Ascorti: A Look at the Origins
Guiseppe Ascorti began working in 1959 for the world-renowned pipe manufacturer Castello. There, he mastered all the essential steps of top-tier pipe making. His talent became increasingly evident, leading to the plan to establish his own workshop. Together with his neighbor Luigi Radice, who is still a well-known pipe maker today, he founded the brand "Caminetto" in 1968.
Growth and Challenges
The workshop, featuring the mustache logo on its mouthpieces, gained popularity over time, especially in the crucial American market. As demand grew, Guiseppe Ascorti's son, Roberto, joined the business.
The success story continued until 1979, but over time, the partners couldn’t agree on a unified strategy. In 1980, the Ascorti brand was born. The 22-year-old Roberto Ascorti, along with his wife Silvana, became the leading force behind the workshop, supported by his father, who passed away shortly thereafter. The house's top priority is optimal smoking quality.
Craftsmanship and Quality: Ascorti Pipes
Ascorti achieves this by using premium-quality wood that is perfectly seasoned. The briar blocks are dried for at least two years before being crafted into pipes. All pipes are handmade with minimal machine assistance. As in the past, Ascorti pipes are not filled or patched. Ascorti is renowned for its particularly textured, highly durable rustication, applied manually with hand tools and considerable effort. In fact, more labor goes into a rusticated pipe than into a smooth one!
Ascorti Pipes: Acrylic as a Pioneering Material
Ascorti was one of the first pipe manufacturers to use oxidation-resistant acrylic as a mouthpiece material. Initially, many retailers were skeptical, but it has since become the dominant material for mouthpieces.
Ascorti is unique in that equal attention is given to the mouthpiece and the wood. Unlike many other manufacturers, Ascorti does not use pre-fabricated blanks for mouthpieces. Instead, they are crafted from high-quality acrylic sheets and meticulously shaped by hand, resulting in a thinner and narrower bite than any other production pipe. This makes the pipe almost unnoticeable between the teeth. Even traditionalists who usually prefer the softer, thinner ebonite mouthpieces are more than satisfied with Ascorti’s acrylic mouthpieces.
Shapes and Materials of Ascorti Pipes
Smooth pipes often feature lively straight, flame, or cross-grain patterns, making them the most precious examples. However, there are also smooth pipes that are black-stained (not painted). Ascorti pipes have a distinctive Italian style that connoisseurs recognize at first glance. The shapes are more classically robust. For accents, Ascorti predominantly uses traditional materials such as bamboo, sterling silver, horn, or resin, all perfectly complementing the overall aesthetic.
From our experience, Ascorti pipes are among the best in terms of smoking properties and, with proper care, are a lifelong, reliable companion for any pipe smoker.
