What is so extraordinary about Luciano Pipes is that they devised a way to provide a very high quality Italian pipe at a kind-of "artificially" low price. They are "Hand-Finished" Italian pipes. This means that part of the process is machine-assisted, but the most important parts, like drilling the holes, are done by hand.

This allows for some economies allowing the pipes to be high quality, but sell for much less than others of the same quality. Actually, several of the Luciano samples I saw were better quality than a 100% hand-made Italian pipe that I have, which shall remain nameless.

Here’s some more information in an article from Bob Tate: Luciano Pipes - A Brief History and Review

Luciano Pipe Shape Chart

There is a new shape chart which will come in handy for identifying different pipes shapes that are available. This is a useful reference tool available for download here - Luciano Pipe Shape Chart

A Look at Classic Pieces by Rhode Island Pipecrafter Kurt Huhn

Tom Spithaler

I grew up in western Pennsylvania. As kids, my parents had taken us on several trips to the homes of friends of the family that lived in Kentucky. I remember much about those trips in spite of the fact that I was only about 7 or 8 years old, and thought the heat to be stifling. I remember swimming in TVA lakes where the water was so warm it felt like taking a bath.

What I remember most however, was my father stopping at several farms on the way home. He was fascinated by the long flowing fields of tobacco. It was a Sunday afternoon, and we stopped at farm after farm that day. Inevitably, someone was sitting on the porch, or resting under a shade tree in the front yard. My Dad would walk up to the gentleman of the house who would always rise to meet the man driving the car with Pennsylvania license plates coming their way (whether out of Southern grace or Yankee suspicion, to this day I do not know). They’d trade their greetings, exchange a few sentences, shake hands, and my Dad would just walk back to the car—empty handed. What was Dad doing? What did he want? Just one stalk of tobacco from the field?

Finally Dad found a couple sitting in the front yard under what I remember to be a weeping willow tree. The wife was snapping beans, the old farmer smoking his pipe. Dad called us all over, at which point Mom and we five kids started snapping beans to help the woman of the house. Dad and the farmer walked off towards the field, around a barn, and out of sight. We snapped beans, laughed, had some sweet tea and snapped a bushel or two of green beans before the two men came back, this time with Dad holding a prized possession. Two tobacco stalks.

Tom Spithaler

One of the benefits to being employed by a major firearms manufacturer by day is the occasional business trip that might take you to exotic locales, both foreign and domestic. Of those benefits, one of the better is the very occasional ‘down time’. This is just one such event. I arrived in sunny Las Vegas, having left an icy cold and snow covered Seattle this morning at about 11:30 AM. Having been informed that my tertiary services on the convention floor would not be needed the rest of this day, I decided to do what any self respecting man with a little time on his hands in Las Vegas would do; review a quality pipe!

I know the title to this review may have thrown you off a bit. This IS about a tobacco smoking pipe, and not a streaking Irishman. But the pipe however is aptly named by its creator, and worthy of a closer look.

As always, each new pipe that is sent for review is anticipated with great excitement. This one was no different. With the pipe crafter coming with high compliments and recommendations as an ‘up-and-comer’ in this industry, I was anticipating its arrival all the more. That being the case, when the pipe arrived, alas, I was not home. When I finally did see the pipe in person later that same day, my first impression was good. This pipe has appeal.

Pipe Review: Domestic Glory
Reviewing a Craig Cooper Rusticated Bent Rhodesian

By Tom Spithaler

Doing a review on a new pipe may well seem to be the simplest thing that any pipe enthusiast might do. Looks cool, feels good, stem fits, finish is shiny, A-OK, let’s fire it up! But truth be known, it is rather a daunting task, and I do not take it lightly.

First impressions tend to stick with people. When dealing with pipes and the people who craft them, this natural reaction is no different. My first introduction to Mr. Cooper of Pipes and Pouch came from Kevin Godbee ofPipesMagazine.com. Mr. Craig Cooper is a pipecrafter who for over 30 years has been making his home and his pipes in Colorado. He has an unquestioned reputation as being a premier domestic manufacturer of some of the finest handcrafted pipes available. We exchanged email pleasantries and he agreed to send a pipe for review.