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Post by johnlawitzke on Dec 10, 2018 21:42:01 GMT -5
I bought a new pipe a week and a half ago and thought that this story deserves it's own thread. As many of you know, I’m a regular at Paul's Pipe Shop in Flint, MI. Actually, at some point, I moved from regular status to unpaid staff status. 🙂 A few weeks ago, I was taking a couple guys on a tour of the shop's basement which includes the pipe making area, the pipe storage room, the tobacco tin storage room, the bulk tobacco storage room, and the blending area. While we we were in the pipe store room, I forget what I was saying but I had blindly reached into a box and randomly pulled out a pipe to make a point. While I was talking, I was thinking it was a fairly eye catching pipe that I had picked up but since I was giving a tour, I didn’t take time to look at it closer. I found that I kept thinking about that pipe. So, when I was at Paul's for Saturday a week and a half ago, I headed down to the basement to look closer at the pipe since the 25% off Christmas sale is going on at Paul's. I didn’t end up buying the one that I had randomly grabbed, but after looking around some, I bought the one in the box next to that one. What a way to find a pipe. First pics of Paul's pipe storage room and then the next post will be the pipe that I bought.     |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2018 21:49:30 GMT -5
I can just smell the briar👌👍👍. Now I’m waiting to see the pipe you purchased!!!
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Post by roadsdiverged on Dec 10, 2018 21:50:08 GMT -5
*jeopardy music*
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Post by johnlawitzke on Dec 10, 2018 21:54:10 GMT -5
The pipe that I found is a T. Cristiano Signature grade A oval shank bent Rhodesian. After Tom Cristiano's untimely passing in 2005, Paul's bought most of Tom's warehouse including 8,000 to 10,000 Calabresi and Cristiano pipes. Some of you may recall the Cristiano Metamorphosi Pipes being sold cheap on eBay a couple years ago. that was Tom Cristiano's son selling off some of the pipes that Paul's didn’t buy 12 years ago. Paul’s passed on buying that line because it was one of Tom's lower end lines and most of the models took filters and Paul and Dan hate filtered pipes. Ignoring the limited 200 pipe Millenium series made in 2000, T. Cristiano Signature was Tom's highest end line. The Signature series pipes were all handmade (stamped: "Fatta a mani" which is Italian for handmade) at Tom's factory in Italy. (Contrary to what Pipedia says, Tom owned a pipe factory in Italy and did not contract out his work.) T. Cristiano Signature pipes are graded from A down to F. The pipe that I bought is a T. Cristiano Signature grade A oval shank bent Rhodesian.      |
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Post by dervis on Dec 10, 2018 21:55:31 GMT -5
Looks like a room to spend some time in.
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Post by kxg on Dec 10, 2018 21:57:13 GMT -5
Now that is a cellar!
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Post by kxg on Dec 10, 2018 21:59:26 GMT -5
Very nice pipe!
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Post by roadsdiverged on Dec 10, 2018 21:59:37 GMT -5
I just learned a little more pipe history! Thank you.
Very nice pipe sir!
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Post by Dramatwist on Dec 10, 2018 22:01:50 GMT -5
...nice grain on that one...
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Post by johnlawitzke on Dec 10, 2018 22:05:42 GMT -5
While I am at it, here is a picture of my Cristiano collection. The top pipe is a Millenium. A BIG pipe with a 0.95” x 2.1” bowl. #106 of 200 made. I knew that I had to buy it when I saw it. See that spot rustication pattern and how it looks like an L? The pattern on the other side is a mirror image L i.e. J... My initials are JL... That pipe was made almost 20 years ago for me to find a couple years ago. The rest are all T. Cristiano Signature pipes. Top to bottom: grade C bent Bulldog grade B bent Acorn grade A oval shank Rhodesian grade A diamond shank Freehand On both the grade As and the grade B, below the "FATTA A MANI" (handmade) stamp is "DA RINO". Google translate gives me "Handmade by Rino" as a translation. Any Italian speakers out there able to confirm this? If accurate, then Rino made some very nice pipes and I can see why the factory let him stamp his name on his creations.  |
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Post by johnlawitzke on Dec 10, 2018 22:07:23 GMT -5
I can just smell the briar👌👍👍. Now I’m waiting to see the pipe you purchased!!! Picture heavy posts take me a while when I am copy and pasting links from Imgur into my browser on my iPad. 😜 |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2018 22:07:29 GMT -5
Beautiful pipe John, smoke in good health for many years. I have a large number of Tom Cristiano Pipes, I was a big fan of this very underrated carver/maker, which I’ve stated on this forum a few times. I really like his Signature Series and Bosso Pipes. There was a huge sell off of his much cheaper line on eBay, selling for under $20.00 or make offer. Some were unbranded but had his signature logo on the stem and the shank was finished like most of his pipes. Even his cheapest line are excellent smokers. I have over 30 of his pipes in my collection. The Signature Series below is my favorite....,a superb smoker👍👍👍👍👍  |
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Post by johnlawitzke on Dec 10, 2018 22:17:42 GMT -5
Beautiful pipe John, smoke in good health for many years. I have a large number of Tom Cristiano Pipes, I was a big fan of this very underrated carver/maker, which I’ve stated on this forum a few times. I really like his Signature Series and Bosso Pipes. There was a huge sell off of his much cheaper line on eBay, selling for under $20.00 or make offer. Some were unbranded but had his signature logo on the stem and the shank was finished like most of his pipes. Even his cheapest line are excellent smokers. I have over 30 of his pipes in my collection. The Signature Series below is my favorite....,a superb smoker👍👍👍👍👍 The ones on eBay were the leftovers that Tom's son was clearing out of his garage. if you ever want more Signatures or a Millenium, let me know. Paul's still has at least 200 Signatures and probably 50 to 60 Milleniums. Only the tip of the iceberg is shown on the website. Or if you can get to the Chicago or Columbus Shows, Paul's brings quite a few to those shows. The price tags are still the ones that Tom Cristiano put on the pipes 15 to 20 years ago and Paul's often has sales. When I brought the Rhodesian home, my wife wouldn’t go for the explanation that with the 25% off sale, that I saved 57% after the price tag was adjusted for inflation. When Tom died, there were quite a few finished but unstamped Cristiano and Calabresi Pipes in the warehouse. Paul’s got quite a few of those. Also, Paul's got a bunch of unfinished Calabresi stummels. Some of the Spaniola's Pipes line made at the shop use those stummels. (Not the Cayuga line though). |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2018 22:34:54 GMT -5
Tom’s son sold me a few of the Millenium series on the cheap side. All great smokers and I must say not one of Tom’s pipes had any fills.
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Post by puffy on Dec 10, 2018 22:49:46 GMT -5
Great Looking Pipes
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Post by PhantomWolf on Dec 10, 2018 22:56:01 GMT -5
Congrats, John. I absolutely love that pipe. And my heart was thumping looking at that basement. Cool story.
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Post by antb on Dec 11, 2018 2:56:01 GMT -5
What a lovely find! And nice collection too!
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Post by haebar on Dec 11, 2018 5:10:13 GMT -5
That's a great looking Rhodesian! Congratulations on the find!
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Post by johnlawitzke on Dec 11, 2018 8:55:50 GMT -5
Thanks, all!
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Post by Legend Lover on Dec 11, 2018 11:30:47 GMT -5
Fantastic story, superb looking pipe, and awesome collection. Did you not purchase the pipe you originally pulled out because you couldn't find it or was the one you chose a better pipe?
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Post by johnlawitzke on Dec 11, 2018 15:45:09 GMT -5
Fantastic story, superb looking pipe, and awesome collection. Did you not purchase the pipe you originally pulled out because you couldn't find it or was the one you chose a better pipe? I found the other one. It was a grade B bent Bulldog with diamond shank and tapered stem. About the same size and bend as the Rhody. The Rhody felt better in my hand was the deciding factor. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2018 16:10:16 GMT -5
Beautiful Cristiano pipes, great photos of the Paul's Pipe Shop cellar. A Spaniola Christmas Story is what you've told, John!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2018 16:34:31 GMT -5
Fantastic story, superb looking pipe, and awesome collection. Did you not purchase the pipe you originally pulled out because you couldn't find it or was the one you chose a better pipe? I found the other one. It was a grade B bent Bulldog with diamond shank and tapered stem. About the same size and bend as the Rhody. The Rhody felt better in my hand was the deciding factor. Work at the shop for a few hours, I’m sure Dan will give you a great deal on the Bulldog 👍👍 You know you want it.....lol |
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Post by kbareit on Dec 11, 2018 17:45:19 GMT -5
That's a nice pipe and a nice little collection of them. Congrats on the pipe adopting you.
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Post by Pistol Pete 1911 on Dec 11, 2018 18:22:26 GMT -5
Very nice pipe, very beautiful! I own a few TC's myself and find them to be very pleasurable to smoke you should enjoy that one for many many years. And again very nice pipe I like it alot
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Post by trailboss on Dec 11, 2018 18:50:26 GMT -5
Congratulations to the pipe for finding you!  Thanks for the backstory, that was interesting... that basement would be fun to sift through! |
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