Le Nuvole PAD

[pipesinperu]

I picked up this Le Nuvole pipe as an estate a month or so ago. I was looking for a sandblasted bent dublin and it fit the bill.

This was my first foray into artisan pipes. I was disappointed to find, though, that the draw is pretty restricted. As in, it passes a regular cleaner but not the fat end of a tapered pipe cleaner. Could this be one of the reasons you don't hear much about Le Nuvole? Because he makes gorgeous, well-constructed pipes, all else considered. It took some persistence, but once I got used to how this pipe "wants" to be smoked, it's turned into a good smoker. Very cool, flavorful smokes, fairly effortless even despite the draw, once I realized it needed to be packed a bit looser to avoid having to pull too hard (which resulted in some tongue scorch the first few smokes!). It will find a place in my rotation for now, though I'm not sure I'd buy another because of the draw.

 

[moriarty]

That is a stunning pipe. I envy you.
The draw on Le Nuvoles is quite open and they are always great smokers. I think the issue you have is that he makes the hole very flat at the bit, to give a thin profile but retain strength. I don't find that this affects the draw at all, but it can make it a battle to push a thick pipecleaner through on some pipes. If you remove the stem you will see the airway is quite wide and nicely polished.
Glad you are enjoying the pipe. If you ever tire of it please PM me.

 

[moriarty]

BTW, the reason you don't hear so much about Le Nuvole is that Maurizio sold his pipes on his own website and at trade shows in Italy, as well as to China and Russia through his distributor, Neatpipes. Recently, because of the anonymity of the internet, Maurizio has decided to sell almost all of his pipes except the more experimental "Zed" range through his distributor, so we may see more of them in retailers. I noticed that Smokers' Haven in the US has started to sell them.

 

[pipesinperu]

I am smoking some McClelland's Aurora in it as I type and really enjoying this pipe more and more.
With that said, the bit doesn't seem to be exactly what you describe. It's got the beginnings of the V slot, but then the V is truncated in a flat "wall" with just a hole in it, about the diameter of a Dill's regular pipe cleaner. Taking the stem off, the draft hole in the stummel and right up through the stem is wide open, as you say, but it ends in that peculiar hole at the bit. At first, your comments made me wonder if mine was an earlier piece by Maurizio, but the shaping, fit and finish suggest otherwise. A bit curious, but like I said, once I learned how the pipe wants to be smoked and adapted to it, it's been great.
Gorgeous, gorgeous Le Nuvoles in that other thread, by the way!

 

[moriarty]

Odd. I've noticed that the slots can be narrow but I haven't noticed the issue you describe. I'll take a more careful look at some of mine. I think this is related only to his more recent pipes - the last year or two - and he has changed the way he engineers the mouthpiece. Older Le Nuvoles were never any trouble getting a pipecleaner through the stem. Still, I don't worry too much about it, but it is an unnecessary inconvenience. I may ask him about it and give him feedback.
Le Nuvoles are stamped with two digits to show the year of production (since 2013). If there is no year stamp then your pipe is from 2012 or earlier. I can see it is not very old, as the smoke logo on the stem was much larger on the old pipes.

 

[rcstan]

I remember giving that pipe the "once-over" in restoration. Le Nuvole come around few and far between. This one was lightly smoked. Thanks for your patronage, and enjoy!
Not many pipes that I've smoked or owned, besides Peter Heeschen's, and some American carvers, will pass a dry, tapered cleaner fat-end first. Heeschen pipes take an extra fluffy all the way down to the bowl, he makes them like that. Some of my Dunhills DO NOT. P-Lipped Petersons definitely don't, and I don't find them restrictive.

 

[pipebuddy]

That is one very nice pipe! I like the interpretation of the Dublin shape as well as the colour. And that sandblast is awesome. Enjoy! :D

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Beaautiful. I don't have a Le Nuvole but it's on the bucket list.

 

[buckaroo]

A favorite carver of mine and that's a great one.