Acorti, most underappreciated of the high end pipe makers?

[pepesdad1]

As always Ron, they are really classy looking pipes.

 

[eklektos44]

You have some eye Ron. Those are exquisite! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

 

[eklektos44]

I'll post a pic of an Ascorti I find quite desirable, which is rare for me:

Nevertheless, I'd never pay the $400 asking price for it. It's been on eBay for about two years now, so something tells me no one else is willing to pay that for it either.

Nice! But nobody is going to pay that price. I often wonder about some of these folks. Do they just enjoy paying listing fees to eBay?

 

[eklektos44]

Okay, here's a few of mine.

Oh. and an early one:

 

[RDPipes]

I'd like the Rhodie if they had taken a bit more off the bowl shank transition on top and the Dublin has some nice grain, color and flow. I like the little Bamboo shanked one but, the stems just not right some how for it. That's just my anal opinion and shouldn't mean anything to anyone else.

As far as my eye goes, hell I like what I like, I think that's all there is to it.

 

[eklektos44]

I like em. And since riff asked, here's another couple early ones:

 

[riff raff]

Well, here's the pot calling the kettle black. I had dinner and some pipes tonight with "Ralph from New Jersey" who writes a regular column in "The Pipe Collector" (and author of the book "The Doctor of Pipes"). He showed me an old Ascorti Business pipe with Radice and Ascorti stamping. It had an incredibly rough rusticated finish. Sadly, I did not take a picture of it!

 

[eklektos44]

Well, here's the pot calling the kettle black.  I had dinner and some pipes tonight with "Ralph from New Jersey" who writes a regular column in "The Pipe Collector" (and author of the book "The Doctor of Pipes").  He showed me an old Ascorti Business pipe with Radice and Ascorti stamping.  It had an incredibly rough rusticated finish.  Sadly, I did not take a picture of it!

The early Caminetto and Ascorti's had some gnarly rustication on them. The story goes it was done with a high tech tool, a bent nail. Whether that's true or not I have no idea. As time progressed the rustication of the business finish was more uniform and less primitive. That's true for both Ascorti's and Radice's. This was a reaction to changing tastes and a desire among both makers for a more refined look. Here again is an example of an old Caminetto:

This is more akin to a New Dear finish in current productions. (Wax drip for Radice) This looks both carved and blasted. Or this:

Or a stem cut like many Ascorti's you'll see:

 

[mikesan]

My questions seeks to further quantify the original question ...

What is a "high end pipe maker"?
What is a "low end pipe maker"?  
Are there any other levels?  
(eg: couldn't give it away on eBay end, very low end, ultra high end, super ultra high end, uber alles)

Where does Cart fall on this scale?

Low end pipe makers are typically factory pipes, such as Savinelli, Peterson, Chacom, Comoy, etc.  It does not necessarily mean they are bad pipes, just on the low end of the spectrum. For what it's worth, I have a Savinelli and Peterson that could compete with the best of them.

High end pipe makers are typically those makers in which every facet of their pipe is handmade and hand finished, but just because one hand ales their pipes does not make them a high end pipe maker. Many things go into being considered a high end pipe maker, such as aesthetics, functionality, and so on.

There are also mid-grade pipe makers, those in which may be better quality factory pipes or handmade pipes that don't quite make the cut on the high end market.

For the sake of providing an example in terms of italian makers:

Low grade: Savinelli
Mid-grade: Ascorti, Caminetto, Il Ceppo
High grade: Becker

I found this a very interesting thread.  Not because I have any interest in Ascorti pipes.  I have neither owned nor smoked one.
But mainly for the discussion about what constitutes a "great" or "high end" pipe.

To the best of my recollection, during my first 30 years of pipe smoking, I never paid more than $20 for a pipe; and most often much less.  Now, to be clear, I am talking about the years 1948 - 1978, when the dollar was worth a bit more.  In my earliest years this allowed me to evaluate a pipe based only on how well it smoked.  If it was a lemon (and I did buy a few such) I gave it away or just chucked it.  Remember, there was no internet in my early years, and none of my pipe smoking friends tended to correlate their satisfaction with a pipe to the maker or brand.  I must confess that it took me more than a few years to recognize that how well a pipe smoked was highly dependent on how well it was constructed.  

Interestingly, I bought my first Savinelli in about 1975.  I didn't know then that it was considered a "low grade" pipe.  What I did learn was that it smoked significantly better than most of my previous acquisions.  Thus, in the past 40 years, 3 out of every 4 pipes purchased has been a Savinelli; and not one looser in the lot.  I have now reached a fiscal status that would easily allow me to spend upwards of $300 for a pipe, but I have never been tempted.  Beautiful hand carving and exquisite grain were never part of my criteria although I can certainly appreciate such aesthetics; I just don't believe they would contribute to my smoking pleasure.  However I do  understand that there are many smokers who derive as much pleasure from artistic creations as they obtain from smoking them. I would not be surprised to learn that there are some who purchase aesthetically appealing pipes with no intention of ever smoking them.

 

[pipetrepid]

the popularity and subsequent rise in price seems to go from brand to brand. i`ve noticed that in sasieni pipes, lately. bill