Luciano is supposed to be Brebbia’s high grade line, so I’m surprised to see a small fill on the bowl. Of course, the bowl is so huge that it would be special if it were fill-free. There appears to be something less than a clear title to the Luciano brand name. According to Pipedia, usually reliable enough, the line was first part of the Ser Jacopo stable (why did they pick that name for one of their lines…plus I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a Ser Jacopo Luciano) and then introduced by Luciano Buzzi of Brebbia. That much I know is true because I was there when he introduced his high end line at the RTDA…he and I had a little heated discussion regarding his pipes, which he thought were hot shit and I felt were overpriced and added nothing at all to the many high end pipes, mostly from Denmark, that were then available. Then, again according to Pipedia, Luca Di Piazza, introduced a Luciano line to the U.S., perhaps with design input from Greg Pease. Well, I’d be very surprised if this hulk of a pipe were designed by somebody with the refined taste of Pease. The bowl is very large, with a proportionally short shank and unremarkable stem. However, Pipedia says Di Piazza took over, or re-started, or started, the Luciano line in 2007 and this one is dated 2010, so maybe it is one of Greg’s designs. Interestingly, it does not say ‘made in Italy’ but rather “Hand Finished in Italy.” Ostensibly, then, it was started somewhere else. There is a little wear on the inner rim; the acrylic stem is in pristine condition. The draw is open.
6 1/8” long, bowl 2.75” tall. Weight: 4 5/8 oz., 132 grams.