Artisan Pipe Makers of the Past
Jeff Folloder (TES)
talented individual with even a modest production level to reach
millions of consumers rather easily. I am certain that there were
similarly talented pipe makers from the "pre-Internet" era. Granted,
their reach must have been limited, but I've got to think that they existed.
I've been studying the "Who Made That Pipe" reference and there are gobs
of brands whose name I do not recognize. Many of them, though, were
alternate names put out by the big pipe "houses" of the time. I feel
certain that there were low production artisan carvers listed in that
reference and probably many others who never even hit the radar.
Do you know of any low production "phenoms" from the past? I'd love to
hear about them. I've started a research quest and I'd like to get
background on the genre'. I'm trying to target carvers who may have
been active from the 50's to the 80's. I know, wide range. Sorry.
--
Jeff Folloder
Please visit Jeff's Ashtray:
http://www.folloder.com
jb
Great discussion topic. I don't go back as far as some of the guys on
this bb, but my recollection is that there weren't that many "artisan"
pipe makers in the past. I recall some local guys producing some
pipes in central Missouri and KC...one guy was named Beckler. You
will occassionally find pipes with BBM carved in the briar. It stood
for Beckler Bench Mark. He incorporated a lot of elk horn into his
work.
Miciolli was one of the first funky pipe makers I recall.
There were certainly others, but I don't remember being exposed to
them at all prior to the Internet. When I found Trever's site for the
first time, it was a revelation to me...something unique and unusual.
Pipes made that broke the barriers of the Dunhill pipe charts.
JB
Sykes Wilford
> hear about them. I've started a research quest and I'd like to get
> background on the genre'. I'm trying to target carvers who may have
> been active from the 50's to the 80's. I know, wide range. Sorry.
Joe Mariner made pipes in the 1980s and was spectacularly successful in the
US and Japan. Today, as I understand it, he's a very successful database
designer. He still has a website floating out there somewhere.
Best,
--
F. Sykes Wilford
swil...@smokingpipes.com
http://www.smokingpipes.com
888 366 0345
Ben Ciccarelli
pipes in the 70's called Malaga's. Son took over and turned it into a head
shop that failed. I wasnt smoking when the company was in operation, the
guys tell me they made a good oil cured pipe and they were expensive
($100-$200).
"Jeff Folloder (TES)" <je...@folloder.com> wrote in message
news:2pmvchF...@uni-berlin.de...
Kelly Crow
pipes with the date carved on them. I know he sold many new pipes in the
1990's and early 2000's. Gus's Smoke Shop (which I believe is now closed)
rep'd his pipes when he "came back" to pipe making.
-Kelly Crow
Atlanta, GA
Charles Perry
Jeff, do you have a copy of PCI's "Directory of American Pipemakers"
published in 1987? If not, I could photocopy it and mail it to you.
Charles Perry P.E.
Bob Rhode a.k.a. TBomb
Great thread Jeff!
The one carver that come to mind personally is Don Mock.
I was introduced to him in Ft. Dodge, Iowa back in the mid-80's. I
doubt he's still around since at that time he was rather elderly.
Don's pipes favored functionality over sleekness of style. A large
percentage were sitters with usually thick bowls and often almost
clunky freehand styling. He used both lucite and some of the best
vulcanite I've ever come across for his stems.
I've met a few people who've heard of him over the years but it's been
a very few.
Bob
fred hanna
spelled as Jemeson) was not necessarily an artisan in terms of being
independent, but he was definitely the artisan in the purest sense of
the term, who created the magnificent GBD Uniques of the 1960s and
early 1970s. He also created some of the stunning and amazing Comoy
freehands of that era. My understanding is that he retired around
1972, at which time the Uniques took a nosedive in quality and
craftsmanship. I myself witnessed many Uniques after his retirement
that had big fills and lacked the great finesse and style typical of
Horry himself. Very little is known about him personally or
professionally.
In my humble opinion, Jeff, this guy is quite possibly the least
appreciated and most underrated pipe carver in the history of the
briar pipe. He was a true artisan in spite of his association with
the large companies.
FWIW
Fred
"Jeff Folloder (TES)" <je...@folloder.com> wrote in message news:<2pmvchF...@uni-berlin.de>...
buck12ga
fredc...@comcast.net says...
> In my humble opinion, the great Horry Jamieson (also rumored to be
> spelled as Jemeson) was not necessarily an artisan in terms of being
> independent, but he was definitely the artisan in the purest sense of
> the term, who created the magnificent GBD Uniques of the 1960s and
> early 1970s. He also created some of the stunning and amazing Comoy
> freehands of that era. My understanding is that he retired around
> 1972, at which time the Uniques took a nosedive in quality and
> craftsmanship. I myself witnessed many Uniques after his retirement
> that had big fills and lacked the great finesse and style typical of
> Horry himself. Very little is known about him personally or
> professionally.
>
> In my humble opinion, Jeff, this guy is quite possibly the least
> appreciated and most underrated pipe carver in the history of the
> briar pipe. He was a true artisan in spite of his association with
> the large companies.
>
> FWIW
> Fred
>
at Smoker's Haven even though they were way out of my price range.
buck
Jeff Folloder (TES)
> The one carver that come to mind personally is Don Mock.
>
> I was introduced to him in Ft. Dodge, Iowa back in the mid-80's. I
> doubt he's still around since at that time he was rather elderly.
> Don's pipes favored functionality over sleekness of style. A large
> percentage were sitters with usually thick bowls and often almost
> clunky freehand styling. He used both lucite and some of the best
> vulcanite I've ever come across for his stems.
Ft. Dodge, Iowa? Mid-80's? By any chance, did you know of a gentleman
named Ray Brookhouser?
Mingkahuna
making after his retirement as an engineer (or was it an architect?). He made
some nice pipes at reasonable prices. I'm proud to own three of his pipes. He
had a very nice rustication technique that he called a meteor finish. I met
Robert Story one day at my B&M in 1995, Old Erie in the Old Cleveland Arcade.
That was the first time that I recall having the desire to become an artisan.
He was a kind and gracious gentleman who made a nice pipe. He passed away in
1997.
Had there not been a Robert Story Ming-Kahuna probably wouldn't exist today.
Art
buck12ga
> Had there not been a Robert Story Ming-Kahuna probably wouldn't exist today.
>
> Art
>
highest regard. :)
buck
Mark Tinsky
<bur...@winfirst.com> wrote:
> Jeff,
>
There are many ! SOme that come to mind are
Jack Weinberger JHW
VIc Steinhart JHW/ BOI
Frank Augsberger
Curt Rollar JHW/ American
Andre Mermet
Tony Pesante Connoissuer
Max Schulte
The fellow whomade pipes for the NY shops Barclay rex and Wilke, great
pipe maker whos name I forget maybe someone can supply
Elliot Nackwalter Briar Workshop
Finn Mayan Briar Workshop
Mike Kabik SvenLar /Chip ex
Larry Commeaux
Don Mock
John Photakis
Steve JOhnson
? Johnson Carlise Pa
Mike Butera
Stan Richards
George Bushee/ Ehrlichs
Don Lou
Joe Greggorio
Mcaffe
Steve Weiner
Mr.Groum
John Lakatosh
Schoenlieber
Victory?/ Chicago
Uhle
Max Brick
Charlie Di Franco
Calabresi
Old foggies still around today are
Boswell
Wiley
West
Cooke
Seems each region had a small group of pipe makers and those they
taught who came after. A much larger contingent than we have today.
MT
Robert Crim
I'd add to your extensive list....
Celius
Perri
Martin
Burak (?)
R..................obert
G. L. Pease
(in message <mt-63390C.00...@news.mt.net>):
Add:
Mike Frye
Larry Roush (Perhaps to recent for Jeff's list)
Jim Andre - still active (Was Andre Mermet Jim's dad? New York based?)
Joe Mariner - amazing sculpted freehands in the 70's and 80's
There was some guy who made Rex Bench Made pipes in Topeka or K.C.
Others as they come to me...
-glp
--
Gregory Pease
G. L. Pease Tobaccos
The Briar and Leaf Chronicles: http://www.glpease.com/Chronicles
Read the latest - Aged, or just Old - Vintage Tobaccos and Cigars
von Erck
Waddell from Iowa.
I forget the name (Oldtimers diease) but there was a man from MO, who went to
Mexico to make pipes and was never heard from again.
L
von Erck
http://www.von-Erck.com
Email: Pipe...@von-Erck.com
Mingkahuna
>highest regard. :)
>
>buck
Hell no, he was really something. Quite a gentleman.
I'd also add Waugthel (spelling?) from Pennsylvania. I have one of his pipes.
Art
Sagiter
--
Neil Flancbaum
Craftsman
Home of the Ultimate Pipe Bag
http://www.smokinholsters.com
"Mark Tinsky" <m...@mt.net> wrote in message
news:mt-63390C.00...@news.mt.net...
Mark Tinsky
>
> Jim Andre - still active (Was Andre Mermet Jim's dad? New York based?)
Yes Andre was his father I had heard he was in Ca.
MT
Ed Duncan
sale, and doubly pleased with the one I bought from you. I have no
"favorite" that I smoke more often, but my Mock is a pure pleasure. I
think I might have most all the old PCI mags buried in my attic
somewhere, and somewhere in my foggy memory bank....there might well
have been a feature article on Don Mock.
Ed Duncan, Batavia, NY
**********************
tbom...@yahoo.com (Bob Rhode a.k.a. TBomb) wrote in message news:<f3de9368.04090...@posting.google.com>...
David Quisenberry
Amarillo, TX
Trevor Friesen
Although I've never seen in person the pipes of Arne Ljung, I think he
might fit your criteria. He was trained be Sixten, carved pipes in the
time period your interested in, and his pieces are very hard to come
by, as many of them were swallowed up by the Japanese market. The few
I've seen on the web have been stunners.
http://w1.451.telia.com/~u45118908/Pipemakers_eng/ljung_dura_eng.htm
Poul Hansen could be another carver to look for. He ran a pipe shop in
Denmark, and learned to carve from Sixten as well. (Was Sixten
Ivarsson more of a carver or teacher? Hmmmm) I believe he had two
lines of pipes; handmade freehand style, and a 'shop pipe' that was a
hand finished piece. I have one of the latter pipes, and it's a great
smoker, light weight, but not the perfection you would expect from a
freehand pipe. I saw one of his high grades some time back on Smoker's
Haven web site.
http://www.smokershaven.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=956
if the link doesn't work, go to the site and search for 'Hansen'.
Other than that, I believe the other fine gentlemen who have responded
have provided a fairly complete list. Good luck on the search.
Trevor
JohnR
Memphis, but still in business.
Another Knoxvillian is Robert Blackwell. He's recently gone back to
pipe making full-time.
Best,
John
On Fri, 03 Sep 2004 00:50:14 -0700, Mark Tinsky <m...@mt.net> wrote:
>In article <gekcj0905vm6ueqoq...@4ax.com>, jb
><bur...@winfirst.com> wrote:
>
>> Jeff,
>>
> There are many ! SOme that come to mind are
>Larry Commeaux
>Calabresi
>
>Old foggies still around today are
>Boswell
>Wiley
>West
>Cooke
>
> Seems each region had a small group of pipe makers and those they
>taught who came after. A much larger contingent than we have today.
>MT
JohnR
Knoxville, TN
johnrich21 @ comcast dot net
jstra...@gmail.com
Cheers,
Jason
1940n...@gmail.com
Joe Cortegiano made pipes for Barclay Rex and Wilke back in the 60s and 70s. He also made for Connoisseur, as did Tony Pessante and Andre Mermet. Andre's son is Jimmy Mermet. IIRC he lives in the Bay area in California.
Dominic "Don Lou" Cazzetta had a small pipe shop in Brooklyn's Bath Beach neighborhood and made/sold all his own pipes there.
I was very close with another artisan pipe maker: Joe Strano. He had a pipe shop in Ridgewood, Queens, NY called Northampton TObacconist. It was originally the old Al Sachs Cigar Store. Joe made his own pipes as well as doing repeairs there. He had his shop in the window. He blended his own tobaccos as well. He was a reallllllllly nice fellow.
His late brother, Al, also was a pipemaker and repairman. In the old Wally Frank shop/warehouse in Manhattan (about half a mile from what was the World Trade Center) Wally Frank also had a window in his shop so people could watch Al weave his magic from the sidewalk. Among other things, Al taught Wally's son Steve the pipe business from pillar to post. His thanks: Wally fired him.
Al did okay after that: he bought a very famous confectioner -- Hildebrandts -- where he made his own candy. (I have cousins in Long island that ised to frequent the shop often)
Finally, there was Hans Brandt. (Don't know if he is any relation to Max or his son Oliver.) he was a very skilled Danish pipe maker who was always featured in the high end pages of the Iwan Reis Catalogs back in the mid to late 1970s:
http://pipepages.com/70iwan20.htm
http://pipepages.com/ries%201976.htm
There was also an Italian carver Grenci....
Hope that helps.