Greetings from Italy. I am very pleased to get to know your site. Unlike in the USA, it is very rare in Italy to find enthusiasts who blend and treat pipe tobaccos, and even rarer to find those who work with raw tobacco leaves—even though we are major, historic producers of Virginia and Kentucky varieties. This is due to the law, which grants the State a monopoly on processing tobacco leaves—that’s right! In Italy, you can buy and process tobacco leaves only for scenting rooms or for agricultural pest control; if you cut the leaves, remove the stems, or cure them, you are breaking the law ! On the bright side, however, we do have some outstanding pipe makers
