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RandyP

Lurker
Oct 30, 2023
30
24
I can't make it out. It's a handmade pipe from Italy, probably from the late 1980's
 

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Dave760

Can't Leave
Jul 13, 2023
447
5,226
Pittsburgh, PA
I would hate to admit how much time I spent trying to figure this out. But no luck. As best I can tell, the last name is Pu?bou? with the second ? likely being an 's'. So, I know as much now as I did when I stared. Sorry I wasn't any help.
 
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RandyP

Lurker
Oct 30, 2023
30
24
I would hate to admit how much time I spent trying to figure this out. But no luck. As best I can tell, the last name is Pu?bou? with the second ? likely being an 's'. So, I know as much now as I did when I stared. Sorry I wasn't any help.
It's like a puzzle that eats at you. It was a T and a C.
Yeah, Ok
 
Dec 3, 2021
4,920
41,592
Pennsylvania & New York
Here is a different Thomas Cristiano stamp (from Worthpoint):

thomas-cristiano-signature-pipe_1_93a28fbd2b68f87ac882abccd9160bdd.jpg

It’s my understanding that Cristiano made Kaywoodie pipes in the ’80s and ’90s. I have an unfinished Kaywoodie from this period that came from his estate. Some of you will recall one of my Birthday pipes from earlier this year that came from his collection (the gnarled briar root one that was in his collection for sixty years).
 

Ghosted Tamper

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 10, 2023
254
1,443
South West, US
For those of us who don't know about that guy, can you fill us in why or why not?
I'm not denying that this is a pipe made by (or for) Cristiano, however, the stamp doesn't seem to read 'Cristiano'.

I am no expert on Cristiano pipes, but his 'T. Cristiano' signature stamping is a bit different, or perhaps there was an off day at the factory?

thomas-cristiano3b.jpg
*Credit to pipephil.eu for the photo.

The 'ristiano' portion of the script just doesn't look right in the OPs' photo. Perhaps we were given a bad context of lighting 🤷‍♂️?

Most of his pipes are believed to have been made in Italy (by either Barontini, or by L'Anatra), hence the 'Hand Made In Italy' (*and all variations of the theme). It is alleged that the brand was merely a 'Distributor Brand', because of this.

Other information floats on about the man himself, along with the pipes he made and the brands he was associated with. All I will say is that there are very nice pipes stamped 'T. Cristiano' out there. Rest in peace to Signor Cristiano.
 
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pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,313
4,376
Thanks for all the replies. I sent an email over to the nice staff over at Smokingpipes.com, and one of their vets got back to me with the answer:

Thomas Cristiano
I have one of his signature pipes also.
He started out working for S.M. Frank making Kaywoodies in the late 1960s and moved to Tampa in the 70s to open his own shop.