Artisan: when Al Perkowski was a wood model maker, he crafted pipes for friends and pipe shops in his area. This part time activity depended strongly from his professional obligations until he retired. From this date on he devoted himself entirely to freehand pipes.

Markings: The first two numbers are the year the pipe was made and the last three numbers refer to the number of the pipe made that year.

Artisans: Paolo & Gianni
Grading (ascending): Pipa Croci, Amica, True, True I, Quality Street, Starlight, Golden Flame.

Production (2007): ~ 3000 pipes/year

Pipa Croci is part of the Molina Group (2012)

Chunky bowls with rough carving or gouges.

Tracy Mincer stopped making Custom-Bilt pipes in the early 1950s. The trademark was successively bought by Leonard Rodgers (1953), Consolidated Cigars (1968) and Wally Frank Co. (early 1970s). The later began to produce again his version of the pipe in 1974 or 1975 at Weber pipe factory (NJ). In 1987, the pipes were made out of the Butz-Choquin factory (France) and then Mexico until the late 1990s. Currently (2010), the Custombilt name is owned by Tobacalera of Spain which is part of Altadis.

It is generally admitted (but not proved) pipes stamped "Custom - Bilt" (with the hyphen) are from the Mincer era. The name might have changed from Custom-Bilt to Custombilt (without the hyphen) in 1946.

The maker behind this label is unknown.

Other brands have crafted or distributed Hurricane type pipes stamped with their own name among which:

• Orlik
• Fribourg & Treyer (Shipmate)
• Dr Plumb
• Butz Choquin (Auto-Sport)
• Mastercraft (Sparkproof)
• Fortnum's (Windward)