Paronelli Smooth Straight Billiard Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Paronelli is an Italian pipe company founded by Jean-Marie Alberto Paronelli in the 1940s, one that has remained within the Paronelli family ever since. Jean-Marie ultimately passed the reins to his son Antonio Paronelli, who in turn passed them to his son, Ariberto. Alberto’s brother, Alberto Paronelli, also makes the company’s Volkan brand pipes.

I was quite fascinated by this Paronelli when it landed on my desk. I have some familiarity with Paronelli pipes, especially those made by Antonio, which were very colorful, and those made by Ariberto (Paronelli) and Alberto (Volkan). This one, however, didn’t strike me as being like Antonio’s, Ariberto’s, or Alberto’s pipes. Having looked at the Paronelli website, which has some good historical resources for the company, I noticed that they were selling some pipes that had survived all the way from the earliest Paronelli output, back when Jean-Marie Alberto Paronelli was the sole carver. These pipes were from the 1940s, and typically featured decorative bands made from horn, and even stems made from things like ivory. This pipe is a dead ringer for those, and the rounded style of the button is a pretty solid giveaway that this is a very old pipe (the fishtail seen on most pipes today was far from standard back then), and the smaller stature of the pipe is fairly indicative, too.

This ancient Paronelli is also completely unsmoked. There are a few worn out fills, but other than that it’s just as the day it was made.

 

Details:

Length: 5.2″ / 132.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.71 / 18.03mm

Bowl Depth: 1.42″ / 36.06mm

Weight: 0.8oz / 24g