Castello: Difference between revisions

'''''The following history was written by R. 'Bear' Graves for [http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/castello/history.cfm Smokingpipes.com], and is used by permission'''''

[[File:Castello1110nv.jpg|thumb|300px|The elusive shape #11 is similarly sized to the #10. Shown is an example in Sea Rock, with a #10 Natural Vergin for comparison. G.L. Pease Collection]][[File:Castello5456web.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Forground: 2K #54 Sandblast; background Antiquari #56, G.L. Pease Collection]][[File:Castellos3.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Top: Old Antiquari SC, shape 23-P; Center: Sea Rock 4K 33; Bottom: Collection 2K Great Line, G.L. Pease Collection]][[File:Castello Ad.jpg|thumb|Castello Ad from Wally Franks catalog, courtesy Doug Valitchka]]The Book of Changes states "Before every brilliant beginning, there must first be chaos". While chaos might be overstating the lack of focus of the Italian pipe industry, just post World War Two, Italy had little of interest to offer the pipe collecting world. For decades, the Italian pipe industry churned out hundreds of thousands perfectly serviceable but unremarkable smoking instruments. If a pipe man wanted to pull out a pipe that conveyed a sense of status, a brand with undeniable cache, he had to go to a pedigreed English pipe, such as [[Dunhill]] and [[Sasieni]]; a pipe from Italy simply wouldn't have come to mind. Then, in 1946, a man from Cantu, Italy began carving a pipe that would change all of that. That man's name is Carlo Scotti, and his pipe brand is called "Castello".

''This article was originally published in February 2005 in The Pipe Collector, the North American Society of Pipe Collectors ([http://www.naspc.org/ NASPC]) newsletter, and is used by permision. Consider joining. It's a great orginazation.''

[[File:Castellos.jpg|thumb|400px|Uppper left: Sea Rock G, shape #34, a classic shape, and one of Carlo Scotti's favorites. Just below: Old Sea Rock KK short Canadian, #33, stamped “Hand Made” and dated to 1969-1970. The Greatline on the lower right is somewhat unusual for its demure stature. G.L. Pease Collection]]Italy is known for art, beauty, fashion, food, music, literature, architecture, design and a hundred other qualities of culture and civilization. So not surprisingly, some of the best pipes produced today are made in the small factories and workshops scattered throughout the country.

Marco has a charismatic smile and a natural friendliness about him. He travels to the United States three times each year--for the Retail Tobacco Dealers Association's annual convention and for the annual pipe shows in Chicago and Richmond. He shook his head and laughed when I suggested that he attend a Los Angeles pipe show. Considering how weary I was feeling after flying across the ocean, I was totally sympathetic.

[[File:CastelloGL08.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Collection Great Line KKK Paneled Dublin with Fumed Rim, courtesy Dennis Dreyer Collection]]

Marco brought out dozens of beautiful Castello pipes, including some that were made decades ago. He also opened the drawers in a shelf behind the counter, one at a time, and put them on the glass counter top. Each drawer contained about a dozen gorgeous Castellos, and he must have shown me four or five drawers. I was suddenly feeling grateful to the two fanatical American collectors, Chuck Stanion and Ed Lehman, who strongly recommended that I visit Marco on my trip to Italy. I selected a straight grain Collection Fiammata billiard with a plateau top. It is a beautiful pipe, but I really didn't enjoy smoking it because the mouthpiece felt so thick in my mouth.

When I told Marco that I would be in Milan later in the week, he volunteered to call Franco Coppo to arrange for me to visit the Castello factory, which is located in Cantu--a 45-minute drive from downtown Milan. When I arrived at the factory on Friday afternoon, Franco came out to the courtyard to greet me. He was smoking his pipe and appeared to be in a very good mood. I asked if it was OK to smoke in the factory. "OK?! It is mandatory!" he laughed. So I pulled out my newly bought Fiammata and loaded it with some old Dunhill 965. Just after I had lit the pipe, tamped the tobacco, lit it again and really got it going, I couldn't help myself. "This mouthpiece feels too thick between my teeth," I said, hoping not to offend my host. "No problem --we can fix that in five minutes," Franco said, leading me into the spacious factory filled with beautiful blocks of briar on the floor. "They are all around 10 years old," he said.

Franco approached one of the half-dozen artisans, explained the problem, asked me how thick I like it ("around 4 millimeters from top-to-bottom"), and stood next to me as we watched the pipe maker file and sand the mouthpiece. When it was just right for my taste, I re-lit the pipe and now consider it one of my very favorites.