Which Countries Make the Most Pipes?
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Let's just take the Chinese pipes off the table. I mean really, who owns a Chinese pipe?
Other than me, that is!
For the sake of clarity (read: muddying the waters.) the original question should be restructured. I do not believe any country has nationalized tobacco pipe production. So, no country makes pipes. What should be asked is: "In which country are the most pipes produced." Which then requires further refinement. If the stummel is made in, say France, and finished in Italy does Italy get to claim production of the pipe or, must it share production with France?
Which leads to a different question of whether a person who purchases a stummel and does the final creative steps to make a functional pipe may, in fact, claim to have made a pipe. The fact is this person only finished a pipe after receiving a stummel, which may or may not have been drilled. If that is the case perhaps they should be known as a pipe finisher who carves. Or, a carver who finishes pipes? But, this should be a question for another thread which I, in the interest of nothing at all, will not posit.
I offer these questions only in the interest of stimulating the discussion, of course.
Which leads to a different question of whether a person who purchases a stummel and does the final creative steps to make a functional pipe may, in fact, claim to have made a pipe. The fact is this person only finished a pipe after receiving a stummel, which may or may not have been drilled. If that is the case perhaps they should be known as a pipe finisher who carves. Or, a carver who finishes pipes? But, this should be a question for another thread which I, in the interest of nothing at all, will not posit.
I offer these questions only in the interest of stimulating the discussion, of course.
I don't know which country produces more pipes now, but between the two world wars it was surely Italy:
The Fratelli Rossi company in Barasso (Varese) in that period employed 800 workers making 50000 pipes by day (all factory made). 25000 pipes by day were exported in England where Woolworth stores were selling at 6 pennies each.
The Fratelli Rossi company in Barasso (Varese) in that period employed 800 workers making 50000 pipes by day (all factory made). 25000 pipes by day were exported in England where Woolworth stores were selling at 6 pennies each.
And he probably thinks to himself: DEAR GOD! My livelihood depends on these people?! :
:Seriously, folks seldom mention the Spanish company Salvatella, which was originally a top quality briar PRODUCER which sold to many of the pipe companies that later began making their own fine pipes! I know, I have one and like it very much.
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I tried to verify that Ash, and actually ended up on Miss. Meerschaum's own site whose History link did not say anything I saw to support that. They seem to indicate that the cob pipe was invented by people just whittling around with ordinary corn cobs and found they smoked well. They did say they have a special process whereby they seal in the outsides with a special plaster treatment to give a smooth hard surface, and of course put a hardwood plug at bottom.
I've never owned a cob pipe and have fought with the idea of getting one as it is probably the one kind of pipe category I don't yet have and see they make a nice pipe that would fit that bill as well as finally give me a churchwarden which I have also long thought of trying!
All MM Cobs these days are made from a specific strain of corn grown specifically to make MM Cobs.
It was selectively bred to have a large and robust cob that makes it ideal for that purpose.
It was selectively bred to have a large and robust cob that makes it ideal for that purpose.
I read that MM engaged the University of Missouri to develop a strain of corn specifically for pipe cobs. Further, the site shows MM owns a farm, 150 acres, devoted exclusively to this strain of corn. Most of their cobs are grown there with some contract acreage from from neighboring farms as necessary. This from the MM site in the "From Cobs to Pipes" section.
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