MAGNIFICENT LARGE LORENZO STRAIGHT GRAIN BENT IN BOX & SLEEVE--RARE & PRISTINE !

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T his COLLECTIBLE BRIAR PIPE is a very unusual (if not unique) offering among my annual Holiday Listings! After all, who would expect to see a LORENZO STUDIO featured among my BEST Pipes of the Year? Take a LOOK and you will SEE why!!! There are a couple good reasons, so sit back and enjoy viewing this remarkable Pipe - - - an “800 SERIES” marketed by Comoy in the 1970s with impeccable “Angel’s Hair” Straight Grain that would be the envy of any pipe maker any time, any place!!! It is GORGEOUS, LARGE 1/4 BENT that is covered with FINE, TIGHT, DIAGONAL “ANGEL’S HAIR” STRAIGHT GRAIN - - - the kind you would expect to see on a high-priced Northern European Masterpiece! Size and Beauty are combined in this LORENZO STUDIO made in Gallarate, ITALY by LORENZO TAGLIABUE!!! It is a Dunhill Group 6/ODA Size and may be New and Unsmoked! (There is NO charring in the bowl; NO discoloration in the mortise; and NO tobacco odor! However, it will be offered as a previously smoked estate pipe, and only the lucky buyer will know for sure!) If it was smoked, it was not smoked more than once and remains in VERY PRISTINE CONDITION!!! It comes in the ORIGINAL “Styled by Lorenzo” SLEEVE and the MATCHING ORIGINAL “Styled by Lorenzo” BOX complete with the LORENZO GUARANTEE CARD in the Box!!! Needless to say, it is one of the best bargains on eBay! Compared to most Italian Brands, " LORENZO " is a very old Company and became one of ITALY's LEGENDARY PIPEMAKER's ! It was founded in 1900 in Italy by Lorenzo Tagliabue who (according to legend) used his first name on his pipes to distinguish them from another pipemaker with a similar last name. Three generations followed and when Lorenzo Tagliabue died in 1987 leaving no heirs, Comoy's of London (which had acted as the American Distributor for Lorenzo for over a decade) acquired the name and began producing low-priced pipes. As a result, Lorenzo's strong reputation was eroded! However, the earlier Lorenzo pipes are frequently exceptional and rival offerings from other Italian brands! This Lorenzo is a good example! According to Comoy, Lorenzo “virtually lived is factory to oversee every operation.” Described as “more of a studio than a factory” it was located just north of Milan. He personally purchased all of the “top quality materials” used in his production; hired and trained all of his personnel; and did the final inspection of each pipe to ensure the quality control! Through the late 1970s he was known for having “the tightest quality control of any factory in the industry”!!! His briar was hand selected from personal inspection in Calabria, Sicily or Sardinia. The following was written about him: “It has been said that Italy is a country where art is a way of life. Lorenzo has translated that hard, and that way of life, into his pipes.” Exactly when Comoy established a relationship with Lorenzo is unknown, but they made their first appearance in a Comoy catalog in 1971. They were offered in four lines: Standard (traditional shapes), La Moda (freehands), Contour (with Danish-style mouthpieces), and STUDIO (featuring 16 “very large, unusual shapes”). The “ LORENZO STUDIO COLLECTION” were their largest standard production and for those who remember their Comoy history, there is an interesting connection. Comoy introduced their “800 SERIES” oversize pipes prior to World War II (which Dunhill later copied with 800 numbers for their oversize ODA Series after World War II). Comoy distinguished the LORENZO STUDIO COLLECTION from the other lines and marketed them as: “Larger than standard . . . in the 800 Series of shape numbers.” This Lorenzo is a SHAPE 811 !!! Lorenzo pipes were known for their “beauty of grain and remarkably good smoking qualities” and varied from high quality collectibles to very inexpensive average pieces. All were identified by the distinctive LORENZO WITH PIPE LOGO - - - a UNIQUE DESIGN with a Pipe protruding from the last "O" in LORENZ O! (See picture.) Even their machine-turned pipes reflect considerable HAND WORK! Mouthpieces w... read more

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