DAVIDE IAFISCO Pipes

My passion for pipes started in the fall of 2004, when I saw a friend of mine smoking a beautiful rhodesian; he was smoking a full virginia blend, I was smelling the taste and I can’t stop looking at that interesting object, thinking about how it was made, how long the carver took to give it an elegant and symmetrical shape, who conceived it... Slowly it took shape in me the idea to try to make one by myself, but of course, without any direction it would have been much more difficult! 

After about three months from that moment, I went to Egna (BZ) visiting Bertrand Safferling in his atelier, for a two days workshop in order to get the knowledge and base of pipemaking. 

It was two full and hard days, as my experience in pipemaking was almost nothing. Fortunately it was quite easy for me to get into the several steps, from the selection of the right plateau for a certain shape, to the drilling, shaping, etc. 

It wasn’t so easy becoming familiar with handling the piece of briar to shape it with chisels, sanding belt, dremel. After two days my first pipe was finished: a straight rhodesian with squared shank! 

Since then, it was so clear in my mind that I wanted to continue exploring the fantastic world of pipe making. It took some time but I have been able to set up my own workshop, I bought some high quality Tuscanian plateaus, high quality German ebonite and cumberland rods and I started to study the shape of my first pipes. 

A few month later I had the chance to visit the famous Radice’s workshop. I was so enthusiast as they are very great people; they helped me to perfection some of my constructions steps, comparing them with a different method of production. Marzio gave me a lot of suggestions about how to use the lathe and a lot of power to go ahead in this long journey!

 

Summer came and I spent a lot of time studing Danish Freehand shapes; I must admit that those shapes was very different from my Classi English taste. I decided to contact Teddy Knudsen. I was very surpised to get such a positive answer from him, I immediately went to Denmark. We had long conversations about his way of working and his way of conceiving shapes. He showed me how he was able to make difficult shaping processes with a sand disk. 

A few month later I visited Teddy again, in his Italian workshop in Liguria, in order to work together on some common ideas. I had the chance to meet Mimmo Romeo who showed me, all those steps that a briar cutter does in order to get a high quality briar plateau. I had the chance to compare his way of working with what I had the chance to see when I visited Manno in Tuscany. 

Mimmo introduced me to Claudio Cavicchi. He is another great man and pipemaker and he shared with me his knowledge, he gave me a lot of suggestions, ideas about shapes and new material to use.

We started a long conversation that I’ve always considered very important! It is about the search of symmetry and clean lines in the shape, but also about tecniques and perfection in the drilling of each pipe. Claudio also gave me very important directions about how to ‘read’ the shape hidden through the grain in each briar plateau.

These are just a part of the people who helped me in the last few years. Thanks to them I am here now offering to you some of my most recent works; my style goes from some classic English shapes to some classic Danish freehands. Each pipe is made using the best material available and, of course, with the highest care for details.

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Davide Iafisco SKU: IAFISC02APP Grade 2 Country of Origin Italy Finish Sandblast Shape Bent Apple Stem Vulcanite Material Briar Filter None Dunhill Group Size 4 Length 5.1875 inches Bowl Height 1.625 inches Quick Specs View MSRP: $350.00 Your Price: $280.00 SOLD	Davide Iafisco SKU: IAFISC01BRAND Grade 1 Country of Origin Italy Finish Sandblast Shape Brandy Stem Vulcanite Material Briar Filter None Dunhill Group Size 5 Length 5.25 inches Bowl Height 1.625 inches Quick Specs View MSRP: $350.00 Your Price: $280.00	Davide Iafisco SKU: IAFISC04RODE Grade 4 Country of Origin Italy Finish Smooth Shape Rhodesian Stem Vulcanite Material Briar Filter None Dunhill Group Size 4 Length 4.875 inches Bowl Height 2.187 inches Quick Specs View MSRP: $350.00 Your Price: $280.00 SOLD
Davide Iafisco SKU: IAFISC04HORN Grade 4 Country of Origin Italy Finish Smooth Shape Horn Stem Vulcanite Material Briar Filter None Dunhill Group Size 5 Length 5.625 inches Bowl Height 2.125 inches Quick Specs View MSRP: $350.00 Your Price: $280.00 SOLD	Davide Iafisco SKU: IAFISC01BALL Grade 1 Country of Origin Italy Finish Smooth Shape Apple Stem Vulcanite Material Briar Filter None Dunhill Group Size 4 Length 5.5625 inches Bowl Height 1.625 inches Quick Specs View MSRP: $280.00 Your Price: $224.00 SOLD