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