My Second Ser Jacopo
I was in Milan some years ago and while there, I visited Al Pascia, the pipe shop, in the heart of the city. After an hour or so talking with Leonardo and Cosimo, who own and run the place, I selected a Ser Jacopo bent pipe and have loved the thing ever since. Not surprising then, that my second Ser Jacopo should also come from them. The difference being, that I found this one on their website and bought it online. It arrived today. Delivery time from Italy was a week.
I’m sure the two of them will forgive me if I reproduce one of their pictures here. Why should I strive to take a picture that will probably not be better than this..?! So here it is.
It’s plain to see, we’re talking cross grain here and the birdseye on this pipe is lovely. In fact, that’s the main reason for my buying it. My first Ser Jacopo is more or less straight grained. Variety, they say, is the spice of life. The first also has a saddle stem, this one has a lovely chubby taper stem and frankly, I like it a lot. It has the appearance of the tenon stems for which Peterson is famous but once again, that’s all camouflage and the stem actually ends in the more conventional mortise and tenon that we all know but staggered in two different dimensions. Which must have made the boring of this pipe quite difficult. The fit is nevertheless perfect.
Having the pipe isn’t enough. You have to smoke it to appreciate it, so I filled it with Robert McConnell’s “Pure Virginia” and fired her up. The pipe was “presmoked” as makers like to call it, meaning that the chamber is coated with some mixture of carbon and waterglass. I could taste it at first but finally the tobacco took over and I puffed away at it for forty minutes or so. The pipe returned a fine grey ash and burned to the bottom. Perfect. The pipe felt a little heavy in the teeth but not being a clencher anyway, I don’t see this as being a problem. I tend to smoke my pipes in the hand, not hanging from my oral equipment. Apart from that, the pipe was a pleasure to smoke. Easy draw, nicely balanced and comfortable in the hand and pleasing to the eye. This one does not disappoint me in any way and I am very pleased with my latest acquisition.
Dimensions are as follows:
Length: 128 mm
Height: 48 mm
Bowl: Ø 46 mm
Chamber: Ø 20 mm x 38 mm deep.
Markings:
“Ser Jacopo” over “Fatta a mano in Italia”. “Per aspera ad astra” and, finally “L1” in a circle.
There is a link to Al Pascia further down on the right hand side of this page for those who are interested in visiting the website. My only warning would be, that if you look hard enough, you will find something delightful and desirable.
The Pipe Smoker 
A beautiful creation with lines that flow like a lazy stream running through the wildnerness.
Looks like a sweet smoker with many years of enjoyment!
Thanks. Yep, it does have a nice flow to it.. all part of the attraction.
Exile.
Well done Keith, it’s really a beautiful pipe.
I’m truly envious of that one, as I admired it the Al Pascia site on more than once occasion. Your comments on the smoking qualities will make sure I pull the trigger the next time this shape shows up. Enjoy her!
I can only hope another (or similar pipe) becomes available for you. It is a lovely pipe. I shall certainly enjoy smoking it and, hopefully, for many years to come! Thanks for your comment.
Exile.
Wow that is a very nice pipe! I hope to acquire one myself soon.
Thank you and good luck to you Sir.. pick a nice one..!! Keep an eye on Al Pascia’s website.
Exile.
I have my eye on a lovely Ser Jacopo, and from Al Pascia as well. All this did was fuel my want of this pipe *laughs.. Wonderful blog, thank you.
I’m glad you approve Sir. The shop is a delight to visit and Cosimo and Leonardo are really nice guys. Go for it!
Exile.
Exile,
I have a few Ser Jacopo’s and they are all sweet smokers; however, they all had uncoated bowls. I recently saw a Ser Jacopo I liked that has a pre-carbonized bowl and I’m a little hesitant to buy it. How long did it take for the bowl coating flavor to disappear? How pronounced was it in your first few bowls? Was the taste unpleasant and/or did it detract from the tobacco’s taste? How is the pipe smoking now?
Thanks,
Dave
Hi Dave, thanks for this comment and welcome to the site. Pre-carbonisation is a treatment that is meant to replicate pre-smoking. It is a carbon layer applied to the bowl, usually by brushing on a wash of carbon powder in a ‘size’. Generally, it is tasteless and once it has had a charge or two of tobacco through it, the bowl is carbonated. There are mixed feelings on this and I know of many who dislike the whole process and others who don’t think it worth the while. Some will take fine sandpaper and remove the layer before smoking the pipe. Others fill the bowl and light up without a care. Either way, in my experience, it has little to no effect on the pipe or the smoking of it.
Ser Jacopo make lovely pipes. I’m sure that if they thought this was going to be detrimental to the pipe they would not do it. I have a couple in my collection and both smoke very well. I also have a couple from Mastro de Paja. If memory serves me, one of each was pre-carbonated. Had I noticed anything untoward, I’m sure I would have taken note of it.
Exile