Savinelli (Pre-1970s) Punto Oro 1018 Sandblasted Pot Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for over 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically styled pipes with a distinctly Italian twist.

When Savinelli opened its Milan workshop in 1948, the first pipes made there carried the “Punto Oro,” or “gold point.” Like Dunhill and Sasieni before them, Savinelli pipes thus featured a dot inlay on the top of the stem to distinguish them as high quality smoking instruments. Over the subsequent decades, and with the release of numerous new Savinelli lines, the Punto Oro (and with it the Giubileo D’Oro) became a designation for some of Savinelli’s highest grade pipes, with only around 1% of Savinelli’s entire output earning this qualification.

Based on the 4-digit shape code, this would appear to be a relatively early Punto Oro, as Savinelli transitioned from a 4-digit to a 3-digit shape code system around 1970. In addition to being a nicely craggy, reddish-brown sandblasted specimen (in contrast to the darker tones of the contemporary Punto Oro sandblasts), it is also, as such, rendered in a shape that is no longer in production at Savinelli, the “1018” English-style pot. Similarly, this one features an ebonite mouthpiece, rather than the acrylic used as standard nowadays.

The condition is fair. Some wear to the rim, finish fading, and minor residual oxidation on the mouthpiece.

Details:

Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm

Bowl Width: 1.02 / 25.90mm

Bowl Depth: 1.40″ / 35.56mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g