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In 1963 Tommaso Spanu left his home in Sardinia and wandered to Northern Italy to become a pipemaker. His uncle had managed an apprenticeship for him in Gavirate, in the province of Varese, with it's many pipe manufactures. His exceptional talent soon attracted the attention of '''Alberto Paronelli''' (→ [[Paronelli]]), the grand seigneur of Italian pipe business. Paronelli, a famed pipe designer himself, arranged that the best pipe craftsmen schooled his young fosterling and personally taught him in pipe design and styles. Soon Spanu reached a remarkable level of skills and began to work on the '''Clairmont''' pipes, a high-grade brand produced for and distributed by Paronelli. A little later the bulk of the Clairmonts was made by Spanu who was even allowed to stamp them with his own name additionally. | In 1963 Tommaso Spanu left his home in Sardinia and wandered to Northern Italy to become a pipemaker. His uncle had managed an apprenticeship for him in Gavirate, in the province of Varese, with it's many pipe manufactures. His exceptional talent soon attracted the attention of '''Alberto Paronelli''' (→ [[Paronelli]]), the grand seigneur of Italian pipe business. Paronelli, a famed pipe designer himself, arranged that the best pipe craftsmen schooled his young fosterling and personally taught him in pipe design and styles. Soon Spanu reached a remarkable level of skills and began to work on the '''Clairmont''' pipes, a high-grade brand produced for and distributed by Paronelli. A little later the bulk of the Clairmonts was made by Spanu who was even allowed to stamp them with his own name additionally. | ||
<center><gallery> | <center><gallery> | ||
file:Tomspanu1.jpg|Smooth Cherrywood with Horn Cap, courtesy Smokingpipes.com [http://www.smokingpipes.com/] | |||
file:Tomspanu2.jpg|Smooth Bent Pot, courtesy Smokingpipes.com [http://www.smokingpipes.com/] | |||
file:Tomspanu3.jpg|Rusticated Yachtsman, courtesy Smokingpipes.com [http://www.smokingpipes.com/] | |||
File:TomSpanu nom.jpeg|Nomenclature, courtesy Ivan Belvis | |||
Image:Clairmont_8.jpg|<font size="1">Clairmont pipes...</font> | Image:Clairmont_8.jpg|<font size="1">Clairmont pipes...</font> | ||
Image:Clairmont_1982.jpg| | Image:Clairmont_1982.jpg| | ||
Image:Clairmont_9.jpg|<font size="1">... in olive wood</font> | Image:Clairmont_9.jpg|<font size="1">... in olive wood</font> | ||
</gallery></center> | </gallery></center> | ||
All in all Spanu spent 16 years in the North where he worked with many other famous pipemakers like '''Guiseppe Ascorti''' and '''Luige Radice''' e.g. In 1979 he finally felt it was time now to continue on his own. So he returned to Sardinia where he established his own workshop with some help from his brothers. A firm was founded to market the pipes, the Novarte S.N.C. di Spanu Tommaso. Furthermore he purchased a lisence from the local government and following Spanu is the only pipemaker worldwide who grows, harvests, mills and conditions his own briar! | All in all Tom Spanu spent 16 years in the North where he worked with many other famous pipemakers like '''Guiseppe Ascorti''' and '''Luige Radice''' e.g. In 1979 he finally felt it was time now to continue on his own. So he returned to Sardinia where he established his own workshop with some help from his brothers. A firm was founded to market the pipes, the Novarte S.N.C. di Spanu Tommaso. Furthermore he purchased a lisence from the local government and following Spanu is the only pipemaker worldwide who grows, harvests, mills and conditions his own briar! | ||
Today he works together with his brother and two sons, producing hardly more than a thousand pipes a year. Mostly more classic models for Italy, but also a good amount of more stylish designs for the foreign markets. Now, if it comes to talking about "entirely handmade pipes" ... Just as when he started carving pipes, only hand tools are used. Not a lathe or drill is to be found in his workshop! | Today he works together with his brother and two sons, producing hardly more than a thousand pipes a year. Mostly more classic models for Italy, but also a good amount of more stylish designs for the foreign markets. Now, if it comes to talking about "entirely handmade pipes" ... Just as when he started carving pipes, only hand tools are used. Not a lathe or drill is to be found in his workshop! | ||