Broken Pipe: Giancarlo Guidi

August 13, 2012 by Sykes Wilford in Makers and Artists

Just prior to the sending of today's newsletter, I was saddened to hear that Giancarlo Guidi, founder and principle of Ser Jacopo, passed last Monday, August 6th, succumbing to stomach cancer. He had continued to work, making pipes and overseeing the Ser Jacopo workshop, until June. Guidi was a guiding light for the Italian pipe world. It is difficult to imagine Italian pipes today without his artistic influence. He co-founded Mastro de Paja in 1972, leaving a decade later to found Ser Jacopo in 1982. The group of brands that we now think of as belonging to the 'Pesaro School' of pipe making are all made by men who, at one time or another, worked for and were influenced by Giancarlo's passion. Arguably to a greater degree than any other, Giancarlo Guidi's artistic vision has defined and driven Italian artisanal pipe making for the past forty years.

I only had one opportunity to meet Giancarlo, in Pesaro, in 2010. The man loved pipes like few others and, unsurprisingly, was a devoted art student. We overcame considerable communication barriers and enjoyed a remarkably thorough 'discussion', mostly consisting of pointing and facial expressions, about Ser Jacopo pipes and their design language. I had long admired Giancarlo Guidi and that time with him was a real highlight for me.

Having guided Ser Jacopo for three decades, Giancarlo spent much time recently to ensure a smooth transition and to map a plan for Ser Jacopo going forward into the future. Ser Jacopo lost its founder, sadly, but it, and the Pesaro School at large, will not have lost his vision.

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