Mimmo came into the craft earnestly, as both a pipe smoker, and a sculptor specializing in wood as his medium. As such he takes great pride in his work and insists that every step be carried out in the traditional way — from curing to block selection, hand turning to sanding, and using only analine stains and carnuaba wax. Considering his adherence to this tradition, it`s surprising to learn that he still manages to carve around 1,000 pipes a year.