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<font size="4">'''Novarte S.N.C. di Spanu Tommaso'''</font | <font size="4">'''Novarte S.N.C. di Spanu Tommaso'''</font> | ||
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Image:Clairmont_9.jpg|<font size="1">... in olive wood</font> | Image:Clairmont_9.jpg|<font size="1">... in olive wood</font> | ||
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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 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 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. | 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! | ||
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Around 1997 Spanu was approached by Mercedes-Benz and asked to design briar-burl dashboards for their most luxurious sedans. And he replied "Maybe tomorrow!" We can assume that the envoys looked quite dumbfounded to be turned down that way, and so Spanu explained that while the project would be fun, his first love was pipes, and only once he was not making as many pipes he would consider it. Mercedes-Benz is said to have taken the rebuff in good nature, and even this automobile manufacturing giant is still waiting on Mr. Spanu to finish some pipes. | |||
Beside the all-briar pipes Spanu loves to work with a wide variety of others woods ranging from the traditional olivewood to beech, oak, boxwood and juniper. He often produces hybrids composing different woods. | |||
<center><gallery> | <center><gallery> | ||
Image: | Image:Spanu_BxMs.jpg|<font size="1">Boxwood / Meerschaum bowl</font> | ||
Image: | Image:Spanu_Ol.jpg|<font size="1">Olivewood</font> | ||
Image: | Image:Spanu_CO.jpg|<font size="1">Cork Oak</font> | ||
Image: | Image:Spanu_COa.jpg|<font size="1">dito</font> | ||
Image:Spanu_LBr.jpg|<font size="1">Lemonwood / Briar inlay</font> | |||
Image:Spanu_LBr2.jpg|<font size="1">dito</font> | |||
Image:Spanu_JuBr.jpg|<font size="1">Juniper / Briar bowl</font> | |||
Image:Spanu_JuBr2.jpg|<font size="1">dito</font> | |||
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As far as known Tommaso Spanu is the only pipemaker who regularly, though quite rarely, makes pipes out of lemonwood. Apart from the very attractive and distinctive color of the wood (often white to light yellowish like a smoked meerschaum, with grain), these pipes are claimed to be absolutely wonderful smokers and compare to briar in their smoking quality. Unlike other types of wood, they are quite resistant to heat, porous and don't compromise the taste of the tobaccos in any way. | As far as known Tommaso Spanu is the only pipemaker who regularly, though quite rarely, makes pipes out of lemonwood. Apart from the very attractive and distinctive color of the wood (often white to light yellowish like a smoked meerschaum, with grain), these pipes are claimed to be absolutely wonderful smokers and compare to briar in their smoking quality. Unlike other types of wood, they are quite resistant to heat, porous and don't compromise the taste of the tobaccos in any way. | ||
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These pipes are additionally stamped "LIMONE" ("Lemon" in Italian). | These pipes are additionally stamped "LIMONE" ("Lemon" in Italian). | ||
However, if there is somewhat of a Spanu signature and his trademark, it's the '''Sughero''', the pipes (of briar mainly) covered with the bark of the Cork Oak (Quercus suber). Also, in a small way, this pipes are a tribute to the local craftpeople of Sardinia, who work extensively with cork. | |||
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Image:Spanu_01.jpg|<font size="1">Sughero pipes...</font> | Image:Spanu_01.jpg|<font size="1">Sughero pipes...</font> | ||
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Image:Spanu_04.jpg| | Image:Spanu_04.jpg| | ||
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The Sugheros are comparatively light-weighted and to feel the texture of the cork is just wonderful! | |||
Novarte S.N.C. di Spanu Tommaso | Novarte S.N.C. di Spanu Tommaso | ||