Radice pipe grading

[cohiba007]

Ive searched but I cannot find anything on how he grades his pipes. Anyone know what grades E or G mean?

 

[bluegrassbrian]

E and G arent grades so much as designations.

The E designation indicates a vulcanite stem.

I believe a G ( like other Italian pipes) indicates a "Gigante" pipe. Extra large.

 

[wolflarsen]

My understanding is that the E stands for ebonite. Technically speaking, ebonite is black vulcanite.

Some pipe makers make a distinction between ebonite and vulcanite by calling stems individually hand cut by an artisan ebonite and stems mass produced in a factory vulcanite.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Well thereya go.

Ebonite is the brand name.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

And more Radice nomenclature:
O = option, such as the faux bamboo shanks that I am a sucker for, boxwood inkaid stems,etc
F = Fiamatta (straight grain)
OP = Birds Eye
There was a "Tiger Eye" grade that displayed cross cut grain, but not tight enough to qualify for the OP designation.
Pitch = Luigi's nickname from childhood, affixed to pipes of any grade that he thought were unusually nice

 

[briarblues]

Let's add a little more Radice info;
Rind - rusticated finish with stain, various colors

Rind Pure - rusticated with no stain

Silk Cut - sand blast , various stain colors, including two tone

Silk Cut Pure - sand blast with no stain

Radice - smooth brown stain

Brown - smooth brown stain

Rubino - smooth red stain

Clear - smooth light or orange stain, may also have the OP ( cross grain / birds eye )or F ( fiammata ) stamp

Underwood - carved drip wax finish

Collector - one off a kind creations
The number stamp is added to 1980 to generate the year of production. This stamp / system is a fairly recent addition.
Regards

Michael J. Glukler

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Well, to add even more,
Sand Grain - Sandblasted over rustication, apparently discontinued
Bark - A rusticated oil cured pipe. The name has been discontinued, BUT
Al Pascia has a selection of oil cured Radices, so stamped, that are available in Rind, Silk Cut and Clear grades, also so stamped.
Straight Grain - For an apparently brief period of time, a few pieces were stamped " Straight Grain" and not the expected "Clear F"

 

[briarblues]

And there was also the;
T/B stamp - twin bore - now discontinued

OIL CURED - now discontinued ( the Bark finish )
On occasion I have seen a GT stamp. G for Grande or giant, but I have no idea what the T might indicate.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

The Bark grade has been discontinued. As of this year, the "oil cured" stamp is being used on carved, sandblast and smooth finishes.

Al Pascia Oil Cured Radice Pipes
The only thing I can think of for GT is giant twin bore, but it is not a nomenclature I have seen.

 

[briarblues]

Here is a Radice GT O
http://www.briarblues.com/flmi1339.htm
Not a twin bore though......

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

I am stumped.

 

[onestrangeone]

So I have a cross cut Radice that’s stamped OO Anyone have any ideas?

 

[briarblues]

I believe the OO stamp began when the 2 sons ( Marzio and Gianluca ) started to make pipes.
There are also some stamped OP - Occhio Di Pernice ( eye of the partridge )
Regards

Michael J. Glukler

 

[mso489]

The grading of pipes has always annoyed me and made me feel a little haughty. Show me the virtues of the pipe -- its design, craftsmanship, texture, finish, stem work, etc. -- and I'll be the judge of its grade. Goading people to pay more for an arbitrary coded grade seems pretty pompous to me. All respect to the pipe makers who grade their pipes; many good ones do. But perhaps it is misguided.

 

[onestrangeone]

I didn’t give it much thought until I read this thread! It made me curious.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I wonder why the pipemaker would stamp the obvious onto a pipe? Like if it is red stained, why is there a need to stamp it onto the pipe anywhere? Or, a sandblast, or twin bore, or really any of these things Radice has stamped?