Pesaro and Mastro de Paja

[rodo]

Last month I was in Italy for work and managed to take a day to make the drive out to the coast to Pesaro, home of several pipe makers including Mastro de Paja. I had written to Maurizio and received a warm invitation to visit the factory. As the factory is in a huge industrial park, I managed not to be able to locate their shops; Marizio walked out to lead me in. Up a flight of stairs, past photos of the original Mastro, of Pavarotti smoking a Mastro de Paja, and I was in to the main office and introduced to Alberto, the current Mastro. We talked for a while and then Maurizio took me downstairs into the factory. It was a quiet day, only a few employees around. Maurizio showed me the various workstations, some strange experimental pipes (like the giant in the photo) as well as some bejeweled pipes worth a fortune. He is shown holding up a spectacular straight grain. (Not sure it was up to "Unica" standards but it was perfect enough for even my eye to see.) Maurizio also showed me some of their other works, humidors, desk accessories, a wide variety of things they have fabricated over the years. After the tour, Alberto had me sit with him in his office and enjoy a smoke. He gave me two tins of MdP tobacco; fortunately, i'd been in London earlier this year and had a nearly new tin of one of JJ Foxx's blends that I gave to him. Nice moment. Alberto taught me a better way of keeping my pipe lit (making much use of the tamper) and I've been using it ever since. HIs office was lined along two walls with display cupboards and cabinets. He let me look and look and look and I ended up buying a moderate 2D (pictured). I like the square shank. The whole trip was great and I am still amazed at Maurizio and Alberto's kindness to spend an hour and a half with me.
But if that weren't enough... The last photo is of me outside a charming tabacchi in Florence, right next to the Duomo. The gentleman, I believe his name is Giovanni, was exceptionally kind and did a great job of trying to sell me a sardinian pipe made by a sardinian from sardinian briar... for contemplating that aloud the Mrs. gave me a withering raised eyebrow. No sardinian briar this trip. But did pick up a tin of DaVinci, seemed only appropriate. Uh, but it is blended and packaged in Germany, nevermind.

 

[dmcmtk]

Your pipe looks very nice, and what a great opportunity to be able to visit MdP!

 

[jpmcwjr]

Great story, and thanks for sharing it. I have one Mastro but don't know its age.

 

[papipeguy]

What a great visit!. I'm sure you enjoyed yourself. BTW, I would have bought the Sardinian pipe. Afterall, how guys have one?

 

[wyfbane]

Wow!! What a story. Thank you for sharing with us. That pipe is fabulous.

 

[disinformatique]

Awesome post. Love your pipe you can always tell your wife that it was a tobacco trade for the pipe

 

[ssjones]

What a trip, thanks for sharing!

 

[jarit]

Many thanks for sharing your trip with us!

 

[mso489]

Nothing like going to the birthplace of good pipes.

 

[saltedplug]

Thank you for sharing news about your trip. Mastro is one of the old-timers. Great value in his pipes. Thanks again!

 

[brudnod]

When I was in Italy in June I posed in front of the very same tobacco shop in Florence! If I ever go back to Italy, I have promised myself to go to the Pesaro area and see Pipa Croci, Ser Jacopo, Il Ceppo and Mastro de Paya, all favorites. Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[cortezattic]

What a great opportunity! Thanks for posting, and including all those pix! :clap:

 

[craiginthecorn]

Having just purchased my first Mastro de Paja, I stumbled upon this post. I bought it at Uhle's in Milwaukee -- a great old school pipe and cigar store where they used to manufacture

 

[fishnbanjo]

Jealous beyond all thought, great story!

banjo

 

[craiginthecorn]

Sorry, my reply was posted unfinished. Let me try again.
Rodo, you mentioned that Roberto showed you a new method of smoking your pipe using the tamper. Can you share what he taught you?
As for Uhle's, where I bought my Mastro de Paja yesterday, it's a great old school shop in the heart of Milwaukee. Very friendly and selling excellent blends. I mentioned to the young clerk that I had recently refurbished an old panel billiard with an Uhle's stamp

I had assumed it had been manufactured for them, but the clerk enthusiastically offered to give me a tour of the former workshop where the pipes had been made in-house. It was fantastic! It was like a time capsule where 40 years ago, the pipemaker put down his tools for the night and never resumed. Once I get some photos posted somewhere where I can share them, I'll post a follow-up.

 

[64alex]

[Alberto taught me a better way of keeping my pipe lit (making much use of the tamper)]
Now we are all interested to have shared this trick.

 

[aquadoc]

So what was the tamper trick?

 

[pappymac]

I was given a Mastro de Paja sitter for Father's day 2 or 3 years ago. It's a great smoker and I feel it is an under-appreciated brand.

 

[rodo]

Sorry everyone! I lost track of this thread and only just discovered today how to find all my former posts.
The technique, which is perhaps only new to me: He lit up and then was constantly gently pressing down but in circles at the same time, and at the same time as he was drawing, so as to keep things burning. Smoke a bit, then tamper down a bit while smoothing in circles. Once I got the hang of it I found that I could smoke longer and cooler.
Two more stories: while he was showing me the technique, Alberto kept looking seriously at me and saying, "Rod, you must always keep the fire lit. Do you understand? Keep the fire lit." I took this both a manner of smoking as well as a metaphor.
During the tour of the factory, Maurizio showed off some fancy and/or unique pipes. At one point he handed me a very fine, but not elaborate, bent. First thing I noticed was that the band looked like gold. And the five gems in the band looked like rubies. "Five thousand Euros" he said. "We made a series for a foreign man, each with five different gems." I thought it garish and ridiculous. There was a moment's pause. I said, "Wow, that is really ugly." Maurizio shrugged, smiled, and said, "It's a job."
If you ever get a chance to drive to Pesaro, go and visit them. They said they were moving closer into town and hoping to open a new place.

 

[cigrmaster]

Great story, thanks for sharing it. One of my first pipes was a Mastro. It was a simple apple with a silver band and it was one of my all time best smokers. I sold it when I decided to redo my collection and was only buying pipes with hand cut vulcanite stems. It is one of the few rare times when I regretted selling a pipe. Mastro is one of the best least known brands out there. Here is a pic of my old Mastro that I stupidly got rid of.