14 of 14 Items
14 of 14 Items
Caminetto was founded in 1968 by Guiseppe Ascorti, who had gained recognition as a skilled carver during his time at the Castello factory throughout the 1960s. Aspiring to create something of his own, he partnered with fellow pipe maker Luigi Radice, and together they joined forces with Gianni Davoli, a Milan tobacconist who became the exclusive distributor of their new pipes. The brand name, Caminetto, meaning "little chimney" in Italian, was born from this collaboration.
At the time, Castello had sparked a growing appreciation for neo-classic Italian pipe design in the U.S., but their pipes were priced beyond the reach of many smokers. Caminetto filled this gap, offering high-quality craftsmanship at a more accessible price, allowing them to thrive and expand internationally. Eventually, the demand for their pipes grew so much that they had to invest in machinery and workers to scale production.
However, tensions between the founders led to the dissolution of their partnership. Radice went his own way, while Ascorti, with his son Roberto, established the Ascorti brand. In 1984, Roberto and his brother Pierangelo purchased the Caminetto name from Davoli, reviving the brand in honor of their late father. Today, Caminetto pipes are crafted by Roberto’s son, Tommi Ascorti, who has been making them since 2013.