GRADING
Classification
The pipes are classified by the number of clouds assigned, from 1 to 8 ( plus S). The number can be seen above the cloud stamped on the bottom of the shank.
Smooth Pipes
- 3 Clouds (and upwards): the pipes are all of a smooth natural finish, and classification depends on the quality of the grain;
- 4 Clouds: shows an already beautiful, quasi-grained briar;
- 5 Clouds: a straight-grained pipe;
- 6 Clouds and 7 Clouds: an even finer grain;
- 8 Clouds: the grain is so (wonderfully) fine that it is called “angel hair”;
The selection and grading process of smoking pipes is so scrupulous that in 12 years of pipe making, only 2 pipes have earned the grade “8” and 7 pipes the grade “7”.
Sandblast Pipes
In January 2008 we introduced Blasts,they are classified with an S above the cloud. Subgroups are grades S1, S2, S3, depending on color and beauty of the wood after the blast.
Zed Pipes
If Le Nuvole pipes in general are the result of a search for balance, the “Zed” series stems from fantasies that, deviating from rationality, lead to shapes that are both playful and free-flowing. Each Zed pipe is stamped with its serial number and has a special guarantee which bears the serial number, date of purchase and price.
The models, conceived with my wife Stefania,
take shape from her uncontaminated vision, from my desire to obtain a precious handcrafted object and from the common search for essential and timeless lines: sometimes inspired by revisited ancient memories and, in any case, always oriented towards stylistic innovation. The laborious and long attention that I love to dedicate to each pipe leads me to limit production to a number of 100-120 pieces per year.
Smoking pipes nick-name
Some of our most popular shapes remind us of familiar objects, and so we gave these pipes nick-names to identify them.
That way, it makes it easier for customers to order one of our more familiar designs that are most closely assocaited with Le Nuvole. We have had so many requests over the years by customers asking “That pipe you had on your site….it looked like…a trumpet… I would love to get one like that…” So, we decided to document this detail of Le Nuvole. This resulted in our stamping the special names on those unique shapes that people have come to identify more and more as Le Nuvole.
These shapes include the following: Pignattina (bean pot), Tronchetto (small tree trunk), Anfora (amphora), Bricco (coofeepot), Alveare (beehive), Cornetto (our horn), Orientale (oriental), Tappo (champagne cork), Barilotto (small wine cask), Ceraso (cherrywood), Astronave (starship).
You will find the pipe’s nick-name, along with the grading (number of clouds) quality stamped on the shank.
In April 2010 we’re added the Fallen Prince designed by Gregory Pease.
CHARACTERISTICS
Briar pipes
The briar I use for my pipes comes from Calabria (south Italy) and Tuscany, and I season it for a long time in my temperature and humidity controlled laboratory. The colours used are transparent and natural. More information about briar pipes.
Mouthpieces
Starting June 2012, I have decided to make all of my pipes’ mouthpieces using top quality Black Ebonite and Cumberland rods.
This choice allows me, thanks to the meticulous manual work involved in the shaping and finishing of each piece, to take care more and more of the pipes’ lines and proportions, features which are of paramount importance for both their appearance and a comfortable smoke.
“… very interesting is the sign on the mouthpiece, which conjures up the image of trail or a cloud of smoke: It’s the first logo I see that is neither geometrical nor symmetrical.” Amici della pipa, Anno XX – n. 4 luglio/agosto 1997″
Le Nuvole spigot and Army-Mount
As in the original system, ‘Le Nuvole’ spigots use a mouthpiece with a conical joint made in silver which lays in the airhole (also conical) of the stem. In the Army Mount model, instead, the joint is obtained directly from one end of the mouthpiece, worked in a conical form by hand.
All the rings are in silver 925/1000 or gold 850/1000.
