The Castello Thread

No Castellos here, but I have 14 Radices. He used to carve for Castello. Love'em!

I love all things Castello! We have very active Castello communities on Facebook and Instagram that you’d be welcome to check out! 

The Castellos were fairly early buys.  I kept hearing how they had all the best briar stockpiled in their warehouse, and nobody else had anything like it.  Maybe it's true; I haven't visited anybody's warehouses, so I don't know.  But it doesn't seem to be true from what I have seen.  I think I'm done with the 3 I have now. 

Radice is still probably my favorite brand in the sense that they seem to make the most pipes that I like, but between Dunhill and Castello, I'd say they're about equally overpriced, and I prefer Dunhill's shapes and their pipes always seem to come out lighter than most, somehow.  I have a big bias toward more lightweight pipes.  Get much over 1.5 oz., and my interest starts falling off.  Get up to 2 or more and it has to be something really spectacular for me to even give it a second look.  Even then, I'm very, very unlikely to buy it.

Anyway, that's just me.  Lots of folks love Castellos, and I can understand why.  I still want to hear about (and see, if possible) searockfan1's collection.

Lou had some elegant penmanship!

Have something like 75 Castellos. I like the carved pipes.  Don't own a single smooth Castello.  Sea Rocks, Old Antiquary, couple of Epocas. Prefer medium size in mainly standard shapes, especially old ones.  I don't think I have one less that 30 years old. Also smoke some Caminettos, Mastros, Ser Jacapos, a some meerschaums and a few Savinelli filter pipes I use when I smoke an aromatic.  I'm mainly an English smoker. 

I'm sure I've owned over 1,000 Castellos in my day.  Used to be in the pipe and tobacco business.  

Ah, Castello,
My first real high quality pipe was the shape 75 lovat in GGG size and searock finish. (rusticated rim, not smooth).
We bought it at Jon's pipe shop in saint louis mo. I had purchased the vauen classic volcano from them a few months prior and the luxor basket pipe (chacom 2nds) then just as the pandemic was being revealed overseas with all the extra concerns of it being a global event we decided I should have a large pipe to use instead of cigars which also saved us a lot as filling a bowl is far cheaper than premium cigars.
I had seen the big Castello during my prior visits but the price was too high at the time. I found the pipe to be enchanting but resigned myself to never affording it..
I suppose it was the sudden drop in customers as saint louis city started mask mandates and nobody could sit at the shop. At one point they were delivering orders curbside.
It was then I inquired about a best price on the lovat.
Original price was over 640$ they sold it it to us for 475$.
I had it delivered curbside.
From then on I enjoyed the pipe through most of the early lockdown period (which was one selling point to the bride) the large size giving long pleasant bowls during the worst of the lockdowns.
I still feel fortunate to have obtained such an amazing briar and felt quite smug during every bowl.
I do not fill it as often now that I have a decent rack of regular pipes but now and again I fill it for a long luxurious bowl.
My next Castello was an SC23 searock apple billiard from rebornpipes. Mr. Laug does such a great job on restoring pipes that when I saw the old pipe in the store I snapped it up. My initial reasoning was I have a "kino" in the lovat so now I have a Scotti era pipe. the sc23 is late 50s early 60s vintage and is a great pipe. flake, navy blends, you name it and this pipe treats them all well. the big fishtail stem makes it a clenchers delight.
So time passes......
I picked up several more pipes from rebornpipes, mostly smaller bowls and pitched toward daily use. They make up the core of my working pipes.
One day I am reading his blog and he has a wonderful old searock billiard SC16 from the scotti era come up for sale.
I jumped on that pipe instantly. I wanted a true Castello billiard and that pipe was/is a beauty.
I keep the billiard and the lovat together in the case and both do light duty coming out for those moments I want a significant bowl. those two pipes force One to sit and tend them the entire time. No yard work when they are filled!
All three of my Castellos are excellent briars with my lovat being the rarer of the three. I still have yet to find one exactly the same anywhere..(adds to the worry whenever I use it) but I enjoy knowing all three are valuable and will always be valuable which forces me to become a catetaker instead of just a pipe Enthusiast.
I burn bowls in my vauen Enzian without a care but with my castellos I always take extra care and each is kept clean as possible, dried, wiped and a cleaner down the stem every bowl.
My level of pride in those pipes is a bit shameless...
I may go for another in the future maybe a shape 55 with that odd jaw profile. I do not like light colored pipes as they always get filty and show use quickly. (my charatan's make executive freehand is very light colored and after a few bowls I have a big cleanup).
Having moved on to spigots my true Unicorn pipe is now a Dunhill silver spigot. I only ever seen one for sale and it was 1000$ so need that price to drop a bit first!
Thanks for making a Castello thread!