A Treasure Trove

BEN WADE

About a week ago a couple walked into the store carrying seven large flat boxes, no higher than a couple of inches, some twenty inches deep, some fifteen inches wide. And all around eighteen inches long. Jim’s eyebrows shot –up and down in the span of one second.

They were old pipe boxes. Fashioned to be displayed under a glass counter. The top covers are split in the half, set with hinges, so it can be folded back and show off the beautiful designed bowls of briar sitting on cream colored satin.

What a treasure trove!! These were brand new, never smoked, Saseinis, Ben Wades, Preben Holms, Charantans, GBDs and Comoys. Pipe brands favored in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. And for some reason, these pipes had remained locked away for over 30 years!! They were discovered recently in a trunk, tucked away in an attic. Yeah, these things still happen…

 

BEN WADE

The favoritism of certain pipe brands depended on more than just good business skills. It depended on the company manager or the carver having contact with the smoker. Today, the pipes that are best known are Dunhills, Viprati, Mimo, Costellos, Petersons, Ser Jacopos, etc And in this century, pipe makers apprentice in four ways: The traditional personal mentoring at the workshop, books, videos, exchange of techniques and how-tos during pipe shows or pipe club meetings.

During the early 19^th century most of the pipe makers apprenticed in other companies or

started by learning through repairing pipes, going onto working out how to carve a bowl. After all it is another facet of woodworking. But the most of the pipes available at the time were either made of the fragile clay or meerschaum. The clay using a mold and the meerschaum being carved. And the countries making them were France and England. A curious foot note: The British tobacco trade show or exhibit as it was called then, was already a presence to be reckoned with. The English being the heaviest tobacco importers for Europe!

Of the list I entered at the start of this story, the oldest was Comoy. A British and French company making clay and meerschaum pipes. But the British Charantan was the first to import ebouchons (briar blocks) to turn bowls. Comoy started some 10 years later. With exception of Preben Holm, (from Denmark) who learned as he repaired the pipes at his father’s shop in 1960. All others, Ben Wade, Saseini, Charantan, GBD ( two French and one British partner; Geneval, Bondier and Donninger) and Comoy started anywhere from 1825 and 1860 respectfully (in either France or England). And by 1900 they were established businesses. Creating their own special designs or techniques; always working towards the ultimate  smooth smoking featherweight pipe.

Charantan and Ben Wade followed GBD & Comoy. Founding their businesses in the 1860s. Also established by 1900. And by then Joel Saseini had already apprenticed with Charantan and gone to work for Alfred Dunhill. Establishing himself in 1918 as “Saseini Pipe Making Company” in London.

This is where it all started. The first pipe designers, the first pipe makers…. When briar was abundant and cheap. When gentlemen wore smoking jackets and aggregated in the

“study” or “library” for a smoke and a snifter of brandy after dinner. And the smoker who had a more intense relationship with their smoking was the pipe smoker, who used it as a thinking tool….

All these pipes will be available to our customers in 3 weeks time,
as they need to buffed and polished 

Till next time everyone…. Happy bowls and long ashes…

A short tour on Italian Pipe Making

Ser Jacopo - Gepetto


Italian art, architecture and design has a very rich past, dating from before the 9^th century BC. It has its origins in the Etruscan culture that flourished under the influence of Greece, Phoenicia, Egypt, Assyria and the Middle East.

As far as I can remember, the Italians have been one of the strongest leaders in design and art in the western world. Influencing the French, the English, the Nordic cultures and the Germans. Their design has a strong sense of elegance that dates from the late 1940s.

The Italians took the English shapes; Billiards, Dublins, Bulldogs, and recreated them in interesting ways…Most of them came from Pesaro. Como or Northern Milan. Some of the brands that come to mind would be Brebbia, Radice, Ser Jacopo, Rinaldo, Castello and Ascorti. They all have a streak of the Italian Neoclassic, with considerable conceptual differences and market objectives.

The Pesaro style is mostly neoclassical. Italian pipes are, like their cars, more modern and more chic in their elegance.

The Pesaro school is also associated with Mastro de Paja, Ser Jacopo and Il Ceppo. An open flow of ideas and creativity generally developed during the early years by Giancarlo Guidi (of Mastro de Paja), Georgio Imperatori (of Il Ceppo), spilled into the younger generation in the likes of Bruto Sordiny (of Don Carlos) and Ricardo (from Alantra).

Castello

Carlo Scotti Castello carries the reputation for being the first high end pipe company, having started in 1947. Although not a carver himself, Castello developed his talent for creating beautiful designs into a new direction with Luigi Radice and Pepino Ascorti, both pipe carvers. Luigi and Pepino later created Caminetto, Ascortti, another part of pipe lineage that spilled into Brebbia and Savinelli. The later having a different concept, that of the factory and not the workshop. Brebbia today produces around 40,000 pipes annually, a big difference when compare to Radice and his 2 sons, who produce a maximum of 2000 pieces per year. Brebbia’s objective is manufacturing efficiency– being able to produce a great pipe at an affordable price.

Il Ceppo

Italian pipe makers describe the main difference between pipe making in the Como region (the North) and in Pesaro. In the North, it’s the manufacturing that’s important, and in Pesaro it’s the tradition of the small craftsman that carries weight.

Lastly, there is also the fact that some of the best briar blocks come from Italy. The roots coming from Corsica, France, Italy, Greece and Spain.

Maybe I should have started here, talking about Mimo and his father, cutting briar for Denmark, England, Japan and the US.

So there… a little history about out favorite hobby.

As Jim would say long ashes everyone…. Until next week.

Christina

Pipe Smoking Competition & our next events.

We had a great time last week! We participated in the South Florida's "official" Pipe Smoking Competition. Sponsored by Bennington and the NASPC (National American Society of Pipe Collectors). We had 7 winnersand the 1st one out!! Ha...ha....ha... if you smoke too fast the 3 grams of tobacco doesn't last and turns to ash really fast!

All pictures of before and after the Smoking contest can be found on the Boca Raton Pipe Guild site

Peter Prigelsky explains the rules before starting. 3 grams of tobacco, 1

generic tamper, 1 pipe and 2 matches.

Bob Swanson is careful to fill his pipe so it will stay lit as long as possible.

Dale shows us how much fun we had....lol

Check out our page on youtube and see the second videos with the winners! The winners video

Check our pipe clubs event page next week. I will have posted our next two events! One with Peterson pipes and one with Villiger tobacco!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Jim