My Very Special 60th Birthday Pipe by Savinelli

[mikethompson]

What an incredible story!

I need to write 'enjoy the pipe' even though I know that doesn't come close to it. Congrats!

 

[gamzultovah]

What a great retelling! Happy birthday and enjoy!

 

[aspiring_sage]

Belated happy Birthday, friend!

 

[augiebd]

What a wonderful story, perhaps all predicated on wonderful relationships you nurtured as you accumulated those birthdays. Congratulations and belated happy birthday! Happy you have a unique memory for this one.

 

[Cap]

@TheIronMonkey
Thats a beautiful pipe and to be truthful i dont know if i would smoke it or display it.
Lol

Happy Belated 60th

 

[lifesizehobbit]

What a great story and outcome. Perhaps my favorite part is where you didn't hesitate to consider smoking it. I hope it's everything you wanted - Happy Birthday!

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Do they make a 0000 Autograph?

 

[georged]

Do they make a 0000 Autograph?

There have been a few over the years (I've held one). How many total? Guessing: a dozen or so

 

[daveinlax]

An Awesome Pipe. The note really makes this a very special piece! I’ll be celebrating my 60th soon and hope to add something special to the collection too.

 

[georged]

I’ll be celebrating my 60th soon and hope to add something special to the collection too.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Do they make a 0000 Autograph?

There have been a few over the years (I've held one). How many total? Guessing: a dozen or so

Most literature lists 000 as the penultimate grade, but if George has seen and held a 0000, it would appear that another gear exists or existed—it wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to think the 0000 was the logically named pinnacle of quality that surpassed the 000 and then morphed into the Eccezionale grade that now represents the highest grade of the Autograph line (great, now there’s something else difficult to chase).

I’ve inquired why there is no Autograph Gruppo 7—no one at Savinelli seems to know.

@lifesizehobbit

The pipe gives me much joy and the outcome was better than had I scored the other pipe on Black Friday. I couldn’t justify having the pipe to just sit on a shelf and look at. I could’ve bought art to hang on a wall for that. I wanted something to smoke. That’s not to say I don’t have pipes that I’ve kept virginal (mostly because they came with original packaging and have survived many years unused—lighting them up just turns them into used pipes with nothing notable).

@daveinlax

Thanks, Dave! I hope you find something that thrills you as much as this pipe did me.

 

[georged]

I’ll be celebrating my 60th soon and hope to add something special to the collection too.

View attachment 240464

Most literature lists 000 as the penultimate grade, but if George has seen and held a 0000, it would appear that another gear exists or existed—it wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to think the 0000 was the logically named pinnacle of quality that surpassed the 000 and then morphed into the Eccezionale grade that now represents the highest grade of the Autograph line (great, now there’s something else difficult to chase).

The pre-corporate-owned "family" era of Savinelli was vastly different than today's company.

It's a bit disturbing, actually. Instead of honoring and building upon what came before, today's Sav seems intent on redefining everything, history included.

 

[AroEnglish]

View attachment 240464
It's a bit disturbing, actually. Instead of honoring and building upon what came before, today's Sav seems intent on redefining everything, history included.

Can you elaborate more for those of us who aren’t well versed in Savinelli’s history?

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Most literature lists 000 as the penultimate grade, but if George has seen and held a 0000, it would appear that another gear exists or existed—it wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to think the 0000 was the logically named pinnacle of quality that surpassed the 000 and then morphed into the Eccezionale grade that now represents the highest grade of the Autograph line (great, now there’s something else difficult to chase).

I’ve inquired why there is no Autograph Gruppo 7—no one at Savinelli seems to know.

@lifesizehobbit

The pipe gives me much joy and the outcome was better than had I scored the other pipe on Black Friday. I couldn’t justify having the pipe to just sit on a shelf and look at. I could’ve bought art to hang on a wall for that. I wanted something to smoke. That’s not to say I don’t have pipes that I’ve kept virginal (mostly because they came with original packaging and have survived many years unused—lighting them up just turns them into used pipes with nothing notable).

@daveinlax

Thanks, Dave! I hope you find something that thrills you as much as this pipe did me.

Penultimate means second to first, so I assumed there was only one grade higher.

I didn't realize eccezionale existed..

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Penultimate means second to first, so I assumed there was only one grade higher.

I didn't realize eccezionale existed..

In most English speaking countries, the very highest Autograph grade is listed as “Extraordinaire,” but in the original Italian it is called “Eccezionale.” Pipes with this grade are stamped with a single letter “E” and should not be confused with the “EX” size grade which is also known as “Extraordinaire.” With regard to the Autograph line, at least one seller has listed this grade as “Exceptionale” online.

In ascending order of quality, the Autograph line is as follows: 3, 4, 5, 6, 8; the higher tier: 0, 00, 000, Extraordinaire/Eccezionale. For whatever reason, there is no 7. The first Autographs were first made in the early ’70s. Some people have reported seeing Autographs stamped with the number ”2.” As George has seen and handled a “0000,” it would appear much information has been lost to history. To my mind, a higher grade than “000” would naturally be named “0000”—I can imagine that this was renamed as the ”Eccezionale” grade, but that’s just my speculation upon hearing of the “0000” existing. I haven’t seen one yet, but will be looking for one now to be sure.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I found a post on Steve Laug’s site that has some interesting info regarding the “0000” that has to do with a Texas tobacconist called Pipe Pub:

Pipe Pub Canadian pipes – rebornpipes

Posts about Pipe Pub Canadian pipes written by rebornpipes

rebornpipes.com

“Jon was not able to confirm positively that the pipe is indeed of Savinelli make (second or otherwise), however, he did point out that Pipe Pub did have an excellent relationship with the Savinelli company, as they were allowed to carry and sell the rare Savinelli 0000 (Quadruple-ought) Autograph, of which only 3 have been produced in the last century. Jon also pointed out that he and another manager sold it to a gentleman who worked for the telephone company to complete a collection of Savinelli Autographs. (He went to the bank and took out a $5000 loan for it. The bank, initially thought he was purchasing ‘oil drilling pipe’, but gave him a personal loan for the tobacco pipe anyways. He kept it in a lock box for a while, then finally broke it out and smoked it for the first time during the 1986 or 1987 Superbowl.)”

The paucity of the number of 0000s produced (as mentioned in this quote) suggests this would be what we now call the Eccezionale.

 

[denholrl]

Is there a grade stamp on this pipe? Someone of BofB said that someone named Jeff had a rare E graded Savinelli.

 

[Val]

Stunning pipe with a great story too!

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Is there a grade stamp on this pipe? Someone of BofB said that someone named Jeff had a rare E graded Savinelli.

Hi Rob (I saw your post at Brothers of Briar and @AndyNJ ’s reply to you),

If you look on the first page of this thread, there is a photo of the “E” stamp on the bottom of the stummel. I can try to take some clearer pics in a day or two if that one is too hard to see. The Autograph Extraordinaire/Eccezionale grade is not higher than the “0000,” it is the modern equivalent. In the early ’80s, a tobacco shop in Texas called Pipe Pub issued a handful of “0000” pipes that were considered a higher grade than the “000.” Based on an Extraordinaire/Eccezionale that I acquired last year, I believe Savinelli altered the stamping for this grade shortly after that to avoid confusion since their literature usually says the highest Autograph is “000,” and created the “000 E” stamp (the “E” for “Eccezionale”) to convey that these pipes were graded higher than a “000.” I have posted some pics of this “000 E” in the last year in one of the WAYS threads on this forum. Shortly after I got the “000 E,” I added a half-smooth, half-sandblasted Eccezionale to my collection that bears a single shortened “E" stamp—the boxes for these highest grade pipes used to be suede Autograph boxes with custom molded interior velvet cushions for the pipes. These days, Savinelli uses their cigar humidors as the boxes for these special pipes; for oversized Eccezionali that don’t fit in the humidors, custom clear plexiglass cases are made.

Based on Savinelli production numbers from the last decade, there is approximately a ratio of one Eccezionale produced for every 250,000 Savinelli pipes. I suspect there may be more than that, though, given I saw four on Savinelli’s website in 2022. As far as I know, my 60th Birthday commissioned Eccezionale (seen at the beginning of this thread) was the only one made in 2023; were it not for that one, I’m aware of none made that year; in 2024, two were posted on their site and seemed to be sold by the end of the year (it’s possible they didn’t sell and were just pulled from the site—I have seen pipes disappear and reappear at a later date).

I am hoping to locate a Pipe Pub issued “0000” for my collection at some point—it would be fun to have all of the versions of the Eccezionale stamps. In the back of my mind, I’d like to put together a seven day set of Extraordinaire/Eccezionale pipes (my wallet says otherwise).

Anyway, I hope this helps clear up some of your questions.

Best,

Jeff

P.S. There are no ”00 E” grades.

 

[tschiraldi]

I was very bummed about missing out on this fine hunk of briar. I wouldn’t say I was depressed—it was, after all, just a pipe (albeit a nifty one)—but, I had gotten it in my head that this would be my birthday pipe and was very excited to acquire a Fan with a finish so very rarely seen from Savinelli. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say I was incredibly disappointed. Then a thought popped into my head. Was it possible that more than two of these Extraordinaire Fans were made? Might there be one in the historic shop on Via Orefici 2, in Milan, that wasn’t on the website? Maybe one was sitting on a shelf in the factory, held back for future release? I e-mailed my contact at Savinelli and inquired about getting an Extraordinaire Fan like the one that had just sold; it turned out there wasn’t another available, but he told me to give him a couple of weeks to see what he could do.

In mid-December, I was informed that a suitable briar block might come in the next shipment, but I couldn’t be promised anything until the block was carved and completed—any flaws, i.e., a sand pit, or a void, could appear at any time as the pipe was being shaped or blasted. I fully understood that a grade couldn’t be determined until the pipe was done. It could turn out as a 6, maybe an 8, or 000; there was no guarantee it would be an Extraordinaire. There was nothing to do except wait. So, I waited.

At the end of January, just a week and half from my birthday, I received an e-mail saying, “I am proud and extremely happy to let you know we found a perfect piece, I requested specifically for you …” Attached was a picture of the completed virgin, sandblasted Extraordinaire Fan, and a few pics of its box. My first impression was that the box was simpler than I had hoped. I would have preferred something less rectangular, a little more individual, more like the box of the pipe I missed getting. But I knew beforehand that the boxes were crafted one at a time, no two alike. The chances of getting one like the previous Fan was housed in was next to nil. Even though this box appeared to be almost plain on initial viewing, its subtle complexity became more evident as I looked at it longer—there was a lot more going on with these ripples and undulating patterns—the unusual grain on this presentation box echoed the grain on the pipe and the blue stain of the box tied in harmoniously with the hand-cut blue swirled stem. The aesthetic attributes of the complete package washed over me and began to make total sense. This was cooler the more I looked at it. Much cooler. I loved it. My contact had really come through and Massimo (and others) delivered the goods with the pipe. In early February, Savinelli’s goldsmith engraved a .925 silver plate for the presentation box. My initials, “J W,” were stamped on the pipe above “SAVINELLI AUTOGRAPH” (linking it directly to me, the custom presentation box notwithstanding). The “E” to the right of “MADE IN ITALY” stands for the Extraordinaire/Eccezionale grade designation. The silver plate on the underside of the presentation box lid translates to:

For Jeff
11 February 1963

That’s the lengthy back story. Without further ado, here are some pictures of my very special Savinelli 60th Birthday pipe and its custom box:

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The note enclosed translates roughly to:

Dear Jeff

We wish you to spend special moments in the countryside with this pipe that we have created with passion for you.

The note is signed by all involved in making my pipe:

Alvise (the head of National Sales, and now Custom Pipes)

Dario (consulted with and took direction from the lead carver, Massimo, and did the initial shaping of the briar)

Ivan (did the final finishing, clean up, and polishing of the pipe)

Massimo (lead carver, did the final pipe carving/shaping, and sandblasting)

Luca (fabricated the hand cut stem)

I’m ecstatic that this came together. It’s an incredibly cool thing to commission a single artisan to make a custom pipe for you. @alaskanpiper ‘s “Cutty Madness”‡ threads illustrated that x 16! But it’s surreal, and even more awesome to my mind, to have a major marque like Savinelli make something distinctive like this just for you. It’s kind of mind blowing when I stop and think about it, knowing what Luisa Bozzetti has said about Savinelli’s Freehand pipes, and what had to happen to create this objet d’art:

“When we choose to make Freehand pipes, we must stop production on the standard shapes. The process for Freehands is much more involved and takes much more time. Finding the best people from the production line and pulling them to make Freehands is challenging since it's not an assembly line, but rather a one- or two-man operation.”

The shape of this Fan doesn’t quite have the same graceful flair from front to back as the other two Extraordinaire Fans; it doesn’t appear to be as long from front to back either, but I much prefer the beveled chamber edge on mine and the deeper side indentations. Like the old adage says, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” It’s mine. The other two aren’t. Plus, things turned out way cooler than buying the pipe that was already made and listed on Savinelli’s website. It’s no secret that I’m into pipes bearing this name. I smoke them quite often and post them in the WAYS threads with regularity. I appreciate the company’s rich history and love many of their designs (some of you will recall the armchair detective work that went into the first-generation Punto Oro I shared that bore the Brebbia Gnome on its shank§). I missed out on a pipe that was already made that could be considered a birthday pipe and ended up with something truly unique, that was made specifically for me, that is a birthday pipe. I am forever grateful to all the folks at Savinelli who made this possible! I feel honoured that the pipe was made while still under the helm of Luisa Bozzetti, before her recent retirement in February (after starting out there as a teenager cleaning tables for ten hours a day with a sponge fifty years ago, leaving as the company’s factory manager, and now has a line of pipes named after her!); fortunate to have such a rare and flawless pipe worked on by Massimo before his upcoming retirement this Summer; and last, but not least, indebted to my friend, Alvise Peltrera, for making this all possible.

I didn’t think I would ever be “that guy,” but I’m very tempted to use white cotton gloves when smoking this (gloves were used at Savinelli when handling it, as a matter of course). I have several Corallo di Mare Punto Oros with virgin finishes and they’re all kind of grubby looking from handling. Over time, skin oils make them look soiled and dull, kind of unappealing. I know some people think of that patina as a positive thing, the way Meerschaum colours from white to “shit brown,” (to quote @condorlover1 ) but I sometimes think I’d prefer that my sepiolite pipes stay white and my virgin briar remain bright, light, and clean. I’m sure this will naturally darken over time as it’s exposed to air and oxidizes, but I’m not in any rush to make it look dirty through normal usage just yet. Now, I just need to figure out what I want to smoke in it.

Links:

*Birthday Haul 2023

† Around the Burl, Savinelli Extraordinaire
@shaneireland

‡Cutty Madness (first post)
Cutty Madness (last post)

§Savinelli Punto Oro 1002 Billiard from quite possibly, the very first year that line was produced: 1958

Congratulations and happy birthday!