Mastro de Paja Unica Smooth Apple w/ Silver Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates, 9mm

Description

Like Castello, Mastro de Paja holds a special place in the world of Italian high-grade pipe workshops. Founded in 1972 by Giancarlo Guidi, the MdP team was soon joined by Giannino Spadoni and Bruto Sordini with the Guidi and Spadoni at the helm of the company until 1981. Guidi then left with Sordini to found Ser Jacopo, and Sordini would later leave Ser Jacopo to found Don Carlos. Spadoni, on the other hand, stayed at MdP until he also left, after which he founded Fiamma di Re. Today, Mastro de Paja is guided by Alberto Montini, with the workshop being known for both the manufacture of some of Italy’s most admired pipes, and for having launched the careers of some of its most respected artisans.

The Unica series showcases Mastro de Paja pipes that are a little out of the ordinary and, as such, these pipes are either limited edition, or entirely one of one. This one, for example, is a very unconventional, tall, full bent apple, with a curvature more reminiscent of an Oom Paul than most renditions of the former. On the other hand, arguably the most captivating thing about the design is not the shape, but the ornamentation. While early Mastro de Paja pipes did, on occasion, feature precious metal accents, such as sterling silverware, it would not be until later in the workshop’s history that such accoutrements became a focus (to an extent, similar can be said of another Pesaro school make, Ser Jacopo, created by several Mastro de Paja alumni). Having taken over the Mastro de Paja workshop in 1995, Montini has a wealth of experience with precious metals—sterling silver especially–and as a consequence, the pieces produced under his tenure have included some of the most intricate, often baroque mountings in all of Italian pipes. That’s certainly the case for this one, where it’s clear that no expense was spared.

The condition is good. Some finish fading and minor tooth chatter.

Details:

Length: 6.8″ / 172.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 1.43″ / 36.32mm

Weight: 2.8oz / 82g