Carrying on the tradition
We chose the briar wood amongst the finest burrs in the Mediterranean Basin. These pieces of rough hewed wood are then cut and oven dried. This initial preparation plays a very important part in creating the taste of the future pipe.
Having been sorted, the pieces of wood are dried naturally during 6-month period on racks and are turned over regularly. Following grading, the various stages of manufacture are carried out by master pipe craftsmen.
Different stages of production
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Adjustement This brings each block of the same denomination to the same machines. |
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Turning Machining the bowl: both the interior and exterior according to the shape, one operation or sometimes several. |
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Stems Operation Machine the stem once or several time according to the shape required.. |
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Frazing Machining the base of the bowl as close as possible, two operations minimum. |
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Rasping Operation entirely by hand with a special metal file, to eliminate the corners left by the machine. |
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Boring First bore in the stem up to the bottom of the tobacco hole. |
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Picking of the race The bowls are separated into 9 different qualities. This work is extremely delicate, requiring a perfect knowledge of briarwood. |
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Fitting Boring : The stems are bored for the push and metal systems. Push operation : Bringing the push of the mouthpiece to the diameter of the bore in the stem, a precision operation by diamond tooling because only the contact push/stem maintains the pipe intact. Fitting : Assembling to the bowl and the mouthpiece, effected by hand and FLUSH OPERATION consists in adapting the diameter of the stem to that of the mouthpiece or vice versa. |
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Polishing 4 operations involving sandpapers of progressively finer grains. Work requiring extreme virtuosity, essentially feminine. POLISHING OF MOUTHPIECE consists in using a special abrasive paste, 2 operations remove the traces of the moulds and smooth push, mouthpieces and lip.
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Colour 2 operations, colour hand-applied then burned off. |
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Brightening The pipe is polished with a felt mop. |
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Stamping The pipes can be waxed or varnished. Then come the stamping with brand name, line's name and the shape number. After a last control, the pipes are ready for shipping around the world. |