Re a pipe just sold on eBay: An exquisitely-grained Canadian stamped 'Savinelli Straight Grain.' The auction was titled 'Giubelio d'Oro' in error. The wood was perfect vertical straight-grain. So, I'm wondering if a pipe that would otherwise be a Giubileo d'Oro (and this one clearly would have been), bearing a filled flaw would be down-graded to 'Straight Grain' as a matter of course, by Savinelli. Ideas?
A long while ago, I inherited over 20 Savinelli Straight Grain “C” pipes from my grandfather who passed. Long story short, I went down this same naming rabbit-hole and here’s what I remember from talking with Savinelli:
Pipes with great graining are set aside every year as they go through the production process. In order from “highest to lowest”:
Giubileo d’Oro: less than 0.1% (their words) of the wood available for the year is selected and given this grading. It will posses the strongest flames and/or most Birds Eye available from their wood library. These pipes will not feature any fills in the wood or other corrections.
Punto Oro: Woods in this line will, too, share the strong flames and Birds Eye similar to the Giubielo line. The biggest difference, is the inherent “quality” of those markings. Flames may be broken ( not perfectly straight), Birds Eye may not be cleanly displayed, etc. This line may feature small, hardly noticeable, fills.
Straight Grain: Woods in this line will feature wonderful flames but lack the strong, defined Birds Eye of the above grade, and may have zero Birds Eye at all. The focus here is really the straight flames in the briar. This line will likely have fills, but varies piece to piece.
Now, on to the “c” marking… I never got a clear, concise answer on the additional letter. I was told by multiple people that, as these pipes were 1960-70s models, and the Giubielo rating was beginning to be offered on handmade pipes, the “C” designation and Straight Grain stamping was used when a previously expected-to-be Giubielo pipe requires the use of fills or similar “touch ups” during the final stages of finishing/sanding/staining/etc, or later displays broken flame lines or muddled Birds Eye after staining/finishing. Sort of using the “C” as a “Correction” indication. This has not been confirmed, however.
