The word "ardor" signifies vigor, energy, and transitory warmth, all appropriate for a brand with the creative design stylings and impressive smoking properties of Ardor pipes. However, as compatible as the name is with the smoking instruments developed and executed by the Rovera family for the past four generations, it isn't the prime reason for the origin of the name, which is a combination of second-generation pipe maker Angelo Rovera's initials and the first syllable of third-generation carver Dorelio Rovera's given name: A.R.-Dor. Ardor. The word carries approximately the same meaning in Italian, and it was a consideration in naming the company that would become so well known across the globe.

Early History

Before Angelo and Dorelio, however, was Francesco Rovera, who with his three brothers launched a pipe making factory, Sociedade Rovera, in 1911. Located in Varese, Italy, their factory was water powered and the brothers concentrated on high quantities of solidly performing pipes under the Rovera name, and sold those pipes across Europe.

Located in Varese, Italy, their factory was water powered and the brothers concentrated on high quantities of solidly performing pipes

Francesco's son, Angelo, joined in the pipe making and eventually took over. He was incredibly skilled at detailed carving, and did many caricatures of astonishing complexity. His few unfinished creations still reside in the Ardor workshop today, along with his original workbench. Then Dorelio joined the firm at age 13 and he and his father kept improving their skills, with Angelo's line of handmade pipes proving the quality that was possible, and they sold well. Angelo still felt that profitability would be best maintained with high quantities of factory-made pipes, but Dorelio convinced him that increased quality would also increase the reputation and popularity of their pipes.

Dorelio was (and is) a perfectionist, and he too started carving complex figural pipes of famous personages like politicians and actors, and for individuals on commission. Many of his carvings are on display in the Rovera home.

Angelo decided that his son's philosophy should be tried. The two worked for years perfecting their craft before changing their business plan, and when it was time to make the changeover from factory to handcrafted pipes, they christened the new company Ardor. That was in 1974. It was a name that reflected their new philosophy of enthusiasm and devotion to the craft and galvanized their commitment to exceptional engineering, superlative smoking characteristics, exemplary finishing work, and innovative designs.

The two worked for years perfecting their craft before changing their business plan

With the increased time and handwork required for each pipe, production numbers dropped precipitously, but the quality of these pipes was such that the business did well. They worked long hours, seven days a week year round, and their name became even more respected with the passing of the years.

The Fourth Generation

Damiano Rovera, Dorelio's son, joined the pipe making about 20 years ago. He had not intended to join the family business, but began helping out and became infatuated with the creative process. "To create with your own hands, that was very interesting," says Damiano. "And to do that with freedom while also helping the family was attractive. Now things are different, I think. The younger generations may not have that philosophy."

Angelo retired at age 80, making Dorelio and Damiano responsible for production, and Damiano had some ideas for improvement. Just as Dorelio had received resistance from his father about new ideas, so did Damiano with his own father.

Damiano was attracted to the bright colors available in acrylic, which is Ardor's chosen stem material. Dorelio felt that traditional black was the only acceptable color for pipe smokers, but Damiano started making pipes secretly with bright stems and they sold out almost immediately. Dorelio was convinced and colorful stems became part of Ardor designs.

"When you have a good quality of acrylic," says Damiano, "it's very easy to work because it's a soft material, very clean. It's also easier for the smoker to clean the mouthpiece, much more than ebonite, which often requires sending the pipe to special shops or to the pipe maker to be cleaned. Also, acrylic is easier to work, much easier. Those are the major reasons we use acrylic."

Just as Dorelio had received resistance from his father about new ideas, so did Damiano with his own father

The Role of Steve Monjure

The company was doing well, but when Steve Monjure introduced himself things became even better.

"It was way back in 1995," says Steve. "I was traveling around. I've always been in sales, so when I had downtime between sales calls, I would stop in pipe shops. And I was in a shop, Boda Pipes and Cigars in Greenville, South Carolina, and the owner, Dave, said, 'I've got some new pipes from Mastercraft.' He had maybe six or seven Ardors, and I said, 'I've never seen that brand before.' He said, 'They just came in. They're wonderful pipes.'"

Steve says they were around $160 at that time, and he wasn't used to spending that much on a pipe. Dave said, "You will love this pipe. If you don't, I'll take it back." So Steve bought his first Ardor, a bent with the Ardor Meteora finish. "I fell in love with Ardor from the first pipe I bought. About a month later, I was in Abingdon, Virginia, at the Tobacco Basket, a little shop there. They had a few Ardors and I said, 'This is crazy, man, but I'm in love with these pipes.' So I bought another one there."

Steve had a hard time finding Ardors, though. "Mastercraft [the distributor] wasn't bringing a lot of pipes in at the time. So I wrote Ardor a letter and I said, 'I love your pipes. I'd like to buy direct if I could.' And they contacted Mastercraft. Mastercraft said, 'We don't care if this guy buys pipes from you direct.' And they sent me six pipes with different finishes. That was in the beginning of 1996."

I fell in love with Ardor from the first pipe I bought. - Steve Monjure

He wasn't yet thinking of importing Ardors, but he carried his own with him wherever he went.

"Some people in the country hadn't seen Ardor pipes yet. I remember seeing a poster about the Charlotte Pipe Show. I contacted Ardor and said, 'I want to go to this show and I want to present your pipes. Can you send me 50, 60 pipes?' They had enough lead time to do it and in 1997 I went to my first pipe show." Of those 60 pipes, he sold about 25, which was an excellent result.

Unfortunately, the new Ardor distributor, which had purchased Mastercraft, was at that show and notified Ardor to stop selling pipes to Steve. "So I had Ardor for one show and then it was gone."

He learned about it from Damiano, who called with the news. "I can't sell you Ardor pipes," he told Steve. "I have to sell you maybe another brand that we make: Rovera. It's the same wood. It's different finishes, some different shapes. But we make them for the German market, with nine-millimeter filters." Steve said, "Well, that's one thing I do not want."

Damiano assured Steve that it would not be a problem. "We'll make them without filter drilling for you." That's how Steve found himself distributing Rovera pipes, but it didn't last long. The new Ardor distributor almost sold out at the RTDA trade show that year and placed a large, new order with the workshop.

Damiano looked at the order and said to his father, "Something is not right." The prices were not what was previously agreed upon. They were told by the distributor that they would buy all of the Ardor pipes the workshop could make, but these were the new prices they would be willing to pay. Dorelio was saddened by the betrayal. He told Damiano, "We have no contract. We'll fill this order and then as soon as we do, call Steve Monjure and get him back on board."

"And that's what happened," says Steve. "I had Ardor, I lost it, picked up Rovera for a short time, and then got Ardor back because the distributor basically insulted the family. And that's the one thing I've learned with the Italians, and really anybody in life. Respect is more important than dollars. If they'd been told, 'We're going to buy probably 1,000, 1,500 pipes a year from you. We'd like a little bit of a price break so we can roll out these pipes at a good price, then we'll increase the prices later,' that would have been okay. But they didn't do that. They tried to bully Ardor and it didn't work." Maybe it's an acceptable business practice for major corporations in the U.S., but it doesn't work well in Italy with family-run workshops.

Respect is more important than dollars. - Steve Monjure

Family Business

Steve Monjure has been called the hardest working man in the industry. Monjure International, launched in 1998 and has become a large distributor of pipes, tobaccos, and accessories over the years thanks to that work ethic. Steve and the Roveras became like family through their business association and personal visits, based on mutual admiration and affection. That's what the Roveras respect, not contracts. They expect honesty, sincerity, and authenticity, and Steve Monjure can't operate any other way. They were made for each other.

"Ardor is a family-run business, and they've always been that way," says Steve. "There's no contract with anybody that I'm working with. Whether it's Brebbia or Rinaldo, the Italians don't need it in writing, it's in the heart. It's not on paper because you can write anything on paper. That piece of paper is not going to do it. It's beyond that."

Ardor is a family-run business, and they've always been that way - Steve Monjure

With Ardor, Monjure International grew and began expanding. "That former distributor," says Steve, "disrespected the family and they lost it. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for that. It's been a good ride ever since."

The Roveras feel the same way. Damiano insisted that Steve be contacted for this interview, because he is such an integral part of the Ardor story and has expanded Ardor's popularity in the U.S.

Of course, a big part of that popularity is the quality and design of Ardor pipes. Dorelio is now retired, though he helps out, especially with his assessments of new shapes or finishes, pointing out what works great and what could be better. "His experience is long, and we follow his suggestions," says Damiano. Dorelio has been making pipes longer than the combined decades' experience of his sons, and he is a valuable resource.

Damiano's younger brother Dimitri became part of the team, and he and his brother handle all of the manufacturing now, about 900 pipes a year. "I think we have arrived at a good level to work alone and to make our own production without my father's full help. And we are satisfied. We work hard to design shapes, to develop styles, and playing with the colors from the mouthpiece to the finishes. The results are good, and we are always involved."

Acrylic in Modern Colors

Mouthpiece colors for Ardor pipes are always evolving. "I used to introduce at least one new color every year and maybe two. I've just received this week a new color I ordered a month ago, but because of the pandemic, there were some problems because the company was closing and opening and closing because of the lockdown. But I think we have between nine and 12 colors that we still use right now."

For Damiano, the Fantasy line of Ardor pipes provides his most creative outlet. "I love to do them," says Damiano. "The Fantasy pipes offer a good opportunity to play with style and finishes and shapes because it's a mounted style of mouthpiece. To me, the idea is to make a very good mix between my style and a little bit of Danish style, and sometimes to have the possibility of transforming classic shapes into something new; classic but also not so classic."

A slow and careful but constant attribute of Ardor pipes is the evolution of finishes, rustication, styles, and designs, incorporating not only creative new shapes but special finishes and carving techniques, like spiral carving on bowls or shanks. Giant pipes are also particularly popular, requiring well-aged briar of enormous proportions, easily large enough to fashion two or three more common-sized pipes. And these pipes are engineered differently, with larger smoke holes through the shanks to accommodate the different airflow necessary for excellent smoking properties, and sturdier construction at the mortise and tenon.

"We also introduced some finishes that we call 'old styles,'" says Damiano, "in the sense that we give them a special red or black or yellow finish which seems vintage, and are very popular, especially on the rusticated surfaces." Combining features such as this with vibrant, non-traditional colors for the stems results in pipes of unique character.

Worldwide Availability

Ardor pipes are sold worldwide, from Spain and Germany to Argentina, Israel, and China. "Also some in Turkey. Well, here and there in the world. So there's not very specific countries. I think our pipes are accepted and followed almost all around the world. And I always have in mind the U.S. market, which is our premium market, thanks to my friend Steve Monjure. For every kind of pipe or finish, I am sure that in the U.S. there is someone who can understand and love it. So that is the real reason I think the U.S. market is really the best."

China especially requests large numbers of pipes, but Ardor can only send a fraction of what is requested. "If you want to make pipes of a certain quality with a certain level, you need time. I will never be able to increase quantity and keep the quality under control."

Ardor pipes provide something for every taste, and as for high-quality, handcrafted pipes, their prices remain very reasonable, especially considering the dedication, care, and the thought that contributes to them. It's a family business with a long history, and those who own Ardor pipes are extended family. The Roveras take that relationship seriously and each pipe is made with love for the craft and respect for those who enjoy the results.