The Savinelli Alligator, a fine pipe with some teeth to it

Last time we talked about pipes, we discussed some handmade varieties by Boswell and Johs. Today, we’ll talk about one of the first pipes I bought for myself, a machine-made Alligator in the 311 KS shape by Savinelli, a storied Italian marquee. It looks weird, but it would have been the perfect companion when I first started smoking!

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Savinelli’s fat 320 KS Saint Nicholas pipe calls to mind Santa’s bowlful

I started smoking a pipe when I was eighteen, as I was lucky to have a dad who spoiled me with quality pipes he no longer smoked. Despite their age and, often, abuse, almost all of them punched well above their weight, particularly since they were free to me and anything free automatically rocks. Two of dad’s pipes were from the storied Italian firm Savinelli: a Punto Oro bulldog with a vulcanite saddle bit, and an Autograph freehand that was worth probably $500 until I dropped it on the asphalt parking lot of my Fort Wayne apartment. Bam. Good morning, concrete! Dad just about kicked my ass over that. It could have been repaired, and would have, eventually.

Continue reading “Savinelli’s fat 320 KS Saint Nicholas pipe calls to mind Santa’s bowlful”