In 1968 MPB was changed to “Brebbia”. In the same year, a slow smoking competition was held in Varese, and Enea took advantage of it. He created a team from his employees and toured Europe, bringing home multiple wins. Soon Brebbia pipes were popular in the international market, not only for their quality and designs but for their “sweet smoke.”The combination of Varese’s environment and extreme humidity levels allowed Enea to naturally cure the briar and reduce the tannin levels within the briar. By doing so, the bitter taste that a new pipe has during the first smoke was gone.
The 1970s were difficult years for the pipe business. The public slowly drifted away from the slow smoking culture, and the few that remained became more demanding than ever. Innovation, diversification, and imagination became more than ever the keys words for success and survival in the ever-diminishing tobacco pipe business. A notable invention was born in the late 70s, the frangifumo (smoke breaker) mouthpiece. Instead of one single opening, it had multidirectional channels, allowing the smoke to be less concentrated in one spot and reducing the famous tongue bite.
In 1977, one of Enea’s children, Luciano Buzzi, joined the family business ranks. As his fathers once did, he started traveling abroad to revamp the brand. Once he mastered the craft, Luciano became an active member of the creative team and created his first line in 1979 called 79. The German market (as we know prefers long-stemmed pipes) was looking for a filtration system. A 6mm filter was fitted into the pipes, but it was not enough. A new challenge was presented to Luciano, to fit a 9mm filter but keep the slim silhouette of a churchwarden pipe. Four years later, the 83 line came to life. Now all Brebbia pipes come with a 9mm filter slot, but an adapter is available for those who dislike filters.
In the following decades, multiple lines of pipes have been created, such as “Great designers of pipes” designed by influential pipe makers, the freehand line “linea A”, and many more. In 1992, Enea refurbished a large warehouse in Bosco Grande and created a pipe museum, where models from various producers and his own are displayed.
To this day, the Brebbia company stands for innovation and reimagination, always looking for new ways to improve tobacco pipes by bringing new techniques and trend-setting designs to the market. If you are looking for a new favorite, have a look at our Brebbia selection, and I’m sure you will soon fall in love with them.
With a Brebbia in my hand, I send you my regards.
Till my next post!
Chris
A lot of beautiful new and limited edition Havanas were introduced at the recent virtual Habanos Festival but realistically I would not be expecting to see any of these actually arrive any time soon. Late 2022 would probably be more likely.
