Viprati

[bolson]

I am lusting for a Viprati I see in Sacramento. Any folks have something to share about these pipes?

Pro's?
Cons?

 

[Puff Daddy]

They are like most other makers, some are great, some good, some so-so. I've had several, still have a couple. They smoke very well, are well engineered, worth the money. One I got rid of was actually the most beautiful Viprati I had - a fabulous honey colored billiard with horn stem. Alas, I came to loathe that stem, so I let the pipe go.

 

[Wet Dottle]

My experience with Vipratis has been that they have great wood but lousy drilling. Maybe there are some drilled properly, but I've never found one. Then again, I've ceased to look a long time ago.

 

[Puff Daddy]

To that I'd have to admit that all the Viprati's I've had have been straight pipes.

 

[beaupipe]

I've got 7 or 8 Viprati pipes and he is the most heavily represented pipe maker in my modest little collection. They range in quality from 1-clover to Fiamatta grade. I really like the pipes. I think he uses superb briar, finishes it well, and I've yet to have one that's poorly drilled. I especially like the filter pipes he does, because I smoke 9mm filter pipes about 90% of the time these days.

That said, I don't think that his pipes hold their value especially well. I've bought 2 or 3 of my Vipratis as estate pipes for about 30% of their original retail value. So if you're looking for an investment, a Viprati is not likely the best choice.

But truly, of my 60-odd pipes, inlcuding Stanwells, Castellos, Radices, a few North American artisan pipes, I'd include 3 of the Vipratis among my 4 best smokers.

 

[bolson]

Thanks for the info fellas. That helps my decision and what to do with my cash.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

I have a group 6 Viprati, a chubby canted billiard, that is smooth, as are their most celebrated pipes, I hear. It's drilled fine and I've been smoking Cumberland in it for as long as I can remember. It's a good smoker. It does have a dark spot on the outer rim, and when I brought this up with Scott Bundy, back in his Piperack days, he said that lower priced Vipratis often have flaws in the wood. Mine doesn't detract from smoking it even a little bit.

 

[Anonymous]

I know that Viprati himself has a briar mill and hand selects his blocks first before he sells the others off, he obviously has pick of the litter.
Ser Jacopo use the briar from this mill also and judging by the way these things smoke and the quality of wood used on Ser JAc's, Viprati's must be brilliant..........
have a look here, this is very interesting!!!!

http://serjacopo.com/VipBriar/VB_000.html