Mimmo Romeo Smooth Brandy w/ Horn Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

Anyone who is remotely familiar with contemporary artisan pipe making will have, at the very least, have heard the phrase “Mimmo briar” by those artisans. What the phrase refers to is that the briar used by an artisan for their pipe came from southern Italy’s Domenico Romeo, aka, Mimmo. Romeo is a professional briar cutter, hailing from a family who, since 1950, have cultivated, harvested, graded, and supplied high-quality briar for pipe factories and workshops, as well as solo carvers. Briar cutting is an art (or perhaps even a science) in its own right, as pipe makers rely on cutters to ensure that the blocks they receive and turn into stummels are well-grained and free from spots and pits that would potentially ruin an otherwise good pipe. That artisans pride themselves on using Mimmo briar specifically is testament to his ability to provide some of the very best blocks around.

But Mimmo isn’t just an expert in cutting briar. He’s also an expert pipe maker, something that his experience in the family business, beginning when he was just 14 years old, will no doubt have contributed to. Mimmo’s journey to becoming a world-class pipe maker began through one of his clients, a Danish pipe maker by the name of Teddy Knudsen. Knudsen was a regular customer for Mimmo, using the latter’s briar to craft what are some of the most prized and sought-after pipes in the world. When Mimmo began to experiment in making pipes himself, Knudsen took on the role of his teacher, providing Mimmo with the instruction he required to become a high-grade artisan.

Given his background, it would be difficult to find anyone who knows briar quite like Mimmo. Though his time today is largely taken up by his cutting, which is never without demand, the relatively few pipes he does make go for several thousand dollars apiece. Then again, as can be seen here, they are exemplary what such an intimate familiarity with that especial root can yield.

The condition is great. Some darkening of the inner rim.

 

Details:

Length: 5″ / 127.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.83 / 21.08mm

Bowl Depth: 1.35″ / 34.29mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g