Mastro de Paja 3A 1 Sun Smooth Lovat Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

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.

Post-war Danish pipe-making transformed the industry in a number of ways. Some were more direct, such as through the birth of countless distinct shapes that remain staples of the global artisan scene, while others were a little more complicated so far as causality goes. The Pesaro School of pipe-making, all but inaugurated by Mastro de Paja, is an example of the latter. The ascendancy of Danish pipes forced a gear-shift in Italy, with Italian pipe-makers having to reassert themselves on the market, which they certainly did. This Mastro de Paja, which looks to have been made some time between 1980 and 1995, blends a slightly rotund, brandy bowl with a stout Lovat frame, creating a hybrid that works perfectly with the straight grain patterns of its briar without straying too far from tradition. In contrast to later Pesaro School pipes, it is a relatively reserved design, without ornament or extravagance, letting its medium and its careful craftsmanship speak for themselves.

The condition is very good. Some rim darkening and a slightly over-reamed chamber, but nothing major.

 

Details:

Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm

Bowl Width: 0.88 / 22.35mm

Bowl Depth: 1.48″ / 37.59mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g