Mastro de Paja

Mastro de Paja was founded in Pesaro in 1972 and became one of the formative workshops of what is now known as the Pesaro school of Italian pipe making. Giancarlo Guidi was central to the company’s early development, working alongside figures such as Giannino Spadoni and Bruto Sordini.

Guidi and Sordini left during the early 1980s and went on to establish Ser Jacopo, while Spadoni later founded Fiamma di Re. Mastro de Paja continued under the guidance of Alberto Montini, maintaining its recognizable balance of classical Italian shaping, expressive freehand design, carefully selected briar, silverwork, and decorative accents.

The smiling sun emblem is one of Mastro de Paja’s best-known markings, while letters, numbers, and additional sun stamps may help identify a pipe’s grade or series. Notable lines include Ciocco, Unica, Anima, Pompei, and Calibano. MBSD’s changing selection may include smoked and unsmoked estate Mastro de Paja tobacco pipes representing numerous periods, grades, finishes, and approaches to design.