The Marking: a long tradition by Castello

The art of the marking was born from the innovative vision and infinite passion of Carlo Scotti.

The marking is the most crucial part of the work and only the owner could take care of it. This job passed from Carlo Scotti’s hands to those of his successor Franco Coppo, who still personally takes care of pipe marking in 2024.

Through ingenious choices such as the introduction of the methacrylate mouthpiece, the ivory bar and a series of unique markings, Scotti has protected and enhanced the originality of his creations.

Franco Coppo later decided that the marking would only be carried out after the sale of the pipe and possibly in the presence of the customer. After a theft that deeply outraged Scotti, Franco Coppo joined the company permanently. Scotti, a pioneer in his field, shared fascinating stories about marking, inspired by natural elements and futuristic techniques. In the 1950s, Scotti introduced methacrylate for mouthpieces, a choice that was initially criticised but soon became a standard. The distinctive mark, a white bar initially made of ivory, adorned each mouthpiece, making Castello pipes unmistakable.

The international breakthrough came thanks to Franck Wally, a pipe maker from New York, who discovered Castello pipes in Milan and brought them to the United States. Since they both used the same trademark, they decided that Castello would use diamant point, symbol of the pure value of Castello pipes, for the American market, while keeping the white bar in Europe. The castle brand is also a strong distinguishing mark. The Castello brand, created by Barilla advertising executive Giuseppe Venturini, spread as a symbol of the Italian rebirth. For Scotti, success was not the main goal, but a natural consequence of creating something unique and beautiful. A finished pipe in the palm of his hand was all that was needed to make him happy.