We’re big admirers of Patrick Mavros and were thrilled to see him featured in this month’s Cigar Aficionado. A self-taught artisan, storyteller and cigar devotee, Mavros has transformed his wildlife-inspired silver creations into one of the world’s most admired luxury brands — a seamless blend of adventure, artistry and African soul.
From the Savannah to Savile Row
“Seated on the other side of the table, Patrick Mavros exudes an aura of the African savanna, as if he just strode from the golden sands of his native Zimbabwe straight into the dining room of New York’s Club Macanudo,”
writes Andrew Nagy in Cigar Aficionado, accompanied by striking portraits by Matt Furman.
Hemingway might have dreamed up a man like this — part explorer, part raconteur, yet a master silversmith whose work graces homes, palaces and collections across the world.
Once a baker, a conservationist, a survivor of polio, Mavros’ life reads like one of the great adventure stories — only his tales are told in sterling silver and cigar smoke.
Inspired by the Wild
At his beloved Mpata Farm in Zimbabwe, life and art move in perfect rhythm.
The estate is both home and wildlife sanctuary, where elephants, lions, hippos, crocodiles and countless birds roam freely among baobab trees and untamed bush.
Here, Mavros sketches on the veranda, English breakfast tea in one hand, a cigar in the other — studying the light, the shape, the breath of the wild.
His collectors come not only for the pieces he creates, but to glimpse the world that inspires them — a place where nature, craft and cigars share the same slow heartbeat.
A Gentleman’s Education
“My housemaster, E.J., was a gentleman who taught biology,” recalls Mavros.
“Instead of evening prayers, he would recite poetry. One night he read Kipling’s The Betrothed, and the words tantalised me.”
That poem sparked the curiosity of a young Patrick, who sneaked away with a friend’s father’s cigar — a humble Villiger — to taste what Kipling so vividly described.
Caught, he faced “six of the best” for smoking at school. Yet, in true Mavros fashion, he earned the master’s respect when told:
“For cigarettes it’s six, Mavros. For a cigar — the gentleman’s smoke — you’ll only get five. Now bend!”
The Calm of Craft and Cigar
“I like fresh air to smoke a cigar,” says Mavros.
“On safari, I’ll sit on a tribal stool, pick a few coals from the fire and watch them make that cigar glow red. I puff it, as Kipling said, and watch the soft blue veil of vapour musing on Maggie’s face.”
Even in his studio, when several projects demand his attention, he turns to the ritual of a cigar:
“A cup of tea, a cigar, and I realign myself. The soothing effect is vast — it absolutely tranquillises me.”
Discover More
Patrick Mavros’ work captures the raw beauty and romance of Africa — expressed through extraordinary silver, shaped by hand, heart and heritage.
Explore his creations and showrooms at patrickmavros.com and experience a world where art, wilderness and cigars meet in timeless harmony.
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