Claudio Cavicchi

[bikedoctor]

So I've really been working on learning pipe shapes and in my "studies" Ive come across Claudio's work. Anyone met the guy or have any first hand stories or impressions about the man and his work?

[Leus]

Kevin,

You should find the following link interesting.

http://www.theitalianpipe.com/make/cv/cvlab.htm

[Frank]

Here's a bit of info: http://pipedia.org/index.php?title=Cavicchi

[Skip]

Until a few years ago our store was the only source for his pipes in North America. We have sold them in crazy volume for more than 20 years. I feel as though I can comment.
If you buy a full bent pipe you can assume that a pipe cleaner will slide all the way through the stem in to the bowl. The shape of his air hole, on the full bent, will be a oval but not overly so when it enters the bowl. His shapes are spot on. The quality of his briar is second to none. Look at any smooth pipe and you will see. The fit and finnish will not have any problems.
He makes a lot of pipes and has never sent us a single one where I could find a problem.
He keeps up the quality controll but is very fast.
We get about 50 pipes at a time. He has never even made a mistake on a invoice and the pipes are packed in order as on the invoice.

He may not be the most artistic or creative pipe maker but I have never seen any one that can match his consistency over the long run.

Skip

[ToddJohnson]

Until a few years ago our store was the only source for his pipes in North America. We have sold them in crazy volume for more than 20 years. I feel as though I can comment.
If you buy a full bent pipe you can assume that a pipe cleaner will slide all the way through the stem in to the bowl. The shape of his air hole, on the full bent, will be a oval but not overly so when it enters the bowl. His shapes are spot on. The quality of his briar is second to none. Look at any smooth pipe and you will see. The fit and finnish will not have any problems.
He makes a lot of pipes and has never sent us a single one where I could find a problem.
He keeps up the quality controll but is very fast.
We get about 50 pipes at a time. He has never even made a mistake on a invoice and the pipes are packed in order as on the invoice.

He may not be the most artistic or creative pipe maker but I have never seen any one that can match his consistency over the long run.

Skip

As someone who's early work was inspired by many of these same Cavicchis, I will just echo what Skip said. The work is exceptional, precise, and beautiful. I spent many an afternoon examining his pipes by the dozen when I lived in Alabamastan. I would intend to go visit Skip for an hour or so, and wouldn't make it back into the workshop until early evening!

TJ

[bikedoctor]

I was surprised how I kept going back to look at his pipes. They certainly are not flamboyant and ground breaking but everything was so pleasing to the eye. Has Claudio ever made it to one of the US pipe shows?

Skip, forgive my ignorance but what is your shop?

[FredS]

As a newbie pipemaker, Cavicchi is one of my greatest influences. Most of his stuff is farily "traditional" (except his sea slugs!) which forces concentration on the process of making a well engineered & shapped pipe and not on the process of designing wild freehand creations.

[Sasquatch]

Bikedoctor, Skip works here:

http://www.thebriary.com/elliott.htm

[bikedoctor]

Todd,
Thanks. That would explain why Skip knows so much about Claudio. I just noticed all the stems are lucite. I wish he made a few in ebonite ... still I am really captivated by the pipes.
Thanks for the info guys. I think its time to make the Christmas list now. I just don't know what shape to order. This is going to be tough.

[Sasquatch]

Yeah those Italians are all crazy for acrylic stems... I can't figure it. I've done a couple and I hate that crap. AND it's hard as hell on the teeth. BUT..... damn some of those guys make nice pipes. Wow.

I'm just trying to remember if some of Claudio's "low grade" (haha), rusticated pipes have a vulcanite stem... I just can't remember. But they look like very good value at just over a hundred bucks.

[ToddJohnson]

Yeah those Italians are all crazy for acrylic stems... I can't figure it. I've done a couple and I hate that crap. AND it's hard as hell on the teeth. BUT..... damn some of those guys make nice pipes. Wow.

I'm just trying to remember if some of Claudio's "low grade" (haha), rusticated pipes have a vulcanite stem... I just can't remember. But they look like very good value at just over a hundred bucks.

No, even the black rusticated 1C's are lucite. They're the most comfortable lucite bits I've ever had between my teeth though. Granted, that's not saying much--I share your thoughts about acrylic--but it's somethin'.

TJ

[bikedoctor]

TJ,
I'd love to see the Cavicchi pipes you smoke. You mind posting pictures?

[ToddJohnson]

TJ,
I'd love to see the Cavicchi pipes you smoke. You mind posting pictures?

I've sold a number of them because my tastes have changed a great deal over the years. I now smoke mostly Dunhill Group 1's, but here's one I've held on to. My wife bought this for me on my 23rd birthday.

TJ

[bikedoctor]

TJ,
I'd love to see the Cavicchi pipes you smoke. You mind posting pictures?

I've sold a number of them because my tastes have changed a great deal over the years. I now smoke mostly Dunhill Group 1's, but here's one I've held on to. My wife bought this for me on my 23rd birthday.

You're over 23 ??? I'm kidding. Old man. What are you 33?
When you say your "tastes" do you mean the asthetics that draw you to a pipe?
I've read that Claudio tends to make larger style pipes and although I don't speak Dunhill I believe group 1 is a smaller pipe.

[Sasquatch]

Group 1 are indeed itty bitty little things. I've never really understood the exact "group" numbers (with ODA and all the other weird classifications). My smallest pipe is a Peterson 303 and I think that's bigger than a 1, but I'm not sure.

In my experience, Italians make pipes that range from "capacious" to "monstrous". All my Italian pipes have relatively large bowls, with the exception of a Mario Grandi volcano sorta thing.

[dogwood]

I'm going to buy a cavicchi. They look really nice and well made. Like you I keep going back to them. I'd probably buy over a Savinelli and Dunhill for that matter.

[tritrek]

...not to mention his rustication technique (or better said, her)!