Bonaquisti (Paul Bonacquisti)

Bonaquisti is the name of the handmade briar pipes made at Paul Bonacquisti's one-man workshop in upstate New York. The "Bonaquisti" spelling of the surname is used on the marks and in the brand's domain name; commercial records citing the maker's name show the form "Bonacquisti," both referring to the same workshop.

The scale is that of a workshop, not a factory: according to the maker's own estimate given in the late 1990s, 150-200 pieces a year. There is no solid data on production volume for later years.

From Woodworking to Pipes

Bonacquisti grew up in North Greenbush, near Albany, in a family that made its living from lumber and cabinetry work; he learned the craft in his father's workshop. In 1984, together with his brother John, he set up his own commercial woodworking firm. Pipemaking was added on top of this foundation as a hobby: first came experiments with pre-drilled blocks, then drilling and shaping plateau blocks himself, and finally fitting the mouthpiece himself.

The year the pursuit was taken seriously is considered to be 1994. Bonacquisti developed his technique largely on his own, though he received guidance from two experienced American makers: Mark Tinsky and John Eells. The brand's official debut, however, was in 1996. That year he took part in the Ohio Pipe Collectors show in Columbus and the C.O.R.P.S. show in Richmond, winning the "Best Pipe Maker in Expo" award at the latter.