That perla nera Hungarian is very interesting. How long have you been smoking it? Finish hold up?
Show Off Your Castello Pipes Here!
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Awesome 55 Perla Nera! I want first right of refusal please :puffpipe:
Yes, the Perla Nera stain holds up well over time. It is a special stain process and made from ground up beetles, literally. Thus, it is more robust over time compared to Dunhill Dress Stain. That said, it will fade a bit over time with vigorous cloth wiping. I have two Perla Nera Opera 44 from the 80s and both show a slight bit of natural wood through the stain, both were purchased used and were well loved and smoked. So long story short, the stain does fade, but it's mild, and it's not as bad as with Dunhill.
Below is my Perla Nera Il Gufo, purchased new about 3 years ago. This pipe has been well smoked and polished. Still looks new. That Oom Paul above is from 2016 and I smoke it "all the time" and it's dedicated to aromatics, which tend to burn goopy and hot. It still looks new as you can see.
Yes, the Perla Nera stain holds up well over time. It is a special stain process and made from ground up beetles, literally. Thus, it is more robust over time compared to Dunhill Dress Stain. That said, it will fade a bit over time with vigorous cloth wiping. I have two Perla Nera Opera 44 from the 80s and both show a slight bit of natural wood through the stain, both were purchased used and were well loved and smoked. So long story short, the stain does fade, but it's mild, and it's not as bad as with Dunhill.
Below is my Perla Nera Il Gufo, purchased new about 3 years ago. This pipe has been well smoked and polished. Still looks new. That Oom Paul above is from 2016 and I smoke it "all the time" and it's dedicated to aromatics, which tend to burn goopy and hot. It still looks new as you can see.
Hi Castello fans - I wanted to share these pictures with you as well as a little story about this pipe. I purchased this pipe from Michael at Briar Blues because it was love at first sight. I was so excited to get it that I had to bring it to my next pipe club meeting in little old Woodland, California. When I pulled the pipe out of my bag, one of the older guys in the group said, "I recognize that pipe!" I thought he'd probably seen it on Briar Blues too but no. He said, "I used to own that pipe years ago but I sold it to Isaac." Isaac was a former pipe club member who had moved out of state.
Thinking that this was likely just a case of mistaken identity, I snapped a photo and texted it to Isaac and asked if it looked familiar to him and he said it did. He loved the pipe but being a latakia smoker he didn't think he'd be able to keep the white stem looking good. So he sold it to Marty Pulvers who, in turn, must have sold it to someone else. And if that wasn't directly to Briar Blues it would have traveled the world, passed through at least five different hands, and somehow made it back to the same six-person pipe club in one little corner of the world. I guess it was just meant to be mine.
Thinking that this was likely just a case of mistaken identity, I snapped a photo and texted it to Isaac and asked if it looked familiar to him and he said it did. He loved the pipe but being a latakia smoker he didn't think he'd be able to keep the white stem looking good. So he sold it to Marty Pulvers who, in turn, must have sold it to someone else. And if that wasn't directly to Briar Blues it would have traveled the world, passed through at least five different hands, and somehow made it back to the same six-person pipe club in one little corner of the world. I guess it was just meant to be mine.
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA!
My Castello Opera 44 saga continues. When last we met, I claimed that my long quest to complete a 7 day set of 44's was over after the Chicago show. Well, that was incorrect (kind of). One of the pipes was not a saddle stem and I had 2 Perla Nera's. In order to be a complete set, all 7 must match, and I had given up hope for the ultimate prize, a sea rock natural vergin. I jumped the gun. I felt satiated, but the white wale was still out there, like a unicorn. And then, bingo! There she was online, just sitting there as an estate pipe. Shining like the bright sun after a long rain. I grabbed it without hesitation. The pipe found the man!
Here she is, the ugliest most beautiful pipe in my collection. The Natural Virgin Opera 44. Weighing in at 32 grams!
The gang is all together now. And the next unicorn awaits ... The Occhio di Pernice.
My Castello Opera 44 saga continues. When last we met, I claimed that my long quest to complete a 7 day set of 44's was over after the Chicago show. Well, that was incorrect (kind of). One of the pipes was not a saddle stem and I had 2 Perla Nera's. In order to be a complete set, all 7 must match, and I had given up hope for the ultimate prize, a sea rock natural vergin. I jumped the gun. I felt satiated, but the white wale was still out there, like a unicorn. And then, bingo! There she was online, just sitting there as an estate pipe. Shining like the bright sun after a long rain. I grabbed it without hesitation. The pipe found the man!
Here she is, the ugliest most beautiful pipe in my collection. The Natural Virgin Opera 44. Weighing in at 32 grams!
The gang is all together now. And the next unicorn awaits ... The Occhio di Pernice.
npod, gorgeous collection. The L stands for Lucciano. The story goes that Lucciano was the greatest of all the Castello carvers. Pipes that have the L are the most sought after Castello's in the world. You are one very lucky guy.
Or it could be I am full of shit and have no idea what I am talking about. Want to buy a bridge?
Or it could be I am full of shit and have no idea what I am talking about. Want to buy a bridge?
npod your collection is amazing. I had an Occhio opera that I sold years ago but wish I could lead you to it. Someone on smokersforums in the Castello subforum got it when that place was still... alive.
I met with Marco this weekend in Rome at Novelli. He confirmed that he had no idea what L stands for. He was stumped. And he is the master. And then he said something that blew me away, he said (paraphrase), ‘Castello does that sometimes.’ And he shrugged his shoulders. That was the kind of knowledge you get only from the horse’s mouth. The Castello lore goes deep in the collecting world.
Siren Song (noun)
Definition: an alluring utterance or appeal, especially one that is seductive or deceptive.
Greek mythology, a bewitching song which lured mariners to their doom.
Example: Castello Aristocratica with Old Antiquari sandblast finish.
Definition: an alluring utterance or appeal, especially one that is seductive or deceptive.
Greek mythology, a bewitching song which lured mariners to their doom.
Example: Castello Aristocratica with Old Antiquari sandblast finish.
BINGO!!!
Thanks to @lasabbia for clarifying that the "L" stamp is for Lanzola, which is a pipe shop in Parma, Italy https://www.pipeshop-lanzola.it/en/. He has a similar pipe with the "L" stamp he purchased there. And then I found this from @Sasquatch http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/castillo-65-a.
Mystery solved.
But I still like the idea of buying a bridge from @Harris.
Thanks to @lasabbia for clarifying that the "L" stamp is for Lanzola, which is a pipe shop in Parma, Italy https://www.pipeshop-lanzola.it/en/. He has a similar pipe with the "L" stamp he purchased there. And then I found this from @Sasquatch http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/castillo-65-a.
Mystery solved.
But I still like the idea of buying a bridge from @Harris.
