Looking around eBay a few months ago, I found some listings for Ser Jacapo Modica pipes advertised as being from the Coral Dot era. I have done some research in odd moments since then, and have determined that these are current production pipes, not from the Coral Dot era (which being around back then and not having entirely lost my memory, I already suspected.The consensus is that the Coral Dot era ended in 1997).
My question is about the quality of these pipes and where they rank in the Ser Jacapo pecking order. I am as some of you know a YUGE Castello afficianado, but I also like Ser Jacapos. I am aware of what Marble Arch officially imports into the US, regular See Jacapos and Gepettos, and overseas you can also find La Fumas, which are pipes with either fills or too visible fissures to be a Set Jackpot first, and private label shop pipes, that bear the SerJacopo name and the name of the shop that it was made for, and may or may not be hand turned. (I have one of these, a great sand blast panel Group 5 size that I bought from the shop whose name it bears back in the late 90's, and I saw another one on eBay a while back).
In addition to eBay, I have seen these pipes widely advertised by Italian shops, though not any of the Italian based sponsors of this forum, and at least one large German shop. Cutting though the mechanics of currency conversion, VAT rebates and shipping, it looks like you could land one of these in the US for around $85. The few true auctions, as opposed to buy it now offers, seem to end up in roughly the same place with shipping
So have any of you actually seen enough of these pipes to pass judgment? Filled? Fissures? How drilled?
My question is about the quality of these pipes and where they rank in the Ser Jacapo pecking order. I am as some of you know a YUGE Castello afficianado, but I also like Ser Jacapos. I am aware of what Marble Arch officially imports into the US, regular See Jacapos and Gepettos, and overseas you can also find La Fumas, which are pipes with either fills or too visible fissures to be a Set Jackpot first, and private label shop pipes, that bear the SerJacopo name and the name of the shop that it was made for, and may or may not be hand turned. (I have one of these, a great sand blast panel Group 5 size that I bought from the shop whose name it bears back in the late 90's, and I saw another one on eBay a while back).
In addition to eBay, I have seen these pipes widely advertised by Italian shops, though not any of the Italian based sponsors of this forum, and at least one large German shop. Cutting though the mechanics of currency conversion, VAT rebates and shipping, it looks like you could land one of these in the US for around $85. The few true auctions, as opposed to buy it now offers, seem to end up in roughly the same place with shipping
So have any of you actually seen enough of these pipes to pass judgment? Filled? Fissures? How drilled?