Ardor Estate Pipes


Ardor Estate Pipes | Iwan Ries & Co.

Ardor pipes continue a family tradition that dates back to 1911 when four Rovera brothers began making briar pipes in Varese, Italy. Unlike the current production, the majority of the older pipes were machine made. Dorelio Rovera and his son Damiano are the carvers for the company today and have focused on hand-made products while still borrowing influences from the past.

Their creations can sometimes be small (compared to a group-3), but are more commonly medium-large or even massive at times. The makers have a large following of loyal customers who collect everything from classic Italian shapes to whimsical designs and creative carvings. Ardor pipes are completely handmade with bowls turned from extra quality briar from Sardinia, Calabria and Ligurian that is aged for an additional ten years. Finishes include rusticated, rusticated in a ring blast pattern and later blasted, sandblasted, aggressively carved, and smooth. Working exclusively with acrylic rods for stems that are fitted with a delrin tenon, or silver spigot mount, their pipes can range in color from black to pink and every hue in between.

The unique creative vision of the Roveras combined with minute attention to detail, yield a pipe that has become renowned for both its beauty and superb smoking qualities.