Castello Stem Stamp

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annioli

Lurker
Sep 22, 2012
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0
baton rouge, LA
Hi. I have a question for anyone w/ an answer about Castello stem stamping. :) I have a 2004 Greatline Fiammata KKK w/ the standard white bar in the stem, and on the underside it is stamped HD MADE STELLO. I have other Castello's that bear the HD MADE CASTELLO stamp on the underside of the stem. When I originally came into possession of this pipe, the "STELLO" thing gave me pause, so I looked it up online and found an article that confirmed for me that the STELLO was sometimes used in place of the full CASTELLO. Now, for the life of me, I cannot find that article again and have no memory of where I read it. But I know I read it because I clearly remember giving my fiancé a hard time about it in that "I know something you don't know" kinda way -- for which I am now apparently reaping my karma. Anyway... Has anyone come across this stamp/nomenclature on one of their own Castellos, or can maybe point me in the direction of a book, magazine article or website where these markings are discussed/explained/verified. Thanks folks!!

 

daveinlax

Charter Member
May 5, 2009
1,989
2,651
WISCONSIN
The stems are stamped Hand Made (smaller)

CASTELLO (larger)

5 (straw size)

Some are stamped better than others the number can change depending on the straw size 8O

 

daveinlax

Charter Member
May 5, 2009
1,989
2,651
WISCONSIN
many years ago Castello used to include a little package of straw tubes, that looked like the metal tubes ( inner tubes ) that Dunhill used to use, only Castello's were straw. The straw size was the air passage size. I have not seen one in a new Castello in decades.

They're still available in some shops but not a priority in pipes shipped to the North American market. I've gotten straws in about half of the new pipes I've bought (hell! the last two new pipes I've bought from authorized dealers didn't even come with a freakin' box) Some may not know but the size is the length not diameter a 6 can become a 3 with a pair of scissors. I use them in only one of my Castello pipes because it is so wide open and I want two reduce the draw. 8O

 
Dec 24, 2012
7,195
456
Good to know. I have a couple older Castellos that have a number 5 on the stem and I always wondered what the hell that meant.

 

fishingandpipes

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 24, 2013
654
48
I ran into the "box" question myself recently with a new purchase I made. I was told that distributors don't always provide boxes. That sounded odd to me especially since I had received boxes previously, so I asked a smaller retailer who confirmed that due to shipping costs many companies are no longer including boxes.
I personally don't care about the box much as they just take up space, but I will say that it adds to the experience of opening up something you just spent hundreds of dollars on and I've not noticed a decrease in price, so I'm not overly fond of the trend.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,317
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Maryland
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annoili: never give your fiance a hard time about anything pipe related! ...
DaveinLAX - thanks, it's always interesting to pickup some Castello knowledge. I knew vaguely about the straws, but not to that detail.

 
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