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Iafisco's Journey to Artisanal Pipe Making
The creative process, especially in the realm of artisanal pipe design, is by no means a cut and dry formula. It requires patience, persistence, and an ample amount of decisive problem solving. Learning to solve these problems quickly, and offset their likeliness in the future, is tantamount if one hopes to one day achieve the title of 'master' in his or her respective field. It certainly does not hurt to have current experts offer their mentorship, nor does it hurt to have ample experience working for an institution where skills can be honed through repetition and continuous practice. Such is the case with Davide Iafisco.
In more than a mere "right place, right time" scenario, Davide Iafisco began his journey in pipemaking just seven years ago, and he has been seriously making briars for only three of those years. Yet in that time, the sheer volume of pipemaking knowledge to which Davide has been exposed is extraordinary. In that time, we have been able to observe his body of work grow and develop from his pieces for Luciano to his own artisinal offerings.
In 2008, after seeing a friend smoking a Dunhill Rhodesian, his fascination with pipes was piqued. He found immense value in the ritual of pipe smoking, stating that it allows you the opportunity to ignore the rest of the world and focus on yourself and your smoke. He likened the nuances of tobaccos and blends to the intricacies of another pre-existing passion: a love for fine wine. It was only a matter of time before the endless possibilities of the design of smoking instruments enticed him as well.
After his first foray into courses held by Bertram Safferling, Davide spent two years accumulating the necessary equipment to continue working from home, crafting briars for himself and his friends. As luck would have it, he happened to be acquainted with the Radices, who proved instrumental to his development by providing both materials and sound advice. Marzio, for one, was anything but shy about telling the young carver he should consider making pipes full time, though only after he took his time learning and developing as much as possible beforehand.
Davide sent an email to Danish legend Teddy Knudsen, asking for advice, and was pleasantly surprised to receive an answer inviting him to Denmark to meet with Teddy personally. Learning an entirely new approach to pipemaking — that of the Danish freehand tradition — Davide was shortly thereafter introduced to Mimmo Romeo, who in turn introduced him to Claudio Cavicchi, who would become his next tutor. Building a positive relationship with Cavicchi, Davide then learned an approach heavily steeped in method-based work, teaching him the value of "reading" the briar in order to coax the best grain from a given block.
This comprehensive assortment of mentors was no doubt invaluable to Davide joining Luca di Piazza's team at Luciano, a working experience that taught him how to be more efficient, specifically in the area of problem solving. Now, of course, he still continues to refine his processes, producing pipes as a professional craftsman under his own name, with all the positive influences he's gained in an as-yet still young career evident in every new piece he creates.
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