Don Carlos Silver Bands, Unique Styles and Finishing Touches
Most pipemakers fit plain silver bands, and silver military mounts to some of their pipes and Bruto Sordini is no exception to this. But he also offers something extra - a wide silver band incorporating the Don Carlos logo. Cast from solid silver, it adds a great deal of distinction to a fine pipe.
A new development (April 2000) is the addition of transparent red jewelers enamel to the Don Carlos band. This is a skilled process, beautifully executed,. Layers of enamel are built up during repeated firings in a kiln, then the surface ground down to the level of the "conductor", before being given a final firing to restore the stained glass-like appearance. Fantastic!
The Don Carlos silver band |
The new Don Carlos enameled silver band |
|
|
Click on the pic for a bigger image |
|
| The
right-hand pic also shows the new Don Carlos "treble clef" silver logo which
replaces the simple white bar logo, Compare the enameled band with the silver band on the "Melos" at the foot of this page. |
|
Back in August 1999, whilst in Bruto's workshop, I picked up some silver DC bands, and remembering the enamel jeweler I used to make, suggested to Bruto that his unique band might look wonderful with a transparent red enamel applied on it. He didn't say a lot at the time, but - typical Bruto - went off and quietly developed the idea. The first I knew that my suggestion had been adopted was Rosaria told me that Bruto had perfected the process - and would be sending me the first pipe to be made with the new enamel band. What a lovely surprise!
But for really spectacular silverware, how about this? There is nearly a quarter of an ounce of solid silver in this windcap. Always available to special order, but I sometimes have one or two in stock.
|
|
|
Click on the pic for a bigger image |
||
Although most Don Carlos pipes are unique, one of a kind pipes, there are some distinctive shapes that Bruto loves to make so much, that he has given them names. These are the Montana, the Melos the Hydra and, the Seisma (pictured below). All are available in Rusticated or various grades of Polished finish.
The Seisma celebrates the Sordini family's survival of the terrible earthquake that ravaged central Italy in 1997 - each pipe incorporates a shank extension of 300-year-old oak, taken from the roof timbers of an ancient building that was badly damaged in the disaster.
The Hydra is the Don Carlos patent "system pipe" and is, in my experience, unique – it is the only system pipe I know that has unimpeded smoke flow and is simple to clean. Alternatively, it can be used as filter pipe. True versatility from Don Carlos!
A new addition to this range (May 2000) is the Bolero. I suppose that it could be described as a variation on the Poker shape, but the detailing gives it an elegance that the standard Poker can never achieve. The base of the Bolero is not flat, but gently domed, the tapered sides of the bowl are not flat but ever-so-slightly concave. The thin silver band and the turned decoration on the shank add a unique finishing touch. Beautiful!
Some of these Don Carlos speciality pipes are pictured below – I'll add others as they become available. All these pics are thumbnailed (as is virtually every photo on my site).
|
|
|
| Melos | The unique Melos band | Hydra |
 |
|
 |
| Montana | Bruto Sordini | Hydra's unique construction |
 |
 |
 |
| New Enamel band | Seisma | New Bolero |
| All
these pipes are available Rusticated and all grades of Polished finish. Click on the pic for a bigger image |
||
| I asked Bruto Sordini's wife, Rosaria, to tell us a little
about the background to these named pipes and where Bruto found his inspiration. Here are
her words: SISMA : Born on October 97, during the earthquake
period, the name was given to exorcise our fear (you already know where the oak-wood comes
from ). The shank of the Sisma incorporates an insert of 300 year old
oak, from the roof timbers of one of the ancient buildings in Bruto's
village that was wrecked by the earthquake. The pipe is a celebration of their
survival. I was therefore proud to present one of these pipes to a Taiwanese friend
as a celebration of his survival of the terrible earthquake that hit Taiwan in 1999 -
Clive.
|