic or a craft | | | | Caminetto. |
| perspective, is far from simple. | | | | Though Italian pipes and pipe making deserve a far |
| In the part of Lombardy north of Milan-- Como, | | | | more exhaustive analysis than can be provided here, I |
| Cucciago, Varese-- is the other center of Italian pipe | | | | hoped this served as an interesting introduction into the |
| making and the second hotbed of pipe development | | | | great world of Italian pipes. |