I've been lookingat radice pipes for awhile now becase I really like the craggy rustication. Are those pipes worth the price?
Radice Pipes
- Thread starter WVpiper3
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I love my Radice New Dear, which is perhaps my favorite finish ever on a pipe. But if you like the “craggy” Radice look, you might also consider estate Ascorti pipes, which can often be found for under/around $100. I love both brands.
You’re probably aware that Radice and Ascorti started out working together in the Castello factory, before leaving to start Caminetto together. Around 1980, both men decided to go their separate ways and make pipes under their own names. But the styles between the two lines share a lot of similarities, since both men were trained in the same factory and then worked together so closely for 5-6 years. (To me, Caminettos have a distinct look all their own.)
If the New Dear finish is what you mean by “craggy,” Ascorti also makes New Dear pipes. If by “craggy” you mean Radice’s approach to sandblasting, Ascorti has a similar look, known as the Business finish.
As an authorized Radice retailer .... IMHO Radice Pipes offer maybe the best "bang for buck" in the unsmoked new pipe market out of Italy. On the estate market, Ascorti, Caminetto ( both depending on vintage ) and Radice can be found for very reasonable prices.
What I find is that the majority of current Radice Pipes have a very consistent stem profile. Thin but no too thin. Flat, yet not too flat. Buttons that are tall, yet not too tall. In other words, very comfortable. Plus the internal "engineering" ( drilling width ) is perfect, for me. Also if you're not a fan of Lucite stems, they also make some pipes with Ebonite. The latter have an E stamped on the shank.
Luigi Radice ( the founder ) is now "retired", which is well deserved for a man at 84 years of age. That being said, he is still in the shop, with his sons, and creates pipes. The pipes Luigi is making do not show up in our market often. Each is unique and comes from the brilliant imagination of Luigi.
Currently all Radice Pipes are made by his sons, Marzio and Gianluca. All three are very cordial with a quick wit and never hesitate to answer questions about pipes etc.
I was fortunate enough to visit them in 2019. Luigi kept telling me to ask anything I wished. There are no secrets here.
Feel free to message me and ask any questions you'd like about Radice Pipes. If I don't know the answer I will contact Marzio and ask.
Mike
What I find is that the majority of current Radice Pipes have a very consistent stem profile. Thin but no too thin. Flat, yet not too flat. Buttons that are tall, yet not too tall. In other words, very comfortable. Plus the internal "engineering" ( drilling width ) is perfect, for me. Also if you're not a fan of Lucite stems, they also make some pipes with Ebonite. The latter have an E stamped on the shank.
Luigi Radice ( the founder ) is now "retired", which is well deserved for a man at 84 years of age. That being said, he is still in the shop, with his sons, and creates pipes. The pipes Luigi is making do not show up in our market often. Each is unique and comes from the brilliant imagination of Luigi.
Currently all Radice Pipes are made by his sons, Marzio and Gianluca. All three are very cordial with a quick wit and never hesitate to answer questions about pipes etc.
I was fortunate enough to visit them in 2019. Luigi kept telling me to ask anything I wished. There are no secrets here.
Feel free to message me and ask any questions you'd like about Radice Pipes. If I don't know the answer I will contact Marzio and ask.
Mike
I have several Radice Pipes and I love them.
They are solid smokers in that Northern Italian aesthetic. Plus they are one of the few Italian carvers that offer Ebonite stems in great colors.
Well worth the price. And if you have the Bronze VIP status at sp.com, then you get an additional discount.
They are solid smokers in that Northern Italian aesthetic. Plus they are one of the few Italian carvers that offer Ebonite stems in great colors.
Well worth the price. And if you have the Bronze VIP status at sp.com, then you get an additional discount.
As long as prices remain stable then Radice is a good value, though I have had some quirks, my Radice "Collect" didn't pass a pipecleaner until I re-drilled the shank. Pretty bizarre to have that problem appear on a relatively high end pipe, but I had the same problem in another even more expensive Danish pipe as well, no matter the price always inspect your pipes thoroughly before smoking.
I didn’t know they had ebonite. Huh. How can I un-know that. Now this is going to be stuck on my mind. It’s always a risk reading these threads! PAD.
I got one and it’s fine. Their rustication is very nice: deep and craggy but smooth. For some reason I’m not crazy about their pipe aesthetics. Very plain and not as well proportioned as Castello. No real complaints except that the one I have has such a short and thin shank, and a very thin insubstantial stem. I don’t find myself gravitating toward it when I sit down to smoke. The draw seems fine, but somehow not as effective as my Castello. Both have open draws, but the Castello is somehow better. Maybe it’s the bowl finishing that is better on the Castello. Of course, Castellos are more expensive. I would try another Radice, but I’m on a Castello kick right now. I want quality over quantity.
Sorry for the delay in my reply. I just saw your question. Yes I closed up at the end of Oct 2023. I've regretted it ever since!
