I own a couple of them :
The Vascello pipes were made by Francesco DiMento at the end of the 70s, a pilot officer of the Italian Navy stationed in Sardinia. In his free time he organized a small laboratory in a metal shack inside the military base.
His pipes were distributed and sold by Giorgio Musicò in the famous shop adjacent to the Trevi fountain in Rome.
The gradation of the pipes was in the form of a Navy rank (admiral, captain...), the logo on the mouthpiece represents the boat hook (shaft with hook used to recover objects at sea) with the white color for the entry-level pipes and in blue for higher gradings.
However, it was a limited production,probably due to the multiple commitments he had as a naval officer, and because after a short time the Navy introduced a rule that prohibited activities outside the Navy's duties.
Faced with that choice, already having several years of service, the commander chose the navy and withdrew his pipes from sale.
"Commander" DiMento died on April 27, 2006
www.legiopraetoria.it
