Luigi Viprati Collection Grade
Inside his small workshop in Pontoglio, northern Italy, a true master is at work refining the art he loves most and perfecting the craft for which he has become world-famous. Luigi Viprati first began making pipes in 1972 when, during a break from military service, he obtained a piece of briar and carved his first pipe just for fun. By 1984 Luigi dedicated himself to producing high-quality artisan pipes which he branded La Pipa di Viprati; pipes that became “a unique and special object, a great companion of our life.” Now semi-retired, Luigi produces only a fraction of the 1500 handmade pipes he once made per year, concentrating on designs and shapes that appeal to his artistic senses.
This gargantuan piece is from Luigi’s high-end Collection series. The egg-shaped bowl measures a massive 3.5 inches tall with walls nearly a half-inch thick, making for an exceptionally cool smoking experience. Despite its size, the weight is well-distributed and balanced making for a surprisingly comfortable clencher. Being a Collection grade, the grain is uniformly straight around the entire circumference of the bowl and shank. Finding a piece of briar of this size with such tight and symmetrical grain is no easy task, making pipes of this caliber rare indeed. Luigi uses only Italian briar which he feels is the best and sources it from Sicily, Calabria and Tuscany where he personally accompanies briar harvesters in order to obtain the very finest. Briar for Collection-grade pipes is air-cured a minimum of 7 to 10 years or longer, making for a very clean, sweet smoking pipe.
From the quality of briar he uses and its faultless execution, Viprati pipes are consistently excellent smokers and remain some of the world’s finest.
Luigi Viprati Collection Grade
Inside his small workshop in Pontoglio, northern Italy, a true master is at work refining the art he loves most and perfecting the craft for which he has become world-famous. Luigi Viprati first began making pipes in 1972 when, during a break from military service, he obtained a piece of briar and carved his first pipe just for fun. By 1984 Luigi dedicated himself to producing high-quality artisan pipes which he branded La Pipa di Viprati; pipes that became “a unique and special object, a great companion of our life.” Now semi-retired, Luigi produces only a fraction of the 1500 handmade pipes he once made per year, concentrating on designs and shapes that appeal to his artistic senses.
This gargantuan piece is from Luigi’s high-end Collection series. The egg-shaped bowl measures a massive 3.5 inches tall with walls nearly a half-inch thick, making for an exceptionally cool smoking experience. Despite its size, the weight is well-distributed and balanced making for a surprisingly comfortable clencher. Being a Collection grade, the grain is uniformly straight around the entire circumference of the bowl and shank. Finding a piece of briar of this size with such tight and symmetrical grain is no easy task, making pipes of this caliber rare indeed. Luigi uses only Italian briar which he feels is the best and sources it from Sicily, Calabria and Tuscany where he personally accompanies briar harvesters in order to obtain the very finest. Briar for Collection-grade pipes is air-cured a minimum of 7 to 10 years or longer, making for a very clean, sweet smoking pipe.
From the quality of briar he uses and its faultless execution, Viprati pipes are consistently excellent smokers and remain some of the world’s finest.