55’ Castello Collection Fiammata

[Intricate37]

Hello all,

Long time lurker, first time posting. To any and all that have fed my PAD & TAD I thank you (while my bank account loathes you). :p

Now to the question at hand.

Two odd years ago, I moved from smoking cigars to pipes. This started with a rather humble Rossi 6614, and has ended with me acquiring Castello’s on a regular basis.

I’ve fallen in love with a 55 that I sourced a year ago pictured here.


It is well broken in now and is my go to when I have time to sit down and enjoy a bowl of Penzance or other full bodied English.

I recently acquired what I consider to be my personal Pipe holy grail. A 55 Collection Fiammata.





My dilemma, is what to smoke in it!?! In searching for this pipe, I’ve found multiple sites that reference the 55 as “The Flake Pipe.”

Although I enjoy a good flake, it’s no more than 1 in 5 what I reach for when I have time to smoke. Which puts it as a once a week smoke at max.

My favs among flakes so far are Escudo, and some FVF when I have time to prep it correctly.

So please help me fellow smokers. Is there some truth to the 55 smoking flakes so well as to be nicknamed such. Should I dedicate it to the occasional flake nirvana or just load up some plum pudding and be done with it?!?

Thank you!!!

 

[alaskanpiper]

The 55's reputation for burning flakes is absolutely well founded in my opinion. It is one of my favorite flake pipes for sure. It sounds like you've already got one you are burning english blends in, so (if it were me), I would dedicate this one to VA or Va/Per flakes. There are a lot of them out there.

But really, it's your pipe (and a very fine one at that!) so do whatever feels right.

On a side note, if you love the 55 shape, Moretti Pipes makes a virtual replica of the 55 shape, but larger, that gets a lot of respect on this forum. I do not have one yet, but I have many other Moretti pipes and they are very high quality pipes.

The biggest difference you will notice between the Moretti 55 clones and the Castello 55, is price. Moretti's version will run you about $130 brand new. Many say they are better than the Castellos. He also does great commission work and could probably build you a 55 in any size/finish/stem/material (even morta) you want for less $$$ than a new Castello.

Just some food for thought

 

[Sonorisis]

Of the three 55's in my rack, none of them does exceptionally well with flakes. What they do well is complex ribbon cut and shag cut tobacco. Squadron Leader does particularly well in the 55, as does MM965. "English" stuff like that, as well as "Orientals" seem to be the best use of my 55's.

That's a nice hunk of wood by the way!!!

 

[philobeddoe]

Beautiful pipes, congratulations on having such good taste! The 55 is my favorite pipe shape and I have several as well. I smoke English tobacco in my 4K sized bowls and Va. or Va./Per. in my 3K‘s and my one 2K bowl. I find the larger bowl works better for English and Balkan blends and the smaller bowls are better for the higher nic. Virginias.

 

[burleyboy]

Congrats on these two stunning exceptional pipes. I must say, that I'm kind of a Castello fan myself...

I'd say, put in your 55s whatever tobacco you like. I have a 55 Sea Rock KK in which I smoke both flakes and loose cut mixtures, which perform equally well. There are many different opinions around here and mine is, that flakes tend to burn in 55s just as good as in other pipes. I also do not think that it is neccessaire to dedicate pipes to certain blends, but to certain genres of blends.

 

[Chasing Embers]

My dilemma, is what to smoke in it!?!

Pick a favorite and run with it.?

 

[k9shag]

(l-r)
Castello Vergin GG shape 55
Moretti Morta Shape 55
Moretti Briar Shape 55

I love my Castello's (have 12 with #13 on the way) and I waited a long time for this particular Castello, however the Moretti's smoke just as well and as mentioned above were a lot less $. As for which tobacco that is up to you.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

As with all my “keeper” Castellos, I find that 55’s are great with any style tobacco that I smoke, flakes, twists, ropes, crumb cuts, ribbon cuts, shag cuts, whatever. None are dedicated to anything.

Gorgeous Fiamatta, BTW.

 

[Intricate37]

Wow, as always the forums impressive with the wealth of knowledge and expertise. Thank you gentleman, and especially those with the heads up on the Moretti 55. I’ll have to order one up ASAP.

I think my course of action is to break it in with some pure VA flake and see how it feels. If I decid to get some English in there after there will be no danger of a ghost like if I choose to go the other way around.

Thank you all again for the insight and the compliments. I can now enjoy breaking her in .

 

[jpberg]

That’s a lovely pipe, but Jesus H, don’t buy into the flake pipe myth. Put whatever tobacco you want into whatever pipe you want and enjoy it.

 

[ssjones]

That’s a lovely pipe, but Jesus H, don’t buy into the flake pipe myth. Put whatever tobacco you want into whatever pipe you want and enjoy it.

I'm in this camp. Great looking Fiammata!

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

think my course of action is to break it in with some pure VA flake

A few years ago, Fred Brown wrote an article for the Magazine part of the site in which he discussed the virtues of breaking in a new pipe with straight Virginia or straight Burley. Whether anything in today’s market is truly straight is a topic for another day, but his reasoning was in part that getting a good start with one of these types cut down on future ghosting issues. That echoes advice I was given over 35 years ago, which I have followed. Whether that has anything to do with the minimal ghosting issues I have encountered in those years, I can’t say for sure, but why change? I have tried to find Fred’s article, but have failed. It might have been an incidental comment in an article that was mainly about another topic.

 

[Intricate37]

A few years ago, Fred Brown wrote an article for the Magazine part of the site in which he discussed the virtues of breaking in a new pipe with straight Virginia or straight Burley. Whether anything in today’s market is truly straight is a topic for another day, but his reasoning was in part that getting a good start with one of these types cut down on future ghosting issues. That echoes advice I was given over 35 years ago, which I have followed. Whether that has anything to do with the minimal ghosting issues I have encountered in those years, I can’t say for sure, but why change? I have tried to find Fred’s article, but have failed. It might have been an incidental comment in an article that was mainly about another topic.

Would love to see the article, but I’ve read somewhere something along these lines. Develops “cake” quickly but doesn’t leave the pipe with any underlying taste.

I’ve taken to breaking in most my pipes with FVF and seems to be working well. Usually 3 smokes and the bowls have a customary thin layer of carbon that I keep all my pipes to by “reaming” with a paper towel after each smoke.”

The Fiammata is burning it as I write this thanks to the dedicated members of the forum. I still am undecided as to whether it’ll stay that way. I have a gorgeous Sav Autograph Volcano that is my go to for flakes and I’m not sure if this 55 will get the use it deserves. I think it’ll end up the relief for the other.

 

[Intricate37]

View attachment 14427

(l-r)
Castello Vergin GG shape 55
Moretti Morta Shape 55
Moretti Briar Shape 55

I love my Castello's (have 12 with #13 on the way) and I waited a long time for this particular Castello, however the Moretti's smoke just as well and as mentioned above were a lot less $. As for which tobacco that is up to you.

Thank you for this. That’s exactly the set up I want. I have a 55 Castello Sea Rock in dark brown on the wishlist but they don’t pop up too often, or aren’t the exact color that moves me when I have “pipe money” available.

Do you know if Moretti would commission a petite 55 shape? The 55 in a 3/4 or even 1/2 size would be amazing for when I’m walking the ranch with my dogs. The traditional is a bit too heavy to clench for an hour, and I can’t bring myself to smoke them on walks as rim char is inevitable in the subsequent wind.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Would love to see the article, but I’ve read somewhere something along these lines. Develops “cake” quickly but doesn’t leave the pipe with any underlying taste.

I’ve taken to breaking in most my pipes with FVF and seems to be working well. Usually 3 smokes and the bowls have a customary thin layer of carbon that I keep all my pipes to by “reaming” with a paper towel after each smoke.”

The Fiammata is burning it as I write this thanks to the dedicated members of the forum. I still am undecided as to whether it’ll stay that way. I have a gorgeous Sav Autograph Volcano that is my go to for flakes and I’m not sure if this 55 will get the use it deserves. I think it’ll end up the relief for the other.

View attachment 14448

Sure is a pretty pipe. Especially that rim.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Thank you for this. That’s exactly the set up I want. I have a 55 Castello Sea Rock in dark brown on the wishlist but they don’t pop up too often, or aren’t the exact color that moves me when I have “pipe money” available.

Do you know if Moretti would commission a petite 55 shape? The 55 in a 3/4 or even 1/2 size would be amazing for when I’m walking the ranch with my dogs. The traditional is a bit too heavy to clench for an hour, and I can’t bring myself to smoke them on walks as rim char is inevitable in the subsequent wind.

I'm fairly confident Marco will commission anything you want, hahaha. He makes a ton of classic shapes, but also makes some of the most refonkulous pipes I've ever seen. A Petite 55 would be right up his alley I would imagine, a simple project compared to some of the things I've seen him crank out.

You can email him directly through the Pipe Moretti website. He is a true gentleman and a pleasure to deal with.

Pipe Moretti - https://www.pipemoretti.com/

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Would love to see the article, but I’ve read somewhere something along these lines. Develops “cake” quickly but doesn’t leave the pipe with any underlying taste.

I’ve taken to breaking in most my pipes with FVF and seems to be working well. Usually 3 smokes and the bowls have a customary thin layer of carbon that I keep all my pipes to by “reaming” with a paper towel after each smoke.”

The Fiammata is burning it as I write this thanks to the dedicated members of the forum. I still am undecided as to whether it’ll stay that way. I have a gorgeous Sav Autograph Volcano that is my go to for flakes and I’m not sure if this 55 will get the use it deserves. I think it’ll end up the relief for the other.

View attachment 14448

I have Castellos that I have owned since new since the 1980’s. and early 1990’s. They have never seen a reamer, just frequent vigorous rubs with paper towels. I would consider it a great tragedy if there was any tobacco in my possession that I wouldn’t enjoy in any of them. ?

 

[Intricate37]

I'm fairly confident Marco will commission anything you want, hahaha. He makes a ton of classic shapes, but also makes some of the most refonkulous pipes I've ever seen. A Petite 55 would be right up his alley I would imagine, a simple project compared to some of the things I've seen him crank out.

You can email him directly through the Pipe Moretti website. He is a true gentleman and a pleasure to deal with.

Pipe Moretti - https://www.pipemoretti.com/

Thank you brother! Email has been sent!!!

 

[Intricate37]

Sure is a pretty pipe. Especially that rim.

Thanks again. I’m stressing about charring it. My other has a small amount of rim char on the stem end that won’t come out with any amount of elbow grease. It irks me to no end :p.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Thanks again. I’m stressing about charring it. My other has a small amount of rim char on the stem end that won’t come out with any amount of elbow grease. It irks me to no end :p.

Just use a little saliva and a paper towel on the rim after each smoke. Should take care of any rim charring. I've done it even with crusty estates and been able to get the rims clean. It's part of every post smoke cleaning routine these days, so as to not have to apply said "elbow grease" ever again, hahaha.