by Kenneth Lieblich

Say hello to this beautiful Savinelli Nonpareil 9604 Oom Paul! I have had this pipe in my collection for a while, but it’s time to let it go. It’s a gorgeous piece of briar with a handsome horn shank extension. This Oom Paul is very attractive, but I need to send it out into the world. You can now buy this pipe for your collection and enjoy it. No restoration story this time, but a quick view of a lovely pipe. This pipe promises to be a great smoker.

Let’s look at the markings. The left side of the shank reads Savinelli [over] Nonpareil. Despite Savinelli being an Italian company, the word nonpareil is French and means “without equal” – literally, “not the same”. On the left side of the shank is the lovely Savinelli crown, next to which are the marks 9604 [over] Italy. Finally, there are two brass dots on the left side of the stem – a very nice touch.

Savinelli is one of the most recognized names in pipe smoking and they have a long and storied history. You can read about them from their own website or from Pipedia’s article about them. I was particularly interested in learning more about the Nonpareil line. I checked with Pipephil and they did have a bit of information, which I display below. I learned from Pipephil that old Savinellis used to have four-digit shape numbers, newer ones three. The exceptions to this rule, however, are the Nonpareil and Dry System lines.This Savinelli Nonpareil 9604 Oom Paul is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner. I am pleased to announce that this pipe is for sale! If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, please have a look in the ‘Italian’ section of the store here on Steve’s website. You can also email me directly at kenneth@knightsofthepipe.com. The approximate dimensions of the pipe are as follows: length 4⅜ in. (159 mm); height 4¾ in. (120 mm); bowl diameter 1½ in. (37 mm); chamber diameter ¾ in. (20 mm). The weight of the pipe is 2½ oz. (71 g). I hope you enjoyed reading the story of this pipe’s restoration as much as I enjoyed restoring it. If you are interested in more of my work, please follow me here on Steve’s website or send me an email. Thank you very much for reading and, as always, I welcome and encourage your comments.