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[[File:Sesaprofile.jpg|thumb|Branko Sesa]]Sesa pipes are made by Branko Sesa (b. 1962), a pipe-maker and restorer based in Turin, in Northern Italy. Born in Croatia, Sesa moved to Turin in 1994, where he currently resides.
== '''Point of view''' ==
 
</p>
__TOC__[[File:Sesa logo and stamp.png|thumb|Stem logo (top) and stamping (bottom) used on Sesa pipes.]]
 
== Biography ==
A former philosophy professor and hobbyist woodworker, Sesa first started making pipes in 2000. Soon thereafter, he had the good fortune to meet the Italian ''mastro'' [[Mauro Gilli]], who guided Sesa in his realization of pipe-making as a craft and an art. Sesa’s time spent with Gilli allowed him to hone his technical skills, though Gilli made sure to never try to influence Sesa’s aesthetic decisions. Gilli also learned a great deal about pipe making through online media on the subject.
 
Driven by curiosity, Sesa would experiment with various materials over the years. These included materials for his stummels – such as tree heather (briar), olivewood, lemonwood, and bog oak (morta) – and for his stems – such as acrylic, ebonite, and amber. Sesa’s experiments gave him the chance to assess the smoking properties and the aesthetic affordances of the materials he would be working with. During this time, Sesa sought not only to produce pipes that smoked well, but also a distinct, personal style.


My name is Branko Sesa. I was born in Croatia in 1962 and I've lived and worked in Torino in the last fifteen years. I've crafted wood since I had been in my country but here, in Italy I realised my long standing desire to construct pipes.
In the first decade of his career, Sesa’s output tended towards freeform and sculptural pieces; using briar, he created pipes with elaborate carvings inspired by fossils; using bog oak, he developed an approach to form inspired by boats and ships. He would also make in more simple, classically-shaped pipes when his ''materia prima'' provided particularly beautiful grain patterns. Sesa also began to attend pipe shows in the mid-2000s, such as the international pipe and cigar show, Smoke Style, in Bologna, and the Cagli Pipe Festival (''Festa della pipa Cagli'').
[[File:Sesa brandy comp.png|left|thumb|A Sesa sandblasted bent brandy, made in 2023. Images courtesy Casaro Pipe.]]
In the last decade, some aspects of Sesa’s style have changed quite significantly, while others have remained and become more refined. Sesa formerly made approximately 50 pipes per year, in 2017, however, he took up pipe-making full-time, which has allowed him to double his output. Sesa’s classically-inclined pipes now outnumber his freeform pieces, though he still produces the latter regularly, and continues to enjoy doing so. He also continues to produce maritime-themed pipes using bog oak.
[[File:Sesa fugu.png|thumb|A smooth Dora-esque pipe, made by Sesa in 2023. Images courtesy Branko Sesa.]]
While Sesa no longer produces figural pieces in the style of his earlier briar pipes, his production techniques have expanded to include not only smooth and rusticated, but also sandblasted finishes, sometimes in combination with each other.


Right from the beginning, nine years ago I had the luck to meet the big craftsman and maestro Mauro Gilli that with his precious advice has led me into the art of the craftsmanship. Curious by nature I have tried myself with different essences like root briar, lemonwood, olivewood, cherry wood and black oak.
A key aspect of Sesa’s pipe-making development has been his additional career as a pipe restorer and repairer. As he says regarding this:<blockquote>“I have not met many other pipe-makers, but I have met their pipes. Thousands and thousands of pipes have passed through my hands, and when I see an interesting detail, I try to keep it in my memory, so that when I find an appropriate situation, I can try it out for myself.”</blockquote>
[[File:Sesa Knudsen comp.png|left|thumb|A Sven Knudsen-inspired Peewit (which itself was inspired by Sixten Ivarsson), made by Sesa in 2023. Images courtesy Casaro Pipe.]]
Though he holds dual-citizenship in Croatia and Italy, he considers himself an Italian pipe-maker, as it was in Italy that his education in the making of pipes took place. He is a member of Turin’s Bugianen Pipa Club.


I continued to make pipes made of root briar, olivewood and black oak according to their resistance, taste and the fulfilment of their aesthetic criteria. I also make mouthpieces out of different materials, mostly methacrylate, but if the shape, the lines or the colour of the wood require it I also use ebonite, cumberland or amber. In the craft I tend to free forms, probably it would be better to say : sculpture pipes, So in this last period I make "fossil" pipes out of root briar and "ship" pipes out of black oak.
Sesa continues to regularly exhibit his work at pipe shows in Italy and will be exhibiting at the Stuttgart International Pipe Show (''International Pfeifenmesse Stuttgart'') in 2024. Sesa’s pipes are currently sold at Casaro Pipe in Turin, Tabaccheria Rizzi in Brescia, and through his own website, the latter of which can be found at the bottom of this page.


In the case that the "materia prima" (raw material) has a particular and nice grain I tend to more simple, almost classic forms. I dedicate a special care to every detail in both the classic and the "sculpture" pipes. This is the reason for which my year production of pipes is limited to 40 / 50 pieces. With every new pipe I tend to improve the technical realisation.
== Nomenclature and Grading ==
[[File:Sesa high grades.png|alt=|thumb|A four star smooth Dublin freehand, made by Sesa in 2023. Images courtesy Branko Sesa.]]
Sesa’s pipes are stamped with his name and an ascending number of stars indicating their grade.  <br clear=all>


On the creative side my aim is to realise a distinguishing personal style that has to be in harmony with the easiness with which my pipes are smoked.
== Gallery ==
<gallery widths="300" heights="300">
File:Hawkbill comp.png| A sandblasted hawkbill, made by Sesa. Image courtesy Branko Sesa.
File:Sesa coffee break pipe.jpg| A small, 'coffee break' pipe, made by Sesa in 2023. Image courtesy Casaro Pipe.
File:Freehand-Lion-Fish-035-B10-02-100x100.jpg| A bog oak (morta) Lionfish, made by Sesa. Image courtesy Branko Sesa. 
File:Cavalier 065 02.jpg| A cavalier with plateau, made by Sesa. Image courtesy Branko Sesa.
File:Sesa freehand.JPG| A freeform pipe made by Sesa. Image courtesy Branko Sesa.
File:Freehand-boat-marrone-025-01.jpg| A bog oak (morta) 'ship' pipe, made by Sesa. Image courtesy Branko Sesa.
File:Sesa olivewood apple.jpg| An olivewood pipe made by Sesa. Image courtesy Branko Sesa.
File:Sesa freehand boat 2.jpg| One of Sesa's bog oak (morta) 'ship' pipes. Image courtesy Branko Sesa.
File:Sesa Fassi.png|A pipe made in collaboration between [[Fassi|Angelo Fassi]] and Branko Sesa. Images courtesy Branko Sesa.
</gallery><p>
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Contacts:<br> mail: '''sesapipes@tiscali.it'''Web: '''http://www.sesapipes.com'''<br>br><br>
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== '''Pipes''' ==
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[[File:Branko-Sesa-pipe1.jpg|400px|thumb|left|'''rhodesian sandblasted black oak with african black wood ring and marmorized acrylic mouthpiece ***''']]<br>
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[[File:pipe22.jpg|400px|thumb|left|'''black oak panel with black african wood and cumberland green''']]
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== Contact ==
 
Branko Sesa
Website: https://www.sesapipes.com/en/
Email: sesapipes@tiscali.it
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080577831653/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sesapipesofficial/
 
[[Category: Pipe makers by nationality]]
[[Category: Italy]]

Latest revision as of 10:05, 29 October 2023

Branko Sesa

Sesa pipes are made by Branko Sesa (b. 1962), a pipe-maker and restorer based in Turin, in Northern Italy. Born in Croatia, Sesa moved to Turin in 1994, where he currently resides.

Stem logo (top) and stamping (bottom) used on Sesa pipes.

Biography

A former philosophy professor and hobbyist woodworker, Sesa first started making pipes in 2000. Soon thereafter, he had the good fortune to meet the Italian mastro Mauro Gilli, who guided Sesa in his realization of pipe-making as a craft and an art. Sesa’s time spent with Gilli allowed him to hone his technical skills, though Gilli made sure to never try to influence Sesa’s aesthetic decisions. Gilli also learned a great deal about pipe making through online media on the subject.

Driven by curiosity, Sesa would experiment with various materials over the years. These included materials for his stummels – such as tree heather (briar), olivewood, lemonwood, and bog oak (morta) – and for his stems – such as acrylic, ebonite, and amber. Sesa’s experiments gave him the chance to assess the smoking properties and the aesthetic affordances of the materials he would be working with. During this time, Sesa sought not only to produce pipes that smoked well, but also a distinct, personal style.

In the first decade of his career, Sesa’s output tended towards freeform and sculptural pieces; using briar, he created pipes with elaborate carvings inspired by fossils; using bog oak, he developed an approach to form inspired by boats and ships. He would also make in more simple, classically-shaped pipes when his materia prima provided particularly beautiful grain patterns. Sesa also began to attend pipe shows in the mid-2000s, such as the international pipe and cigar show, Smoke Style, in Bologna, and the Cagli Pipe Festival (Festa della pipa Cagli).

A Sesa sandblasted bent brandy, made in 2023. Images courtesy Casaro Pipe.

In the last decade, some aspects of Sesa’s style have changed quite significantly, while others have remained and become more refined. Sesa formerly made approximately 50 pipes per year, in 2017, however, he took up pipe-making full-time, which has allowed him to double his output. Sesa’s classically-inclined pipes now outnumber his freeform pieces, though he still produces the latter regularly, and continues to enjoy doing so. He also continues to produce maritime-themed pipes using bog oak.

A smooth Dora-esque pipe, made by Sesa in 2023. Images courtesy Branko Sesa.

While Sesa no longer produces figural pieces in the style of his earlier briar pipes, his production techniques have expanded to include not only smooth and rusticated, but also sandblasted finishes, sometimes in combination with each other.

A key aspect of Sesa’s pipe-making development has been his additional career as a pipe restorer and repairer. As he says regarding this:

“I have not met many other pipe-makers, but I have met their pipes. Thousands and thousands of pipes have passed through my hands, and when I see an interesting detail, I try to keep it in my memory, so that when I find an appropriate situation, I can try it out for myself.”

A Sven Knudsen-inspired Peewit (which itself was inspired by Sixten Ivarsson), made by Sesa in 2023. Images courtesy Casaro Pipe.

Though he holds dual-citizenship in Croatia and Italy, he considers himself an Italian pipe-maker, as it was in Italy that his education in the making of pipes took place. He is a member of Turin’s Bugianen Pipa Club.

Sesa continues to regularly exhibit his work at pipe shows in Italy and will be exhibiting at the Stuttgart International Pipe Show (International Pfeifenmesse Stuttgart) in 2024. Sesa’s pipes are currently sold at Casaro Pipe in Turin, Tabaccheria Rizzi in Brescia, and through his own website, the latter of which can be found at the bottom of this page.

Nomenclature and Grading

A four star smooth Dublin freehand, made by Sesa in 2023. Images courtesy Branko Sesa.

Sesa’s pipes are stamped with his name and an ascending number of stars indicating their grade.  

Gallery






Contact

Branko Sesa
Website: https://www.sesapipes.com/en/
Email: sesapipes@tiscali.it
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080577831653/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sesapipesofficial/