Fassi
Fassi Pipes are made by Angelo Fassi (b. 1958). Born in Milan, Italy, Fassi now lives in the small town of Appiano Gentile, where his workshop is located.[1]
A former competitive judoka[2] and a practicing endodontic surgeon, Fassi first took up pipe making under the tutelage of German artisan Betram Safferling. Fassi’s relationship with pipes began much earlier, however. When he was 14, Fassi began to smoke the Savinelli that his father had – unsuccessfully – bought as a means of quitting cigarettes. While living in Monza, Fassi began to frequent the now-closed Scarafiotti tobacconist, where his fascination with pipes further grew. At 16, Fassi visited the Caminetto manufacturing company in Cucciago, during a time when its production was still under the direction of Guiseppe ‘Peppino’ Ascorti and Luigi Radice. As he recalls, “it was at that moment that an imprinting was probably established.”
Despite this imprinting, Fassi did not make pipes of his own until several decades later. In the meantime, he studied medicine and trained as a surgeon, specializing in endodontics. After working in dentistry for most of his life, Fassi had the chance to attend a pipe making course organized by Bertram Safferling in 2008. While Fassi initially attended the course only out of curiosity, without a strong desire to make pipes himself, the experience of watching and learning about the construction of a hand-made pipe convinced Fassi to become a pipe maker.
Fassi remained in contact with Safferling and was fortunate enough to find a local pipe maker who had recently retired, allowing Fassi to purchase the equipment necessary to set up his own workshop. Fassi became acquainted with other artisan pipe makers based in Italy, including Gabriele Dal Fiume and Massimiliano ‘Il Duca’ Rimensi, who gave Fassi valuable advice in developing his craft. Fassi would also become friends with and receive guidance from Brazilian artisan Gustavo ‘marTelo’ Cunha, as well as Ukrainian artisan Konstantin Shekita, the latter with whom Fassi would later collaborate with on occasion. Another Brazilian pipe maker Fassi befriended is Emanuel Queiroz of Emiliano Pipes, and the two frequently discuss and exchange ideas.
Fassi is currently a member of the Academia della Pipa[3], an academy for high-grade pipe making in the Italian tradition. The Academia was founded by Gioacchino Sauro, Gabriele Dal Fiume, Davide Iafisco, and Domenico ‘Mimmo’ Romeo, whose membership also includes artisans such as Michele Brentegani and Francesco Ganci.
In addition to the aforementioned pipe makers and his fellow students at the Academia, Fassi considers his technique and style to have been influenced by other artisans whose work he first encountered online, such as the pipes of Maurizio Tombari of Le Nuvole and the late Paolo Becker. He is a great admirer of the Danish tradition, though he does not consider his work to have assimilated its styles within his own work yet.
As someone who has received guidance from so many other pipe makers, it is only natural that Fassi has paid this gift forward. Roberto Franzini, a former client of Fassi’s dental practice, was inspired by the latter to take up pipe making, which he now does as Franz Pipes. Franzini and Fassi became good friends, with Fassi giving Franzini assistance in his beginnings as a pipe maker. The two often meet and smoke together, and discuss their ongoing works.
Fassi characterizes his approach to pipe making as being divided between two design types: classic shapes and free-form pieces. The former generally align with staples from traditional English and French pipe making, whereas the latter are much more unique in composition, and frequently incorporate ferrules, rings, and unconventional stem contouring. Like many pipe makers, Fassi’s free-form shaping follows the natural grain patterns of the briar that are revealed during the pipe making process.
While Fassi’s ‘classic’ pipes take their inspiration from long-established shape charts, they also possess their own distinctness. For these pipes, Fassi will often blend elements from different traditional shapes, such as the Liverpool’s long shank and short, tapered stem, with the bowl of the apple. In both his classic and free-form pipes, Fassi frequently aims to create a pipe that will sit without its mouthpiece coming into contact with the surface the pipe is placed on. To this end, many of Fassi’s stems include rings or flares that elevate the shank and button while the pipe is set down.
To make his stummels, Fassi uses briar, typically from Mimmo or Manno, but also sometimes from Tarantino, Emanuele Pasquale, or Makis Minetos. His stems are usually made from ebonite. He also incorporates horn and exotic wood into his designs. While he does make smooth pipes, Fassi is relatively rare among pipe makers in his preference for sandblasted or partially-sandblasted pipes, with his ideal finish being a deep, crisp sandblast. While making his pipes, Fassi always listens to music; sometimes classical, sometimes jazz, but usually his favorite genre, Brazilian bossa nova. Fassi frequently streams his pipe making on Instagram, where audiences can observe his techniques and enjoy South American samba at the same time!
Currently, Fassi makes his pipes on a part-time basis, but aims to transition to full-time production in 2026, when he retires from dentistry. Fassi still manages to produce approximately 50 pipes per year, and his pipes are currently (2023) sold by Tabaccheria Guzzi in Italy and Pipo Depot in Türkiye.
Gallery
A smooth, floral, bent scoop-style pipe from Fassi, circa 2023. Image courtesy Angelo Fassi.
A smooth, paneled, poker-style pipe from Fassi, circa 2023. Image courtesy Angelo Fassi.
A smooth, free-form paneled volcano from Fassi, circa 2022. Image courtesy Tabaccheria Guzzi.
A sandblasted poker-Rhodesian style sitter from Fassi, circa 2022. Image courtesy Angelo Fassi.
A smooth, paneled Lumberman-style pipe from Fassi, circa 2021. Image courtesy Angelo Fassi.
A sandblasted Liverpool-pot hybrid from Fassi, circa 2021. Image courtesy Angelo Fassi.
Contact
Angelo Fassi Email: angelofassi58@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064621392977 https://www.instagram.com/pipefassi/ M
- ↑ Factual information serving as the basis for this article was provided by Angelo Fassi via email interview.
- ↑ An expert practitioner of judo.
- ↑ See https://www.sauropipe.com/blog/2021/10/05/laccademia-della-pipa-2020/