The Duke

The beginning of Massimiliano (Max)'s love affair with pipes dates back to 1990 when he bought his first "Dublin" pipe and realised that it would soon become his greatest passion. Massimiliano was fascinated by everything involved in creating a pipe from scratch and, above all, by how the wood was worked. In fact, from the age of 14, he worked in the summer as his uncle's assistant in his carpentry workshop.

Once he had gathered his first materials, he decided to try his hand at making his first pipe, but he was not very satisfied with the result. After his initial experiments, Max wasted no time in improving his skills and deepening his knowledge of every aspect of pipe making.

After much study, he began to put into practice everything he had learned about pipe making and, when it came to choosing a name for his creations, he did not hesitate to use the name 'Duca', the name of his medieval hometown (Ferrara). Max mainly uses briar from northern Italy, which undergoes a strict seasoning process lasting at least two to three years. He loves to experiment with as many materials as possible and makes mouthpieces from a wide range of materials, such as acrylic, vulcanite, horn and Cumberland, with inserts in boxwood, silver and bamboo.

Lately, he has also been experimenting with alternative woods that are extremely interesting for their aromatic potential, such as olive and strawberry tree, with which he creates pipes that are as smooth as they are sanded and rusticated.