Why Is A Savinelli Punto Oro Gold Worth It?

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didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
9,894
31,612
34
Burlington WI
I was real close to buying a Punto Oro gold. Then after hearing that even those pipes can have issues with drilling, I went with my commission instead. It was cheaper to get something handmade specifically for me, one of a kind.
 

karam

Lifer
Feb 2, 2019
2,341
9,012
Basel, Switzerland
Seven of these were Punto Oros with three of them being Giubileo d'Oros. Never noticed a difference in the stem comfort or fitting except that they've gone with acrylic on all of the new ones, very uncomfortable.

View attachment 72225
Always wanted to ask you, what is this shaped called? I thought it's called a Zulu, but Savinelli's page calls it "904 half-bent Dublin", and it's a shape I find very appealing.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,348
Always wanted to ask you, what is this shaped called? I thought it's called a Zulu, but Savinelli's page calls it "904 half-bent Dublin", and it's a shape I find very appealing.
A zulu has a cylindrical forward canted chamber, Savinelli's 904/9004/914/9005 and the GBD 9613 have a forward swept bowl but the chamber is vertical and conical. Its a dublin in all sense of the label but Savinelli and GBD have often called it a yachtsman as opposed to yacht being the alternate name for a zulu.
 

telescopes

Pipe Dreamer and Star Gazer
That you're a smoker and not a hobbyist and that you don't like clutter.
Definition of a hobbyist: An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.

Collect pipes, Check
Collect pipes with specific shapes, Check
Collect pipes, talk about pipes collected, take pictures of pipes collected, etc. etc. etc., Check

Definition of smoker: Smokes

Has a pipe, Check
Doesn't give a S$%& about the shape, form because it's a tool used to smoke, Check
Could careless about talking about smoking, showing pictures about pipes, because he isn't a hobbyist.


Not sure I agree with you about just being a smoker. But, you know what they say about ducks, LOL.
 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
Some forums have stiff rules about staying on topic as introduced by the OP. Mostly I've thought this a tad rigid. In fact within the last few days I've veered sharply off-topic.

But this thread has shown me the wisdom of that rigidity, because I've gone along reading it, trying to get a question answered only to have to read off-topic posts such that I stop reading.

It's a matter of organization, and that's always a good thing.
 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
9,602
14,666
Some forums have stiff rules about staying on topic as introduced by the OP. Mostly I've thought this a tad rigid. In fact within the last few days I've veered sharply off-topic.

But this thread has shown me the wisdom of that rigidity, because I've gone along reading it, trying to get a question answered only to have to read off-topic posts such that I stop reading.

It's a matter of organization, and that's always a good thing.
Control never works.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,348
Hmmm. One generally does not collect individual cigarettes, clean them, display them, etc. one mostly smokes them. Although... who knows? That is funny.
That's my point. A mechanic cleans his tools for peak performance, doesn't mean they're a tool hobbyist. You wash you're clothes after wearing them, etc. It's just upkeep and maintenance. Cigarette forums discuss tobacco cut, packing, moisture, storing, lighters, and smoking techniques. Sound familiar?
 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
In my opinion some of the best deals on ebay and at online estate dealers are the Savinelli Autographs. I have seen 3-400 dollar pipes for150 and less. I owned one years ago and I paid less than a hundred and the pipe smoked great. The only reason I sold it was the stem was made from their older sulfur filled vulcanite stems which would oxidize if you looked at it funny. Too much work for my lazy butt.
 
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Reactions: BROBS
Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
Wow - I guess I got Royally screwed on the pipes I've bought over the years... Not to mention raw blocks of briar. :LOL:
It's only a ripoff if you thought you were buying something more than aesthetic qualities.
For example, (assuming a windfall) I'd happily pay for a J.T. Cooke Sandblast because I know those finishes are highly laborious, or something like the Suede Bast from Walt Cannoy, very inventive, but still purely aesthetic.

An argument could be made for the functional value of the drilling and button shaping on the highest grade pipes, but I've generally found I can accomplish the same effect with a little elbow grease on $50 factory pipes, even if I mess up the aesthetics sometimes the practical value of home modification is the same.
Or just get a Missouri Meerschaum with the default plastic stem which is also one of the best engineered pipe stems on the market.

(It's super annoying how often you'll find factory pipes drilled 99% the same as a high grade custom pipe, but the only difference is they often finish the button with just a single 1/16" drill bit to complete the airway. All they'd have to do is drill two holes in the button instead of just one and the airflow in most of these factory pipes would be almost indistinguishable from the fancy custom pipes.)
 
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