Ardor Pipes are one of the finest and most affordable Italian pipes on the marketplace today. The attention to detail and fine craftsmanship that you would expect to see in a high quality pipe are all present in the Ardor.
Ardor, a company created by the Rovera family, which now has four generations of pipe-crafting experience. Four generations of the Rovera family have dedicated themselves to the making of pipes. Millions of hours of experience, together with a deeply emotional commitment to the craft, have combined to bring the world a line of pipes like no other.
Dorelio Rovera is the creative force behind Ardor pipes. He is a man in his 50s, with a carefree style and somewhat disheveled appearance, though that casual attitude ends where his pipes are concerned. When he examines a pipe, he scrutinizes the lines, the balance, the symmetry and overall workmanship. Like any sculptor, he is minutely aware of every nuance of shape. And above all else, he is his own worst critic. ìEvery pipe must be perfect,î he says through his son Damiano, who translates his Italian into English. ìI will not have my name and reputation on a pipe that is less.î
Damiano is also a pipemaker and, as such, represents the fourth generation of carvers in the Rovera family. In his mid-20s, Damiano claims he is merely in an apprentice stage of his carving career, though his pipes clearly show the sophistication of many years of experience. He started working with his father in the shop at age 18, though he left for a time to pursue a degree in accounting. ìBut I never loved it like I love pipes,î he says. ìAnd I always knew I wanted to work with my father. So now I am learning to be a pipemaker.î
The two Roveras make an excellent team. Damianoís considerable skills and artistic vision sharpen more and more under the tutelage of his father; Dorelioís vast experience and unremitting perfectionism are challenged to even higher levels as he teaches his son. They learn from each other, and Ardor pipes reap the benefits of the collaboration.
This has happened before, by the way. Damiano is now learning from Dorelio, who learned from his father, Angelo, who learned the craft after his own father, Francesco Rovera, who helped start the company that would become Ardor Pipes.
One of the pure joys in pipe smoking is the Ardor pipe, and it is surely one of the finest, yet at the same time, most affordable Italian pipes on the marketplace today. Ardor is the invention of the Rovera family, and its origins begin in Varese, Italy in 1911. Originally four brothers (Frederico, Carlo, Cornelio and Franscesco) started the company which would become known as Ardor, and produced many pipes that have become popular throughout Europe, and now, the United States.
The attention to detail and the fine craftsmanship that you would expect to see in a high quality pipe are all present in the Ardor. They are available in a number of lines including but not limited to, smooth & natural (Venere),carved (Meteora), and sandblasted(Sabbiata). Ardor pipes come in 150 shapes and are principally carved by father Dorelio Rovera and his son Damiano (pictured above). The name "Ardor" is a combination of the initials of Dorelio Rovera's father Angelo Rovera "AR" and Dorelio himself "DOR". Be sure to click on the links below to view Ardor images and see representative samples of the product, and also on the shape chart as well as the history.