My name is Angelo Del Prete and I am the proud owner of a small family-led tobacconist in Pordenone, Italy. Since 2014, my shop has been focused on selling artisanal pipes and spreading the word on the beauty and functional artistry of these objects. Towards the end of 2018, mostly out of personal curiosity, I started shaping a few blocks of briar in a tiny room at the back of my shop.
Motivated to learn more about this craft, I decided to reach out to pipe maker friends based in Italy. The first one to welcome me to his workshop was Massimiliano Rimensi (Duca Pipe). There, I was walked through all the stages of artisanal pipe production.
In retrospect, the meeting that transformed my way of carving pipes took place in March 2019 where I visited Davide Iafisco in his workshop in Bologna. This encounter kick-started a close relationship which helped improve my carving skills significantly. I was opened to new horizons and introduced to the concept of High-Grade. This practice calls for perfection in engineering, requires using the very best materials and aims at the development of the carver’s very own shaping aesthetic.
Following two full years of rigorous study and practice, in the summer of 2020 I decided to make my pieces available to the public. To date, my annual production is of around 50/60 pipes. These are all carved from Mimmo Romeo briar, I use German ebonite for stems and shank accents such as silver, natural bamboo, exotic woods as well as horn. My main aesthetic influence comes from the Italian and Danish schools of pipe making. I enjoy playing with proportions and stylistic choices and strive to uncover the right balance with all the materials used. The attention to detail on my pipes is meticulous and nothing is left to chance.
