Ser Jacopo Leonardo

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stanlaurel

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 31, 2015
701
9
I was first attracted to these pipes aesthetically. I liked the way they looked. I thought that the extra silver work around the rim was just for decoration.

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As I considered buying this pipe, I really wanted to know why it was called "Leonardo". Then I found this:
In 1982 Professor Enrico Fabri discovered a four page document which contained several inventions which seemed like something created by Leonardo da Vinci.
Numerous studies were carried out on these four pages: on the pigments, the materials and the writing style; a carbon 14 test was also carried out to scientifically determine the authorship and age of the document: a Leonardo da Vinci from 1510.
Among the studies contained in the document there is one which mentions a specific request by Louis XII, the King of France: a pipe which would remain as cool as possible.
Leonardo da Vinci devised a twin-walled terracotta pipe which was cooled by the air circulating in the cavity.
Now Ser Jacopo has risen to the challenge of creating Leonardo da Vinci's project and make it tangible using the same technical means but in a different material: briar.
And this has led to the creation of "Leonardo", the pipe that does not get hot, an object rich in history and genius.
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Although I find this interesting, and although I still think that the pipe looks sharp, I don't think that I want one anymore. The goal is to smoke cool, not to smoke hot and have a pipe which does not feel hot. I understand that the King was probably trying to keep a clay pipe cool. This is historically interesting, but maybe not a breakthrough in pipe design.
What do you think?

 

ericusrex

Lifer
Feb 27, 2015
1,175
3
Leonardo never knew tobacco. 1510 is long before Sir Walter Raleigh introduced baccy to Europe...long before he was even born! Interesting concept though. The pipes are a little over the top for my taste but exquisitely made.

 

jvnshr

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 4, 2015
4,616
3,868
Baku, Azerbaijan
Actually before Sir Walter Raleigh, the Spanish introduced the tobacco to Europe in the early 1500s. But for sure it wasn't before 1520s. If I remember correctly, Sir Walter Raleigh introduced Virginia to Europe before anyone else. Maybe I am mistaken. I used to search and read projects of Da Vinci a lot few years ago, I remember nothing about smoking pipe projects. Interesting indeed.

 
There were pipes and tobacco discovered in an Egyptian tomb, Viking burial mounds, and a few other places. I don't think that this was widespread, but a few oddball discoveries have been made. At least people have posted credible looking links of such on here over the years.
But, Virginia itself was not even a strain until about the time of the Civil War, at least if you believe the mixed, eclectic history of tobacco that we seem to have. Book to book, we seem to have different histories.
Yeh, keeping the outside of the pipe cool would seem to encourage smoking too hot, which will burn your tongue and ruin the taste experience. So, trading off keeping my fingers cool to the expense of ruining the taste experience and scorching my tongue seems silly. But, it's very neat looking.
I barely ever touch my pipes when smoking, so the extra weight of the briar in my clench would deter me from buying.

 
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