2,411
edits
Mastro de Paja: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
no edit summary
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
In spite of this kinda crazy origin Mastro de Paja became the nucleus of the pipe center Pesaro and what today is called the Pesaro school, boasting so many famous brands such as [[Il Ceppo]], [[Ser Jacopo]], [[Don Carlos]], [[Rinaldo]], [[Le Nuvole]] or [[L'Anatra]]. And Giancarlo Guidi became the foster-father of all these pipe makers - certainly not his least merit! | In spite of this kinda crazy origin Mastro de Paja became the nucleus of the pipe center Pesaro and what today is called the Pesaro school, boasting so many famous brands such as [[Il Ceppo]], [[Ser Jacopo]], [[Don Carlos]], [[Rinaldo]], [[Le Nuvole]] or [[L'Anatra]]. And Giancarlo Guidi became the foster-father of all these pipe makers - certainly not his least merit! | ||
Guidi put himself to work with ardor. Yet he was far from being an experienced and seasoned, even less a famous pipemaker. He worked eagerly on his own pipes and their permanent improvement. Beside that Guidi was much underway in order to find and to win young, promising talents. He should prove to be a golden boy in this metier. His first big haul was '''Bruto Sordini''' (today Don Carlos) in 1974. Sordini remained at Mastro de Paja until 1979. Likewise in 1974 Guidi hired two 16 and 14 years old fellows coming from Sicily. The brothers '''Elio and Guido Rinaldo''' quickly proved high talent and especially a fine sense for good design. They left in 1987 in order to work independently. | Guidi put himself to work with ardor. Yet he was far from being an experienced and seasoned, even less a famous pipemaker. He worked eagerly on his own pipes and their permanent improvement. Beside that Guidi was much underway in order to find and to win young, promising talents. He should prove to be a golden boy in this metier. His first big haul was '''Bruto Sordini''' (today [[Don Carlos]]) in 1974. Sordini remained at Mastro de Paja until 1979. Likewise in 1974 Guidi hired two 16 and 14 years old fellows coming from Sicily. The brothers '''Elio and Guido Rinaldo''' quickly proved high talent and especially a fine sense for good design. They left in 1987 in order to work independently. | ||
In the exertion to find an international distributor for the yet young brand, Guidi went to the most influential distributor '''Alberto Paronelli''' in Gavirate. But Paronelli turned him down right away. So Guidi approached Ital Impacs in 1975. This company had been founded just shortly before by '''Wojciech Lubinski and his son Mario''' after Lubinski sen. had split from Paronelli. Mario Lubinski later remembered Guidi brought with him 12 system pipes he had personally designed and carved. “They were horrible pipes, very wet smoking pipes!” The Lubinskis at first said “No!”, too. Even though Mario Lubinski had perceived Guidi’s talent and potential. Merely one year later Wojciech Lubinski had retired and Ital Impacs had been transformed to Lubinski Limited with Mario in charge as CEO. Giancarlo Guidi had changed to more normal engineering and so [http://www.lubinski.it/ Lubinski Ltd.] gave him a chance and started distributing Mastro de Paja pipes in 1976. | In the exertion to find an international distributor for the yet young brand, Guidi went to the most influential distributor '''Alberto Paronelli''' in Gavirate. But Paronelli turned him down right away. So Guidi approached Ital Impacs in 1975. This company had been founded just shortly before by '''Wojciech Lubinski and his son Mario''' after Lubinski sen. had split from Paronelli. Mario Lubinski later remembered Guidi brought with him 12 system pipes he had personally designed and carved. “They were horrible pipes, very wet smoking pipes!” The Lubinskis at first said “No!”, too. Even though Mario Lubinski had perceived Guidi’s talent and potential. Merely one year later Wojciech Lubinski had retired and Ital Impacs had been transformed to Lubinski Limited with Mario in charge as CEO. Giancarlo Guidi had changed to more normal engineering and so [http://www.lubinski.it/ Lubinski Ltd.] gave him a chance and started distributing Mastro de Paja pipes in 1976. | ||
| Line 14: | Line 14: | ||
Also in 1976 '''Giorgio Imperatori''' came to Mastro de Paja. He was an architect by profession, enthralled for pipes to the core and hell-bent to become a pipemaker. But in the workshop of Mastro de Paja he was allowed to work on mouth pieces only. For sure, being a pipe-parts-maker was not enough to satisfy his ambitions. Therefore he flunked out by the end of 1977 and started his own brand [[Il Ceppo]] in 1978 with a lot of support from Mario Lubinski. | Also in 1976 '''Giorgio Imperatori''' came to Mastro de Paja. He was an architect by profession, enthralled for pipes to the core and hell-bent to become a pipemaker. But in the workshop of Mastro de Paja he was allowed to work on mouth pieces only. For sure, being a pipe-parts-maker was not enough to satisfy his ambitions. Therefore he flunked out by the end of 1977 and started his own brand [[Il Ceppo]] in 1978 with a lot of support from Mario Lubinski. | ||
In 1977 Guidi looked for a skilled metal worker and after examining some candidates he hired '''Massimo Palazzi''' (today [[L'Anatra]]), who was educated as a goldsmith. The outstanding quality of Palazzi’s metal work gave new impulses to the pipes. Palazzi specialised also in design work and his courage to create fresh, yet harmoniously easy shapes stirred up a noticeably growing demand for Mastro de Paja pipes furthermore. | |||
'''Maurizio Tombari''' (today [[Le Nuvole]]) arrived in 1978; he should also follow Guidi to [[Ser Jacopo]] afterwards. Around 1980 Guidi succeeded to engage some more seasoned crafters namely '''Mario Pascucci''' and '''Vittorio del Vecchio''', both bedrocks of Mastro de Paja today. | |||
Beyond any doubt the brand had taken a quite pleasant development all in all that led slowly, however steadily upwards. Mastro de Paja also found increasing international notice and recognition. Unfortunately all this didn’t happen quick enough for some of the amici in the background. From ca. 1980 on Cecchini and Guidi found themselves involved in numerous rooster fights about the future course of the business. Also among the pipemakers things were brewing. Jealousies and dissensions ruled the day. They were aware that the success and the first fame acquired based on their hard work but they didn’t benefit from the profit. The financiers behind Cecchini did not show the slightest inclination to change something for the better, because they felt disappointed concerning their profit expectations. There wasn’t much left of the foundation’s idea and it’s noble spirit! Cecchini acted kinda helpless and awkwardly he trimmed the firm unilaterally on increased output. What vice versa was not beneficial to the pipes’ quality and so Mastro de Paja headed into a serious crisis in the early 1980s. To make things worse, pipe sales in Italy were dropping generally in those years. | |||
Giancarlo Guidi, who had meanwhile acquired a good name for his crafting, was the first to get tired of the permanent quarreling. In 1982 he took his hat and departed going together with Bruto Sordini to start Ser Jacopo dalla Gemma. Guidi’s motto "per aspera ad astra" is surely coined by his late experiences at Mastro de Paja. Also Massimo Palazzi didn’t see a base for any advancing around the turn of 1983/84 and changed to Guidi’s new brand. Therewith the firm had lost it’s best and most important pipe makers. | |||
In this situation '''Giannino Spadoni''', an Italian businessman, who was already commercially connected with Mastro de Paja before, became something like a sheet anchor for the beleaguered brand. From about 1982/83 on he had the highly esteemed design pipe '''Fiamma di Re''' manufactured by Mastro de Paja. In addition the Contessa, a favorable bargain pipe, was made for him, too. The Fiamma di Re quietly disappeared in 1989. Since 1990 Spadoni is distributor for [[Dunhill]] in Italy. | |||
Until the end of 1983 the last of the amici had withdrawn. Terenzio Cecchini, now exclusive proprietor of Mastro de Paja, needed and sought aid. A friend drew his attention to the young sales talent '''Alberto Montini'''. After finishing his studies in 1978, Montini had started a career as an accountant and by now he had already achieved a good position as manager of a prosperous firm for office arrangements. It took long and hesitant negotiations, but finally Montini agreed in 1985 to take over the management of Mastro de Paja. His entrance should prove to be the begin of a new era! | |||
To be continued! | To be continued! | ||