In January 1890, Achille
Savinelli's son, Carlo, took over and ran the store for over 50 years.
Thanks to his innate psychological instincts, he was able to develop
very good relations with his clients, to whom he was always able to
advise the right products, adapting his talents to satisfy the demands
of each and every customer.
In 1918, Achille Jr. was born.
As a young man, Achille began
his specialisation in pipe making in the the small workshop in the back
of the store. While his parents tended to the needs of the customers, he
preferred to stay in the back working, designing and inventing. It was
in that workshop that the first genuine Savinelli pipe came to light.
However, the spectre of war loomed, and when World War II broke out,
Achille Jr. was forced to interrupt his apprenticeship and serve five
years of military service.
Achille Jr's decision was
based on one fact: that the best-selling pipes in Italy at that time
were made abroad while Italy grew the best quality briar. This point
bothered him so much he decided to start up his own production of
high-quality pipes, at a time when all other Italian pipe makers
mass-produced poor quality, shoddy pipes. He had tremendous confidence
in his ability to produce a quality product, which, coupled with
national pride, proved successful.
He immersed himself in the development of the company and, with the help
of his best friends Amleto Pomé and Mario Vettoruzzo, started up the new
business in the Varese district in north-west Italy.
1948
saw the opening of the Savinelli factory/workshop, and the pipes
produced there rapidly began gaining prestige in markets all over the
world.
Previous to the opening of the factory, millions of pipes had been
exported worldwide from Italy, but the quality of such pipes was very
poor. As a result, when Savinelli began production it was seen as
dubious how an Italian could compete with foreign brands. He did however
succeed in making a luxury product that went head to head with the big
names and even surpassed their quality of production, to the point where
Savinelli has since become the mark of highest standard for pipes on a
global basis.
Achille
Jr. was able to match imagination with good taste, obtaining a purity of
line of which he was justifiably proud, and it is his spirit that gives
all Savinelli pipes their personality; a pleasing balance of form and
function.
His imagination and refinement have been undoubtedly passed down to
today's Savinelli, Giancarlo, who has picked up where Achille Jr. left
off. Now at the helm of the company, Giancarlo has brought new energy
and ideas to Savinelli.
Great-grandchild of the original founder, Giancarlo is managing the
delicate task of modernizing the company while keeping its traditions
intact. Dedication to quality remains the philosophy at Savinelli. The
company is greeting the new millennium with open arms, but still keeping
a foot firmly planted in its rich past.