Me too. Even though I’m otherwise pretty fussy with cleaning my pipes, vulcanite maintenance is just too tedious for me.
Will Italian Makers Ever Switch Back to Ebonite/Vulcanite Stems?
- Thread starter Mike N
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I’ve never owned an Italian pipe that did have an unusually big button, or unproportional at all. I’ve had two Savinellis, one Castello, two Radice, one Moretti, one Pascucci and one Posella. Every stem was actually very nice…
I certainly can’t speak for every Italian maker, but I can assure there are a lot of them highly crafted, and nicely proportioned.
I wouldn’t disregard every Italian brand.
Luca at Tabaccheria Corti has close working relations with Radice and Castello, you see something you like, you could inquire about getting a custom stem. He told for the Radice brothers, I could get a custom cumblerand stem from them, very inexpensive too.
Home Page - Tabaccheria Corti Lecco - Online Shop
Negozio online di pipe, accendini, penne e articoli da regalo. Vetrina di sigari, toscani e accessori. Pipe Peterson, Bang, Ascorti, Castello, Dunhill, Caminetto e tanti altri marchi. Accendini St. Dupont edizioni limitate.
tabaccheriacorti.com
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I’ve never owned an Italian pipe that did have an unusually big button, or unproportional at all. I’ve had two Savinellis, one Castello, two Radice, one Moretti, one Pascucci and one Posella. Every stem was actually very nice…
I certainly can’t speak for every Italian maker, but I can assure there are a lot of them highly crafted, and nicely proportioned.
I wouldn’t disregard every Italian brand.
Luca at Tabaccheria Corti has close working relations with Radice and Castello, you see something you like, you could inquire about getting a custom stem. He told for the Radice brothers, I could get a custom cumblerand stem from them, very inexpensive too.
Home Page - Tabaccheria Corti Lecco - Online Shop
Negozio online di pipe, accendini, penne e articoli da regalo. Vetrina di sigari, toscani e accessori. Pipe Peterson, Bang, Ascorti, Castello, Dunhill, Caminetto e tanti altri marchi. Accendini St. Dupont edizioni limitate.
We just have different opinions on what we want. All of those makers stems are terrible in my opinion. It’s just the Italian standard design on stems.
Just hold a Savinelli next to a Peterson. You can see the difference. Millimeters makes a huge difference in mouth feel.
The stem is the most important part of the pipe. And I won’t smoke a Pipe of the stem doesn’t agree with me.
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I can't speak for P-lips but out of the few Peterson pipes I've had, I'm not sure they understand what a button is for. None of the ones I bought were clenchable.
I’m not saying Peterson makes what I prefer. I just said Peterson because most Pipe Smokers have a Peterson and Savinelli. And for me, Peterson is certainly a big improvement over, lets say Savinelli.
I’m not saying one is better than the other, it’s just what I like.
If you really want to know what i’m talking about, I really like the stems of Linkman’s Pipes with the logo on top of the stem.
Hi @Piping Abe
Sorry if I wasn’t elaborating very well, I try… LOL
I wasn’t referring to this about anyone’s opinion likes/dislikes, but that Italian carvers/makers have the buttons in various sizes, like anybody else.
Also, did you ever see my pipes? No, yet you said all those makers are terrible. Don’t take me the wrong way, I’m just having a friendly chat is all, but you have to be honest about this situation, because you’re not, when you say every stem made by Radice or Castello is terrible, and all the other Italian carvers.
I’m not trying to give you a hard time, I’m just trying to be helpful, and understanding of where your thoughts are coming from, especially when you said hold a Savinelli next to a Peterson, as if every stem made by these companies on every pipe has exactly the same size button, or that one company does something completely different compared to another. There’s no such thing… Savinelli and Peterson make buttons on different pipes in different sizes.
I‘m not taking any sides here, I’m being neutral, because taking sides isn’t going to help anyone understand.
Also in the discussion, I don’t recall seeing if this was in reference to all Italian carvers, large and also small artisian. A lot of the smaller artisian carvers do have smaller buttons.
My Radice Rind Straight, which I recently gave away, actually had the smallest button of any pipe I’ve ever owned.
I’ve smoked a lot of Peterson pipes, and their button size was actually the same as my Italian pipes, there was no difference.
I can only assume, the Italian pipes you tried were simply that way, and gave you this impression. I would not put the Italians in a category as Big Button Makers, they’re not, they make various sizes to suit the needs or their ideas about a particular style/size etc..
Sorry to hear, you’ve had bad experiences with Italian pipes. I’m a bit confused as to what brought you to the conclusion that certain carvers of various regions or companies makes buttons specifically a certain way, of course some models that are constantly produced follow a certain style, but there are also different styles too…
P.S. Please don’t take anything I’m saying the wrong way, I’m just having a friendly chat as a fellow pipe smoker, one to another is all, just trying to be helpful.
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Hi @Piping Abe
Sorry if I wasn’t elaborating very well, I try… LOL
I wasn’t referring to this about anyone’s opinion likes/dislikes, but that Italian carvers/makers have the buttons in various sizes, like anybody else.
Also, did you ever see my pipes? No, yet you said all those makers are terrible. Don’t take me the wrong way, I’m just having a friendly chat is all, but you have to be honest about this situation, because you’re not, when you say every stem made by Radice or Castello is terrible, and all the other Italian carvers.
I’m not trying to give you a hard time, I’m just trying to be helpful, and understanding of where your thoughts are coming from, especially when you said hold a Savinelli next to a Peterson, as if every stem made by these companies on every pipe has exactly the same size button, or that one company does something completely different compared to another. There’s no such thing… Savinelli and Peterson make buttons on different pipes in different sizes.
I‘m not taking any sides here, I’m being neutral, because taking sides isn’t going to help anyone understand.
Also in the discussion, I don’t recall seeing if this was in reference to all Italian carvers, large and also small artisian. A lot of the smaller artisian carvers do have smaller buttons.
My Radice Rind Straight, which I recently gave away, actually had the smallest button of any pipe I’ve ever owned.
I’ve smoked a lot of Peterson pipes, and their button size was actually the same as my Italian pipes, there was no difference.
I can only assume, the Italian pipes you tried were simply that way, and gave you this impression. I would not put the Italians in a category as Big Button Makers, they’re not, they make various sizes to suit the needs or their ideas about a particular style/size etc..
Sorry to hear, you’ve had bad experiences with Italian pipes. I’m a bit confused as to what brought you to the conclusion that certain carvers of various regions or companies makes buttons specifically a certain way, of course some models that are constantly produced follow a certain style, but there are also different styles too…
P.S. Please don’t take anything I’m saying the wrong way, I’m just having a friendly chat as a fellow pipe smoker, one to another is all, just trying to be helpful.
I have owned probably 20 Italian pipes over the years. Multiple Factories and even Italian Artisans. One day I just stopped smoking them and decided to keep smoking them until I found out why. I found out it was the stem area that goes into your mouth. The button and bite zone, as well as the width. I sold/traded/gaveaway all of them except 2 due to sentimental reasons.
They all were very big compared to my other pipes. Corn cobs, Dr. Grabows, Petersons, Chacoms, Ropps, etc. just putting them next to each other, you can see a clear size difference of the whole area.
I was dissapointed in this as a lot of Italian Pipes are gorgeous. And I am Italian
. Another thing about Italian pipes is that the carvers prefer larger sized bowls/pipes. Which is the reason I assume theyre stems are larger.
And I prefer smaller bowls also. 1.5 inch depth or less.
I wanted to make a separate reply, my last was rather lengthy.
This is a good/interesting topic that came up in regards to Italian pipes, since I recently sent out one to get a custom stem made, but not because of the button, I just wanted Cumberland instead of acrylic.
In the past when I was looking at pipes, from various companies and carvers, I never once gave any thought about the idea, you can have a custom stem made.
Sometimes I enjoy the acrylic for the low maintenance, but recently I’ve had a change of heart, so I sent out my Radice Clear Bent Dublin made from Baldo Baldi briar, that had an acrylic stem, to get a custom Cumberland stem made.
I would seriously suggest to anyone looking at a pipe, if everything about it catches your eyes, except the stem, just remember, you can always get a custom stem made to your liking.
This is a good/interesting topic that came up in regards to Italian pipes, since I recently sent out one to get a custom stem made, but not because of the button, I just wanted Cumberland instead of acrylic.
In the past when I was looking at pipes, from various companies and carvers, I never once gave any thought about the idea, you can have a custom stem made.
Sometimes I enjoy the acrylic for the low maintenance, but recently I’ve had a change of heart, so I sent out my Radice Clear Bent Dublin made from Baldo Baldi briar, that had an acrylic stem, to get a custom Cumberland stem made.
I would seriously suggest to anyone looking at a pipe, if everything about it catches your eyes, except the stem, just remember, you can always get a custom stem made to your liking.
As a general thing, mass produced pipes w/acrylic stems tend to be more blocky / chunky, and rubber ones more slender through the bite zone & button.
There are bottom-line business reasons for it. Acrylic can be cut and polished faster, plus it's less expensive in raw form.
Being less fussy about precise shaping follows that sort of cost consciousness naturally. Where you find the one you'll usually find the other.
Artisan pipes are an entirely different animal, though.
There are bottom-line business reasons for it. Acrylic can be cut and polished faster, plus it's less expensive in raw form.
Being less fussy about precise shaping follows that sort of cost consciousness naturally. Where you find the one you'll usually find the other.
Artisan pipes are an entirely different animal, though.
I have owned probably 20 Italian pipes over the years. Multiple Factories and even Italian Artisans. One day I just stopped smoking them and decided to keep smoking them until I found out why. I found out it was the stem area that goes into your mouth. The button and bite zone, as well as the width. I sold/traded/gaveaway all of them except 2 due to sentimental reasons.
They all were very big compared to my other pipes. Corn cobs, Dr. Grabows, Petersons, Chacoms, Ropps, etc. just putting them next to each other, you can see a clear size difference of the whole area.
I was dissapointed in this as a lot of Italian Pipes are gorgeous. And I am Italian
Another thing about Italian pipes is that the carvers prefer larger sized bowls/pipes. Which is the reason I assume theyre stems are larger.
And I prefer smaller bowls also. 1.5 inch depth or less.
See my last reply, go with a custom stem next time.
In the USA, I thought I heard/read somewhere that SmithHouse Pipes is inexpensive to have a stem made.
Luca at Tabaccheria Corti told me earlier in the year, he could get like two Cumberland stems made from the Radice brothers for around $25. Heck, if you can get them this cheap, even shipped FedEx, this is a good deal. Or if you were as an example to buy any Italian pipes from Luca, have stems made before shipping.
Hopefully considering this, you can keep the Italians now you like.
Be well, Aloha!
Castello, Ardor, and Moretti, are these Artisan? Those are pretty big stems also.
If I’m gonna put something in my mouth its gotta be nice n slender. Not gigantic and girthy, you know?
No, they're made on a work floor with task stations, not by one guy from start to finish. In the pipeworld that's considered mass production.
According to Moretti’s site, only Marco and his son make the pipes.
I’m not sure if it’s only two making pipes, if that would exclude them from the title of Artisan, but this is certainly small hand production.
P.S. Marco is also very nice!
Pipe Moretti
Briar, Morta, Bog Oak, Olive Wood, Pipe, Handmade, Hand Cut, Cumberland, Smooth, Rusticated, Elunium, Sandblasted, Stem, Acrylic, Ebonite, Collection, Pipe Smoking, Pipe Smoker, Art
www.pipemoretti.com
I’m not sure if it’s only two making pipes, if that would exclude them from the title of Artisan, but this is certainly small hand production.
P.S. Marco is also very nice!
I have to agree with georged that typically when we think of an artisan pipe, we think one maker stummel to stem. But there is a third difference between factory pipes vs. Artisan pipes vs. “hand-made” pipes.
Here is how SmokingPipes.com describes Ardor pipes: “Unlike the current production, the majority of the older pipes were machine made. Brothers Damiano and Dimitri Rovera are the carvers for the company today and have focused on hand-made products while still borrowing influences from the past.”
Shown below is one of my favorite Ardor pipes, which compares favorably to any “artisan” pipe I own, a Urano Fantasy stamped “Fatta A Mano,” which translates to “hand-made” from Italian.
In the next day or two I will dig out my digital calipers and show the height and width measurements of a few of my Castello pipes which frankly I find uncomfortable to clench and smoke.
Here is how SmokingPipes.com describes Ardor pipes: “Unlike the current production, the majority of the older pipes were machine made. Brothers Damiano and Dimitri Rovera are the carvers for the company today and have focused on hand-made products while still borrowing influences from the past.”
Shown below is one of my favorite Ardor pipes, which compares favorably to any “artisan” pipe I own, a Urano Fantasy stamped “Fatta A Mano,” which translates to “hand-made” from Italian.
In the next day or two I will dig out my digital calipers and show the height and width measurements of a few of my Castello pipes which frankly I find uncomfortable to clench and smoke.
Attachments
That's always been my problem with Castello. I have to file the buttons down as they're too thick and have sharp edges.
It is possible to "transform" (so to speak) mass-produced pipes into high grades by doing the work that was skipped. Meaning the final ten percent or so that had to be left undone in order to make a profit at a certain price point.
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Making a Mid-Grade Pipe Into a High Grade Pipe :: Pipe Talk
I have always loved Pete's silver spigot pipes. Their silver work is generally quite good, and their shaping is both agreeable in design and they're well cut. (Those are the essentials. If they're off, there's no rewind button.) They also tend to have excellent wood, plus many of the lines...
pipesmagazine.com
I too am among those who prefer the thinnest stem bite possible, but I also adapt to normal thicknesses. So far I have only had one pipe with a stem that was too thick, and it was a Castello: I resold it almost immediately, also because it was also large and heavy, therefore very uncomfortable to hold in the mouth.
The other Castellos that I have/had, have/had stems of normal thickness, like many other English and Italian pipes. Perhaps only Upshall - among the pipes I have had - stands out for stems with a particularly thin bite.
In any case, the stem bite varies from pipe to pipe within the same manufacturer, so it cannot be generalized.
The other Castellos that I have/had, have/had stems of normal thickness, like many other English and Italian pipes. Perhaps only Upshall - among the pipes I have had - stands out for stems with a particularly thin bite.
In any case, the stem bite varies from pipe to pipe within the same manufacturer, so it cannot be generalized.
Some makers consider the life of the mouthpiece, chewing through for example. Remember there is a hole inside the mouthpiece! The thinner the mouthpiece the less material over the hole. All makers are different with their selection of drill diameters, some use several different sizes. Depending how they want their draw to be. An open draw, bigger hole, calls for a thicker mouthpiece or a risk of eventual bite through or teeth marks on a very thin mouthpiece with the inner larger diameter. Not every maker takes this into consideration. Some just want a thin mouthpiece and do not consider the draw or the life of the mouthpiece, others, the draw and life are everything.
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