So I've posted already about my entry into the pipe smoking hobby and given some detail and photos regarding my
"mainstream pipes" if you like. I was very excited today however when I got home from work and found a package from Italy waiting for me! I purchased two pipes from the Savinelli Minuto range from an ebay seller, but was hard pressed to find any reviews or information about them, so I thought I'd give you guys my take on these pipes.
First of all, it should be noted that the Minuto series is basically Savinelli's attempt to "combine the worlds of cigarette and pipe smoking", in so much as the Minuto pipes are designed to smoke rolling tobacco which you would usually use to roll a cigarette. For this reason, the pipes come with cotton filters, exactly the same type that you would use for filtering a rolled cigarette. The idea here is that the tobacco can be enjoyed in a pure form without the taste of paper, without the mess of ash, and of course, no cigarette butts. Here's a picture of one of the Savinelli filters (on the right) alongside a regular filter which here in Australia can be bought anywhere cigarettes are sold:
So in terms of maintenance, its very convenient to replace the filters (which must be replaced after each smoke). At this point it's worth noting that rather than coming in a box, Minuto pipes are packaged into carry bags, which is in line with Savinelli's marketing of this pipe as basically a convenient choice. Here's how they come:
Notice that there are two compartments to each bag, one which holds the pipes and the other the accessories & information which come with each pipe:
And here's the pipes themselves:
I've included a few photos of me holding one of the pipes and the carry case just to try and show some scale. These pipes are fairly small, in case you can't tell! The real question though is how do they smoke? Well I've smoked both pipes, the bent and the straight, with and without a filter. The tobacco used was a B&M house Virginia blend, an excellent tobacco (very sweet smelling), and I have to say both pipes smoked beautifully. I preferred smoking with the filter surprisingly, as the filter seemed to provide a very dry, cool smoke with plenty of flavour. Without the filter was fine too, just a bit wetter and therefore a few relights were in order. I'm yet to try it, but these pipes should be fine to smoke regular pipe tobacco as they are made from briar, so no skimping on quality. There aren't many flaws on the smooth pipe, just the usual that you would expect from a pipe in this price range. Speaking of price, I paid about $70 AUD each for these and it was well spent I think.
To sum up, the Minuto line is a great line from Savinelli, particularly if like myself you enjoy a rollie from time to time or even if you haven't got forty minutes to spare for a full pipe and just want to get a quick bowl in before work, on a break or just because! As the pipes are very small and lightweight, clenching is a breeze and they are very comfortable and easy on the teeth and jaw. Loving them so far and recommend to anyone who is interested in them!
P.S. Does anyone else have one of these pipes, or seen one, and what are your thoughts? Thanks! Hope my first review attempt is half decent.
"mainstream pipes" if you like. I was very excited today however when I got home from work and found a package from Italy waiting for me! I purchased two pipes from the Savinelli Minuto range from an ebay seller, but was hard pressed to find any reviews or information about them, so I thought I'd give you guys my take on these pipes.
First of all, it should be noted that the Minuto series is basically Savinelli's attempt to "combine the worlds of cigarette and pipe smoking", in so much as the Minuto pipes are designed to smoke rolling tobacco which you would usually use to roll a cigarette. For this reason, the pipes come with cotton filters, exactly the same type that you would use for filtering a rolled cigarette. The idea here is that the tobacco can be enjoyed in a pure form without the taste of paper, without the mess of ash, and of course, no cigarette butts. Here's a picture of one of the Savinelli filters (on the right) alongside a regular filter which here in Australia can be bought anywhere cigarettes are sold:
So in terms of maintenance, its very convenient to replace the filters (which must be replaced after each smoke). At this point it's worth noting that rather than coming in a box, Minuto pipes are packaged into carry bags, which is in line with Savinelli's marketing of this pipe as basically a convenient choice. Here's how they come:
Notice that there are two compartments to each bag, one which holds the pipes and the other the accessories & information which come with each pipe:
And here's the pipes themselves:
I've included a few photos of me holding one of the pipes and the carry case just to try and show some scale. These pipes are fairly small, in case you can't tell! The real question though is how do they smoke? Well I've smoked both pipes, the bent and the straight, with and without a filter. The tobacco used was a B&M house Virginia blend, an excellent tobacco (very sweet smelling), and I have to say both pipes smoked beautifully. I preferred smoking with the filter surprisingly, as the filter seemed to provide a very dry, cool smoke with plenty of flavour. Without the filter was fine too, just a bit wetter and therefore a few relights were in order. I'm yet to try it, but these pipes should be fine to smoke regular pipe tobacco as they are made from briar, so no skimping on quality. There aren't many flaws on the smooth pipe, just the usual that you would expect from a pipe in this price range. Speaking of price, I paid about $70 AUD each for these and it was well spent I think.
To sum up, the Minuto line is a great line from Savinelli, particularly if like myself you enjoy a rollie from time to time or even if you haven't got forty minutes to spare for a full pipe and just want to get a quick bowl in before work, on a break or just because! As the pipes are very small and lightweight, clenching is a breeze and they are very comfortable and easy on the teeth and jaw. Loving them so far and recommend to anyone who is interested in them!
P.S. Does anyone else have one of these pipes, or seen one, and what are your thoughts? Thanks! Hope my first review attempt is half decent.
