Armando Fumia:
Pipesmoker by choice, pipemaker by chance
In summer I display my pipes in Lipari, Aeolian islands"
A terrace facing "Marina Corta" old little square, in the center of Lipari "acropoli"; the smell of the sea melting magically with the one of the pipes I'm smoking: what should I want more then this?
One day in Lipari my dear friend Angelo put a wooden block in my hands, a erica briar coming from Alicudi. I bet with myself and slowly began to shape that simple wooden block into a pipe!
I actually am a hard pipesmoker so i've been collecting pipes for long time now, thanks to many beautiful "pipe-present" from my family, too.
My first pipes, which I'm particularly fond of, are rudimental. Then I studied, visited pipes factories, talked to other pipemakers and soon pipemaking became my first passion.
When I start crafting a pipe I let my hands to be driven by the wood itself: I guess the shape, always different; I exalt the" wood flames" or evidence the "occhio di pernice" (partridge eye) and eventually out comes the pipe! Everytime it's a surprise and each pipe is a unique an unrepeatable piece of art.