The pipes are all made with the root of Erica Arborea.

We use roots of plants that have an average of 120 years and are the size of a football ball called "ciocchi".

The sawmill, using a circular saw, cuts the log into small squared pieces called sketches and plates. The sketches are used for mass production, machine-blank, while the plates (which are nothing but sketches selected thanks to the flamed vein) are used for flamed pipes. The plates are distinguished from the sketches because the upper part is not trimmed but left in the natural state to demonstrate the fact that they are made from a part of the log far from branches or roots.

The flamed plates, due to the higher initial cost (on average 4 to 5 times higher than the sketches of the same size) are processed by hand trying to maximize their yield.

There are plates of different prices depending on the grain more or less wide but certainly also from the flamed plates you get very few pure pipes. Collectors know this and are willing to pay much more for the pleasure of owning an exclusive and rare item. But this has nothing to do with the functionality or the smoking of the pipe itself. In short, it's just an aesthetic question. We can compare flamed pipes to briar jewels.

Are there any differences in machining for the production of pipes machined by plates compared to the sketches?

The sketches are generally used for the production of standard pipes. In the standard pipes the hole of the stove is the first to be made with an operation called flaring that also defines the upper part of the stove, then the draft is worked with successive phases using burs always taking it from the hole of the stove with special pliers expanding calls maggette.

The flamed pipes, on the other hand, are first roughened by machine and then finished by hand, defining the final shape and at the same time trying to eliminate any superficial defect.

In this case the hole of the stove is made later to make it stand in the center because the final shape could vary a lot.

Can a Pure pipe have flaws?

No manufacturer can guarantee that no hidden defects exist. Therefore there is a guarantee but it is presumed that if the pipe is without superficial faults inside and outside it is pure also in the wood's plot.