Are the beautiful metal rim inserts on these SJ Leonardo pipes simply aesthetic, or did it help cool the bowl?
Rim Adornment On Ser Jacopo Leonardo
- Thread starter Mike N
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Only aesthetic. To far up and too shallow to function as a heat sink.
Ser Jacopo Leonardo :: Pipe Talk
I was first attracted to these pipes aesthetically. I liked the way they looked. I thought that the extra silver work around the rim was just for decoration. As I considered buying this pipe, I really wanted to know why it was called "Leonardo". Then I found this: In 1982 Professor Enrico...
pipesmagazine.com
Thanks. That’s an interesting discussion. Whether this is true or not, this quote is interesting:
“Leonardo da Vinci devised a twin-walled terracotta pipe which was cooled by the air circulating in the cavity.”
Seems iffy. da Vinci died in 1519 and tobacco reportedly didn't reach Italy until the 1560s.
Other things have been smoked then tobacco. Usually for medicinal reasons I think. But in Europe pipes predate tobacco Though far from anywhere close to as prolific as after the introduction of the dirty wonderful leaf.
Bummed that I missed out on these two bent Leonardos this week at Al Pascia. They were posted and sold in minutes.
Here are a few screenshots from Ser Jacopo’s website regarding these gorgeous pipes:
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The "Doodler" had something similar years ago also. Not nearly as fancy though.
Plateau rims are a big issue with me. These just make we cringe for the same reason. Although the SJ are beautiful pipes, and I love the idea, keeping the holes clean and free of debris would bug my OCD. 
Very nice pipes, and a unique cooling innovation and artistically pleasing. But I wonder if the Louis XII and da Vinci claim is exaggerated. Wasn’t tobacco still in its infancy in Europe in 1510, and neither Leonardo da Vinci nor the French royal court were known to engage with it at that time? Whatever. Doesn’t detract from the attractiveness of the pipes.
The twin walled terracotta pipe may not have been for smoking tobacco but rather for garden fountains and wine fountains for the King. He spent 20 yrs studying fluid dynamics. The Ser Jacopa might be an homage to those ideas on a smaller scale. Just a 2 cent thought ,,,
Leonardo da Vinci's Hydraulic Systems and Fountains for His French Patrons Louis XII, Charles d'Amboise, and Francis I Models, Influences, and Reprises Featured in the Art of Garden Design
Leonardo da Vinci's Hydraulic Systems and Fountains for His French Patrons Louis XII, Charles d'Amboise, and Francis I Models, Influences, and Reprises Featured in the Art of Garden Design
www.academia.edu
Or it could have been the fabrication of a marketeer writing marketing material. The only hits for Enrico Fabri from a Google search are pages repeating this story.The twin walled terracotta pipe may not have been for smoking tobacco but rather for garden fountains and wine fountains for the King. He spent 20 yrs studying fluid dynamics. The Ser Jacopa might be an homage to those ideas on a smaller scale. Just a 2 cent thought ,,,
Leonardo da Vinci's Hydraulic Systems and Fountains for His French Patrons Louis XII, Charles d'Amboise, and Francis I Models, Influences, and Reprises Featured in the Art of Garden Design
Leonardo da Vinci's Hydraulic Systems and Fountains for His French Patrons Louis XII, Charles d'Amboise, and Francis I Models, Influences, and Reprises Featured in the Art of Garden Designwww.academia.edu
Can anyone who has performed the drilling of the draft holes through a solid block of briar explain how these purported drilling angles (shown in the photo copied from above) are achieved? The mortise hole I understand, but the connection to the bottom of the chamber?
Your suggestion is highly plausible as tobacco wasn't introduced to France until 1560. I came across these to sites:
Jean Nicot | French Diplomat, Scholar & Botanist | Britannica
Jean Nicot was a French diplomat and scholar who introduced tobacco to the French court in the 16th century, which gave rise to the culture of snuffing and to the plant’s eventual dissemination and popularization throughout Europe. Nicot was raised in the quiet town of Nîmes in southern France,
www.britannica.com
Those photos are from the Ser Jacopo website. They likely use a flexible shaft with a drill bit at the end with some type of custom jig.
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