Spitfire by Lorenzo Rusticated Straight Billiard Pipe, Acrylic Stem, 9mm Filter

Spitfire in script, with BY LORENZO under it, on the shank: this is a Spitfire by Lorenzo, a rusticated straight billiard with a metal band, an acrylic tapered stem and a fishtail mouthpiece, made for a 9 mm filter.

Here an upright bowl rises from a straight shank, the billiard plan. The rustication, a finish cut into the surface of the wood, covers the bowl and the shank, and a smoother area on the shank next to the band carries the stamp.

A metal band sits between the shank and the stem, with letters on it too small to read in the photographs. The acrylic stem narrows evenly toward the mouthpiece and ends in a fishtail, and a small monogram shows on the stem.

THE MARKS

- Spitfire, in script, on the shank (worn)
- BY LORENZO, under it
- letters on the metal band, not readable in the photographs
- a small monogram on the stem, meaning not known

THE MAKER
The firm behind Lorenzo was founded in 1900 by two brothers in Gallarate, in the province of Varese, as Fratelli Lana. It was the third pipe maker of the Varese area, after Rossi (1886) and Ceresa (1897). Romolo Aliverti joined the brothers in 1920, and from 1922 a close tie with the Tagliabue merchant family of Milan brought sales abroad; by 1939 the firm had 120 workers.

Tagliabue took over in 1946 and named the business Manufattura di Pipe Tagliabue. Lorenzo Tagliabue managed it from shortly before 1950, with new models of his own and a higher standard. In 1969 the brand became Lorenzo Pipes, because another pipe firm was already named Tagliabue.

Spitfire was the cheaper brand of the house: it used Lorenzo models one for one, mainly made for a 9 mm filter, together with smaller classic shapes. After Lorenzo Tagliabue retired in 1983, the brand was licensed for a short time to Comoy's of London and then almost disappeared, until Riccardo and Gabriella Aliverti bought all rights to the trademark in 1988 and production started again.

DATING
The LORENZO word on a pipe belongs to the years after the 1969 renaming, and this window is well documented; between 1983 and 1988 production was thin. For the Spitfire line itself, the years are roughly 1969 to 1990, but the start and end of the line are not documented. No number on this pipe narrows it further, so the stamps place it in 1969 or later, and possibly within 1969 to 1990.

Condition: pre-smoked and in good condition; please see the photographs.

THE MEASUREMENTS

- Length: 152 mm (6.0 in)
- Bowl height: 51 mm (2.0 in)
- Bowl width: 40 mm (1.6 in)
- Chamber diameter: 20 mm (0.8 in)
- Chamber depth: 43 mm (1.7 in)
- Weight: 52 g (1.8 oz)

Ships from the Faridunhill archive. Worldwide shipping and professional sanitation on every estate pipe. SKU: 429