Pipe Brands

Roy Brigham began his journey in 1906 by opening a pipe repair shop in Toronto that met with great success, which afforded him the opportunity to make his own pipes. The family business grew quickly as Brigham's reputation for high quality workmanship and value spread. Roy and his son Herb did extensive research on the cause and "cure" of tongue bite and developed the patented Brigham Rock Maple Distillator, which improved the pipe smoking experience by reducing bite. Economic conditions in the late 90's drove demand for even lower pipe prices and the first Brigham pipes made outside Canada began to appear on the market produced by esteemed pipe-making families in Europe trained in Brigham production techniques and methods. Today, Brigham is known for remarkably affordable pipes made with high quality briar and a unique smoking experience only Brigham can offer.

Roberto Ascorti formed a new company under the family name in the 1980s after a long and sometimes stormy business association his father Guiseppe had with the famous Italian group "I tre Camini," and Roberto soon after acquired the naming rights of the Caminetto brand with which his father was once associated. Caminetto pipes are currently made by Roberto's son Tomasso (Tommi) Ascorti in Cucciago, Italy. Tommi carves the select aged briar by hand as did his father and grandfather before him using traditional techniques and the highest quality acrylic and other adornments. Caminetto's more classically shaped pipes are stamped with the initials AR inside an oval, while briars stamped with the AT initials typically feature Tommi's more cutting edge designs. No matter the style used to create "the pipe with the mustache," you may be assured of superb craftmanship, superior smoking characteristics, and stunning aesthetics.

The majority of our estate pipes have been presmoked, but all are fully reconditioned. We do offer unsmoked pipes in our estate pipe collection from time to time and they are identified as such. In an effort to assist you with making an informed purchase, we provide any legible information stamped on the pipe. If you would like to see additional images or have questions about a particular estate pipe, please send an email to customercare@milantobacco.com. We'd love to hear from you!

Special Note:
Milan Tobacconists receives many of our estate pipes through local customers. However, if you have pipes in your collection you wish to sell, please send an email to customercare@milantobacco.com and include a brief description of the pipes. We will contact you shortly thereafter to learn more and answer any questions you may have regarding the transaction.

Giancarlo Guidi was a founding partner in the very famous Italian pipemaking company Mastro de Paja, but over time he felt mired in the day-to-day trials and tribulations of a fast-growing factory and desired a more artistic path. His vision of Ser Jacopo dalla Gemma finally took form in 1982, allowing Guidi to imagine and create uniquely beautiful pipes that captivated pipe smokers around the world. Maurizio Fraternale was Guidi's business partner and took over the company upon his longtime friend's passing in 2012, honoring a promise to keep Guidi's vision of Ser Jacopo alive and well in Pesaro, Italy.

Mastro Geppetto smooth and textured pipes were created by Guidi as an affordable alternative to Ser Jacopo pipes, but there are far more similarities between the two brands than differences. For example, both are handmade by Ser Jacopo's craftsmen using carefully aged Extra Extra (XX) grade Italian briar and the time taken to produce them are virtually identical. Also, stems are hand cut from rod plexiglass (AKA acrylic) for both lines. The two main cost-saving differences lay in the briar and draft hole ~ only Plateaux briar is used to produce Ser Jacopo pipes and the draft holes are drilled with a special flexible drill.

Meerschaum, translated from German means "sea foam." This name reflects the lightness in weight and whiteness in color. Meerschaum, a mineral (Hydrous Magnesium Silicate), is considered by pipe smokers as the perfect material for a cool, dry smoke. The pipe itself is a natural filter that absorbs tar.

Today, the highest quality meerschaum deposits are not found near any body of water. They are found in only one area of the world, the open plains of central Turkey surrounding the small city of Eskisehir. Meerschaum is mined wet from depths of up to 400 feet and is bought by carvers in various size blocks or lumps called stones, then hand carved into what many consider one of the finest smoking pipes available.

Our meerschaum pipes are individually hand-carved from block meerschaum, not pressed, and they are priced based on the size of the pipe, quality of the meerschaum block, and the carving detail. Due to the delicate nature of these pipes, each is shipped in a custom-made hard protective case with a velvet lined interior.

Missouri Meerschaum has been producing the Rolls-Royces of corn cob pipes from its Washington, Missouri, facilities since 1869. It is said that the origin of these cool smoking, sweet-smelling cobs began with a local farmer who whittled a pipe out of one and enjoyed it so much he asked his neighbor and soon-to-be Missouri Meerschaum founder Henry Tibbe to make more in his small woodworking shop. The rest is history. Missouri Meerschaum grows all of the corn used to make its cob pipes, which are stored for 2 years after harvest to make the cobs harder and dryer. Production of corn cob pipes is time-consuming and requires many steps and a significant amount of handwork, so it is quite remarkable that the prices have remained so low over the decades.

Based in Varese, Italy, the Molina Group is all that remains of the ancient and quite famous international pipe company Rossi Pipes, which reached its pinnacle in the early 1900s. Although the Molina Group is born from the past, it is a very forward-thinking pipe manufacturer that engages in thoughtful research and innovation, producing reliable workhorses well recognized for their quality by both novices and discerning pipe smokers.

Erik Nording is Denmark's number one pipe master and one of the world's premier pipe carvers. He is one of the Danish pioneers to introduce what is called the Danish Freehand style. Nording's sweeping, natural lines and finishes contrast with the rigidly uniform, “man-made” look of conventional pipes. Even his own “conventional” briar pipes are uniquely Nording, with little touches that set them apart from all others. Through the many decades as a master craftsman, several of Denmark’s other pipe masters have served as his apprentices.

Considered one of the best values in pipes, try a Nording for yourself and experience the pleasure of smoking one of the finest and most affordable Danish pipes.

Charles Peterson strolled into Friedrich and Heinrich Kapp's Dublin tobacco shop with a revolutionary pipe and ambitious plans for the future not long after the successful brothers opened their business in 1865. Negotiations ensued and the three agreed to go into partnership. The Kapp Brothers company was renamed Kapp & Peterson, and the new company went on to become Dublin's most fashionable and respected manufacturer and purveyor of fine smoking products.

In the 1890s, Charles Peterson developed the Peterson Patent System - a graduated bore in the mouthpiece that helps to collect tar and moisture in a reservoir and away from the bowl of the pipe. The shape of the "P-lip" vulcanite mouthpiece was uniquely designed to direct the smoke up and away from the tongue, drastically reducing "tongue bite," and making this brand renowned worldwide for a smooth, mellow smoking experience. Of course, standard mouthpieces are also available and P-lip mouthpieces are not available in all collections.

Traditional tools and methods of manufacture contribute to the individuality and unique characteristics of the Peterson Pipe. The skills and craft which Charles Peterson applied to his original pipes are continued by the dedicated team of craftsmen at Peterson today, so that you too may appreciate the excellence of the Peterson range of pipes.

Randy Wiley has been successfully making moderate to higher-end freehand pipes for decades from his U.S. workshop. Randy creates all his pipes from plateau or ebauchon briar with shapes inspired by the briar's wood grain. He cautiously and carefully strives to get the best presentation from every briar block, treats the briar with hot oil to enhance its beauty and smoking qualities, then uses a special sanding technique he calls a trade secret. Whatever the secret is, it makes for a finish that is smooth as glass. Randy achieves a rich color stain for his pipes by custom mixing his stains until he gets the exact effect he wants. Hand finished with a buffed coat of carnauba wax, each original is finished with an acrylic or vulcanite stem and safely enveloped in a soft protective pouch.

Fabbrica di Pipe di Radica Rossi was founded in 1886 in Barasso, Italy, by Ferdinando Rossi and was considered to be the world's largest manufacturer of tobacco pipes in the early 1900's. Sadly, the factory was shuttered for a myriad of reasons just shy of its 100th anniversary. Savinelli revived the Rossi brand due in part to a longstanding friendship between Ferdinando Rossi and Achille Savinelli, and has created numerous affordable, no-frills Rossi-branded pipe series manufactured with the quality you expect from Savinelli.

Savinelli pipes are made in Italy from only the finest grade of Sardinian and Corsican briar. Savinelli began as a small workshop in 1876. Through four generations, the company has evolved into one of the world's leading manufacturers of smoking pipes. To this day they continue to expand and revamp their product lines. The brand encompasses a vast and complete line of pipes, from the inexpensive to the elegant.