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Caminetto was, and is to this day, a decisive figure in the history of Italy’s pipe workshop tradition. After spending time developing their skills in the Castello workshop, Sergio Ascorti and Luigi Radice left to found their own venture, which they named, ‘Caminetto.’ Here, Ascorti and Radice were able to create their own now-classic shapes…
WO Larsen was a tobacconist in Copenhagen Denmark. In the 1960s, when Danish-style pipes were becoming highly sought after, thanks to revolutionary pipe-makers such as Sixten Ivarsson, a workshop was set up on the Larsen premises to produce enough high-grade Danish pipes to meet demand. This workshop was staffed by the emerging masters of Danish…
Schulte’s was an American pipe tobacconist, located in New Jersey in the second half of the 20th century. Like many pipe stores, Schulte’s sold house brand pipes, but unlike most pipe stores, many of these house brand pipes were made by the store’s owner, Max Schulte. Similarly to a few other American pipe tobacconists, like…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
Like Castello, Mastro de Paja holds a special place in the world of Italian high-grade pipe workshops. Founded in 1972 by Giancarlo Guidi, the MdP team was soon joined by Giannino Spadoni and Bruto Sordini with the Guidi and Spadoni at the helm of the company until 1981. Guidi then left with Sordini to found…
Like Castello, Mastro de Paja holds a special place in the world of Italian high-grade pipe workshops. Founded in 1972 by Giancarlo Guidi, the MdP team was soon joined by Giannino Spadoni and Bruto Sordini with the Guidi and Spadoni at the helm of the company until 1981. Guidi then left with Sordini to found…
The 21st century has seen an explosion of new pipe-makers on the international artisan scene, one that, as of yet, shows no sign of stopping. But there is one artisan among them whose successes and impact on pipes writ large are so far unrivaled by any of his contemporaries. This would be Todd Johnson. Following…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Though I’m not sure of the maker, I’m quite impressed with this magnum-sized, army mount meerschaum pipe. The design is a highly unorthodox one for meerschaums, being reminiscent not of typical Turkish shapes but of Danish and American freehands. In fact, it reminds me a little of the very early WO Larsen freehands carved by…
Like Castello, Mastro de Paja holds a special place in the world of Italian high-grade pipe workshops. Founded in 1972 by Giancarlo Guidi, the MdP team was soon joined by Giannino Spadoni and Bruto Sordini with the Guidi and Spadoni at the helm of the company until 1981. Guidi then left with Sordini to found…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Manuel Shaabi was born in Lebanon, where he trained and worked as a sculptor and cabinet maker. In the 1970s, however, Shaabi had to flee Germany due to the Lebanese Civil War. In Germany, Shabbi re-trained as a cabinet maker, graduating with such high acclaim that he was immediately hired as an instructor to teach…
In 1974, after growing impatient waiting for a pipe he’d ordered, Claudio Cavicchi decided he would simply make his own pipe instead. The former farmer from Bologna, Italy, spent the next 15 years making pipes, until his work took off and received widespread acclaim. Cavicchi’s pipe-making exploits have only become more renowned in the decades…
Schulte’s was an American pipe tobacconist, located in New Jersey in the second half of the 20th century. Like many pipe stores, Schulte’s sold house brand pipes, but unlike most pipe stores, many of these house brand pipes were made by the store’s owner, Max Schulte. Similarly to a few other American pipe tobacconists, like…
Pipe Tristan is the name used by French artisan Tristan Lefebvre. Lefebvre is part of a new wave of up-and-coming hand made pipe carvers from the birthplace of briar, following in the footsteps of figures such as Alain Albuisson, Paul Lanier, and Pierre Morel Sr and Jr. Lefebvre credits a wide range of influences upon…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
Over the last decade, Sean Reum has emerged as one of North America’s most admired and in-demand pipe-makers, with his fans including, among many others, the one and only G.L. Pease. Having followed Reum’s career for many years, including catching a few glimpses of the artisan in his Montana workshop, I’m happy to say that…
MBSD Meerschaum Masters is our line for special, typically figural, meerschaum pipes carved by some of today’s greatest living meerschaum carvers. For this pipe, we enlisted the services of Turkish master Kenan. Animals have served as popular motifs in meerschaum carving for centuries. Furthermore, there is a group of animals that have been strongly represented…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Originally a science teacher in California, Nathan Armentrout began making pipes in 2009 and has since emerged as one of North America’s most talented, high-grade artisan pipe-makers. Inspired by Denmark’s legendary carvers, Nathan’s designs continue the legacy of the Danish pipe-making movement into the present day and expand that legacy through his own unique interpretations…
Radice is one of the great Italian workshop pipe makes, belonging to a historic lineage of such workshops. The company began as a family affair, being established in 1980 by Luigi Radice, along with his son, Gianluca, and father, Paolo. But Radice’s pipe-making ‘family’ is a little larger than that. Prior to founding Radice, Luigi…
Hungarian-Canadian artisan Julius Vesz carved his first pipe all the way back in 1959, and continues making pipes today in the 2020s. With 60 years of experience in the craft, he is recognized as one of the most seasoned and skilled pipe-makers around, counting among his admirers luminaries such as Richard Carleton Hacker, who remarked…
J.T. Cooke is a Vermont-based American artisan carver with a number of impressive credentials under his belt. Cooke was originally based at Elliot Nachtwalter and Jeorg Jemelka’s The Briar Workshop, in a role which included making pipes for Wilke’s tobacconist in Philadelphia. After leaving the Workshop, Cooke collaborated with Barry Levin in establishing the estate…
The MBSD Meerschaum Silver is our new series of silver mounted meerschaum pipes. Using the same high-grade, fast-coloring Turkish meerschaum found on our Deluxe series, these pipes exclusively feature silver army mounts or spigot mounts. Like with the Deluxe line, I wanted some of our Silver line of meerschaums to feature a few classic shapes…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Originally a science teacher in California, Nathan Armentrout began making pipes in 2009 and has since emerged as one of North America’s most talented, high-grade artisan pipe-makers. Inspired by Denmark’s legendary carvers, Nathan’s designs continue the legacy of the Danish pipe-making movement into the present day and expand that legacy through his own unique interpretations…
Stephen and Roswitha Anderson, of S&R Woodcrafters, were two of the United States’ most renowned artisan pipe-makers. They were also one of the very few examples of a husband and wife pipe-making partnership, like Les Wood and Dolly Wood of Ferndown or Love Geiger and Sara Mossberg of Geiger Pipes. Stephen and Roswitha began making…
Jørgen Larsen was was one of the all-time greats of Danish pipe-making for a number of reasons. He began his career working for Stanwell, before departing to create his own brand of high-grade, artisan pipes. Larsen’s skills and reputation led to him being contracted to also make pipes for Peter Stokkebye, which, decades later, continue…
John Middleton Co. is an American tobacco company founded in 1856. Pipes such as this one were made for John Middleton by Comoy’s in the early 20th century. Comoy’s itself is a historic brand in pipe making, and possibly the most historic brand in the making of briar pipes. Though originally founded in 1825 by…
WO Larsen was a tobacconist in Copenhagen Denmark. In the 1960s, when Danish-style pipes were becoming highly sought after, thanks to revolutionary pipe-makers such as Sixten Ivarsson, a workshop was set up on the Larsen premises to produce enough high-grade Danish pipes to meet demand. This workshop was staffed by the emerging masters of Danish…
Steve Waddell was an American artisan pipe-maker from Iowa. A highly decorated freehand carver, Waddell won various awards for his work, including from France’s prestigious Confrérîe des Maîtres-Pipers de Saint-Claude. Waddell passed away in 2016. If you’ve followed some of our other listings, you may already be familiar with the story of Pipe Collectors International…
Comoy’s is a historic brand in pipe making, and possibly the most historic brand in the making of briar pipes. Though originally founded in 1825 by a French family from Saint Claude, France, production of Comoy’s pipes was soon moved to London, England, where it established itself as one of the quintessential English pipe companies….
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
The MBSD Meerschaum Silver is our new series of silver mounted meerschaum pipes. Using the same high-grade, fast-coloring Turkish meerschaum found on our Deluxe series, these pipes exclusively feature silver army mounts or spigot mounts. While I was wondering what kinds of shapes I would like for the latest batch of MBSD Meerschaum pipes, I…
The MBSD Meerschaum Silver is our new series of silver mounted meerschaum pipes. Using the same high-grade, fast-coloring Turkish meerschaum found on our Deluxe series, these pipes exclusively feature silver army mounts or spigot mounts. This particular Silver model is a classic – though distinctly stout – poker shape, with the added advantage of having…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
The Stokkebye family are giants in the tobacco world; their pipes are similarly renowned, but for a slightly different reason. This is because Stokkebye-brand pipes have been made, at different times, by different makers – typically, though not always, by Danish masters. Peter Stokkebye pipes were largely made by one seminal figure in Danish pipe-making…
Preston Rogers is an American artisan based in Lexington, Kentucky. As keen pipe smoker (with an insatiable appetite for Latakia blends) Rogers was fascinated with modern, handmade pipes but, like so many of us in the community, found that his budget would not allow him to purchase as many of these pipes as he would…
Chacom is one of France’s most historic and iconic makes. Its founders, the Comoy family, began their career as boxwood pipe-makers in the early 1800s, before briar had even been discovered, with Henri Comoy (of Comoy’s fame) emigrating to England in 1879 and founding the country’s first briar pipe factory. In 1922, Henri and his…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Chacom is one of France’s most historic and iconic makes. Its founders, the Comoy family, began their career as boxwood pipe-makers in the early 1800s, before briar had even been discovered, with Henri Comoy (of Comoy’s fame) emigrating to England in 1879 and founding the country’s first briar pipe factory. In 1922, Henri and his…
A pioneer and undisputed master of Danish artisan pipe-making, Hans ‘Former’ Nielsen began his career, aged 15, repairing pipes for Poul Rasmussen at Suhr’s Pibemageri. Later, Former was referred to the W.O. Larsen workshop by Rasmussen, where – after an examination by Sven Knudsen, who had designed many early Larsen models – he was recruited…
At MBSD, our mainstay of meerschaum pipes are our Deluxe Meerschaums, which are all fitted with a patented Briar-Mortise system. But we, like many meerschaum smokers, also appreciate how good sterling silver looks on a meerschaum pipe too. So with each batch of pipes from our carver in Türkiye, we try to have a few…
Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues…
Chacom is one of France’s most historic and iconic makes. Its founders, the Comoy family, began their career as boxwood pipe-makers in the early 1800s, before briar had even been discovered, with Henri Comoy (of Comoy’s fame) emigrating to England in 1879 and founding the country’s first briar pipe factory. In 1922, Henri and his…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Born and raised in the small town of Gueydan, Louisana, Jay Mouton is an American artisan who works under the moniker of J. Mouton. Having crafted duck calls since he was a teenager, Mouton’s first forays into pipe-making began with carving tampers. Mouton’s unexpected successes with these handmade tampers allowed him to purchase the equipment…
Doctor’s Pipes are made by artisan pipe-maker Roman Kovalev. Based in Saint Petersburg, Kovalev’s pipe-making moniker derives from his sixteen years spent as a pediatric neurologist, and the consequent nickname of ‘Doc’ given by his friends. Taking up pipe-making in the early 2010s, and with a great deal of inspiration from Japanese masters such as…
Doctor’s Pipes are made by artisan pipe-maker Roman Kovalev. Based in Saint Petersburg, Kovalev’s pipe-making moniker derives from his sixteen years spent as a pediatric neurologist, and the consequent nickname of ‘Doc’ given by his friends. Taking up pipe-making in the early 2010s, and with a great deal of inspiration from Japanese masters such as…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
To most, Svendborg is simply a small town on the island of Funen in Denmark. But to Danish pipe collectors, it is arguably as significant a place as Copenhagen. This is because the town has been the home base of some of the most revered pipe-makers in Denmark, such as Manduela Riger Kusk or Kaj…
Gigi pipes occupy an interesting position in the history of Italian pipe-making. The story begins with the founding of Sociedade Rovera, a pipe-making company in Varese, Italy, by the Rovera family. As members of the Rovera family left to start their own ventures, the dynasty associated with the name would be split into several companies;…
Bennie Joe Pipes are made by Bennie Joe, an Indonesian artisan based in Jakarta. A trained architect and part-time pipe-maker for much of his life, he took on the latter full-time after a downturn in the property market during the dark days of 2020 and after. An interesting aspect of Bennie Joe pipes is that…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Bennie Joe Pipes are made by Bennie Joe, an Indonesian artisan based in Jakarta. A trained architect and part-time pipe-maker for much of his life, he took on the latter full-time after a downturn in the property market during the dark days of 2020 and after. An interesting aspect of Bennie Joe pipes is that…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Ser Jacopo is one of the most famous contemporary example of high-grade, workshop-made Italian pipes. It also belongs to a very special tradition in Italian pipe-making, having been established by Giancarlo Guidi and Bruno Sordini after the two had left another great Italian workshop, Mastro de Paja. Together, Guidi and Sordini created a brand of…
As is often the case with the greats of Danish pipe-making, the story of Poul Winsløw begins as one of a master and an apprentice. That master was none other than Preben Holm; the apprentice was a young Winsløw. Holm held Winsløw in especial regard, with the latter ending up as the former’s head assistant…
Named for the company’s home township, Brebbia was founded in 1953 by Enea Buzzi, an alum of Savinelli’s manufacturing division. Still in operation 70 years later, Brebbia is one of Italy’s oldest extant pipe companies, with production still being undertaken using simple lathes and traditional methods of hand finishing. More recently, Brebbia has also collaborated…
Chacom is one of France’s most historic and iconic makes. Its founders, the Comoy family, began their career as boxwood pipe-makers in the early 1800s, before briar had even been discovered, with Henri Comoy (of Comoy’s fame) emigrating to England in 1879 and founding the country’s first briar pipe factory. In 1922, Henri and his…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
Like many pipe companies, Dunhill capitalized on the Danish freehand boom of the 1970s by contracting a master Danish pipe-maker to carve freehand pipes for them. This pipe-maker was a man named Preben Holm. Though he would tragically pass away at the age of 42, Preben Holm was one of the pioneering figures in the…
Named for the company’s home township, Brebbia was founded in 1953 by Enea Buzzi, an alum of Savinelli’s manufacturing division. Still in operation 70 years later, Brebbia is one of Italy’s oldest extant pipe companies, with production still being undertaken using simple lathes and traditional methods of hand finishing. More recently, Brebbia has also collaborated…
As with so many of Italy’s high-grade, handmade pipes, the story of Fiamma di Re begins with Mastro de Paja. Mastro de Paja was conceived in the early 1970s by Giancarlo Guidi, and the workshop was founded in Pesaro with the help of another pipe-maker, Giannino Spadoni. At the beginning of the 1980s, Guidi departed…
Chacom is one of France’s most historic and iconic makes. Its founders, the Comoy family, began their career as boxwood pipe-makers in the early 1800s, before briar had even been discovered, with Henri Comoy (of Comoy’s fame) emigrating to England in 1879 and founding the country’s first briar pipe factory. In 1922, Henri and his…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them…
While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them…
MBSD Meerschaum Masters is our line for special, typically figural, meerschaum pipes carved by some of today’s greatest living meerschaum carvers. For this pipe, we enlisted the services of Turkish master Kenan. Horses have been a common motif in meerschaum pipes and cheroot holders for centuries. Part of the reason is obvious: they’re majestic creatures…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
MBSD Meerschaum Masters is our line for special, typically figural, meerschaum pipes carved by some of today’s greatest living meerschaum carvers. For this pipe, we enlisted the services of Turkish master Kenan. Hunting has been a prominent motif throughout the history of meerschaum carving, in part due to the high status of those who could…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
Radice is one of the great Italian workshop pipe makes, belonging to a historic lineage of such workshops. The company began as a family affair, being established in 1980 by Luigi Radice, along with his son, Gianluca, and father, Paolo. But Radice’s pipe-making ‘family’ is a little larger than that. Prior to founding Radice, Luigi…
While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
Ser Jacopo is one of the most famous contemporary examples of high-grade, workshop-made Italian pipes. It also belongs to a very special tradition in Italian pipe-making, having been established by Giancarlo Guidi and Bruno Sordini after the two had left another great Italian workshop, Mastro de Paja. Together, Guidi and Sordini created a brand of…
I’m not quite sure who made this Shelton pipe. From the stamping, I know it was made in France, and it’s reasonable to assume that it was made for some kind of Anglophone establishment. Perhaps for a tobacconist of the name Shelton? That was certainly the norm last century. The pipe itself is very nice—a…
Along with names like Barling, Charatan, and Dunhill Sasieni holds a special place in the history of English smoking pipes – one near to its very beginnings. So the story goes, Sasieni himself worked for Dunhill during its early days. But eventually he left Dunhill, having his own ideas about how pipes should be made,…
Originally a science teacher in California, Nathan Armentrout began making pipes in 2009 and has since emerged as one of North America’s most talented, high-grade artisan pipe-makers. Inspired by Denmark’s legendary carvers, Nathan’s designs continue the legacy of the Danish pipe-making movement into the present day and expand that legacy through his own unique interpretations…
Along with names like Barling, Charatan, and Dunhill Sasieni holds a special place in the history of English smoking pipes – one near to its very beginnings. So the story goes, Sasieni himself worked for Dunhill during its early days. But eventually he left Dunhill, having his own ideas about how pipes should be made,…
J.M. Boswell is one of North America’s most revered artisan pipe-makers, with Boswell pipes typically selling out within minutes of going on sale. With a pipe-making career that started in the 1970s, J.M. Boswell has become the equivalent of a household name in the pipe world, both for his pipes and for serving as the…
Design Berlin is, as the name suggests, a German pipe-making company – and is in fact the number two best-selling German pipe make after Vauen. Founded in 1948 as Pfeifenstudio Hartmann by Hubert Hartmann, the company adopted the name Design Berlin and the lowercase ‘db’ logo in 1975 as part of a modernization push. This…
Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello quickly became known for producing some of the finest smoking pipes in the world. Over the years, the people involved in making Castello pipes has changed – such as Luigi Radice and Sergio Ascorti, who developed their skills in the Cantu workshop before leaving to start Caminetto, or…
Along with names like Barling, Charatan, and Dunhill Sasieni holds a special place in the history of English smoking pipes – one near to its very beginnings. So the story goes, Sasieni himself worked for Dunhill during its early days. But eventually he left Dunhill, having his own ideas about how pipes should be made,…
Though sparse in nomenclature, I think this pipe may be from Pasquale “Pat” Vottis, a mid-century pipe-maker and tobacconist based in New York. I’m not 100% certain, so If I’m wrong, please let me know. The pipe itself is a very nice, large Liverpool design, with a screw tenon, which I have seen before on…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
Ferndown pipes were made by the legendary British pipe-maker Leslie ‘Les’ John Wood, along with his wife Dolly. Both Les and Dolly previously worked for Dunhill, where Les developed his skills and reputation as Britain’s premier pipe silversmith, as well as one of its premier pipe carvers. Ferndown pipes are highly coveted by pipe-smokers due…
This Moore Mark looks a lot like a Custom-Bilt (later Custombilt), and there seems to be a good reason for that. Moore Mark was a brand owned by John Hudson Moore, Inc., an American pipe distributor in the 1940s. As far as I have been able to research, one of the makes that JH Moore…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
Pipe Tristan is the name used by French artisan Tristan Lefebvre. Lefebvre is part of a new wave of up-and-coming hand made pipe carvers from the birthplace of briar, following in the footsteps of figures such as Alain Albuisson, Paul Lanier, and Pierre Morel Sr and Jr. Lefebvre credits a wide range of influences upon…
Like Castello, Mastro de Paja holds a special place in the world of Italian high-grade pipe workshops. Founded in 1972 by Giancarlo Guidi, the MdP team was soon joined by Giannino Spadoni and Bruto Sordini with the Guidi and Spadoni at the helm of the company until 1981. Guidi then left with Sordini to found…
While originally born in Italy, Thomas Cristiano emigrated to the United States at the age of 16, quickly finding work in the S.M. Frank factory in Long Island. S.M. Frank is a historic American pipe-making company, and at this time Cristiano worked on Frank-owned makes such as Kaywoodie. Later, Cristiano departed to make his own…
Ascorti belongs to a historic lineage in Italian artisan pipe-making. Guiseppe ‘Peppino’ Ascorti was first employed as a pipe-maker in the 1950s, in Carlo Scotti’s Castello workshop in Cantu. There he met Luigi Radice, and in the 1960s the two decided to leave Castello to create their own pipe-making workshop, under the name ‘Caminetto.’ At…
Schulte’s was an American pipe tobacconist, located in New Jersey in the second half of the 20th century. Like many pipe stores, Schulte’s sold house brand pipes, but unlike most pipe stores, many of these house brand pipes were made by the store’s owner, Max Schulte. Similarly to a few other American pipe tobacconists, like…
The Becker family is one of Italy’s most renowned pipe-making lineages. Beginning with the painter, sculptor, and WW2 British intelligence officer Fritz Becker, the Becker name became synonymous with Italian high-quality pipes after Fritz was discovered by Giorgio Musico, a pipe-maker himself, and owner of a popular pipe shop in Rome. Both Fritz and Giorgio…
Radice is one of the great Italian workshop pipe makes, belonging to a historic lineage of such workshops. The company began as a family affair, being established in 1980 by Luigi Radice, along with his son, Gianluca, and father, Paolo. But Radice’s pipe-making ‘family’ is a little larger than that. Prior to founding Radice, Luigi…
This pipe requires some explaining. In fact, it requires quite a lot of explaining, which is covered in our interview with Les Wood on the main MBSD hub. For a brief summary, however: Les Wood is most famous for Ferndown, a make of pipes created by Les and his wife Dolly. But Les and Dolly’s…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
James Upshall was, along with Ferndown and Ashton, part of a new wave of British hand-made, high-grade pipes in the late 20th century, with their founders largely coming from previous positions in the factories of companies such as Dunhill and Charatan. James Upshall was founded in 1978 by Barry Jones and Ken Barnes, both of…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
James Upshall was, along with Ferndown and Ashton, part of a new wave of British hand-made, high-grade pipes in the late 20th century, with their founders largely coming from previous positions in the factories of companies such as Dunhill and Charatan. James Upshall was founded in 1978 by Barry Jones and Ken Barnes, both of…
Chacom is one of France’s most historic and iconic makes. Its founders, the Comoy family, began their career as boxwood pipe-makers in the early 1800s, before briar had even been discovered, with Henri Comoy (of Comoy’s fame) emigrating to England in 1879 and founding the country’s first briar pipe factory. In 1922, Henri and his…
Astleys was one of London’s most historic pipe and tobacco shops. Like many pipe tobacconists, its owners had pipes made specially to be sold under the shop’s name. Astleys pipes, however, were made by some of the premier pipe manufacturers and artisans in the UK, such as Dunhill, Charatan, Les Wood and Dolly Wood of…
James Upshall was, along with Ferndown and Ashton, part of a new wave of British hand-made, high-grade pipes in the late 20th century, with their founders largely coming from previous positions in the factories of companies such as Dunhill and Charatan. James Upshall was founded in 1978 by Barry Jones and Ken Barnes, both of…
Ben Wade was founded, as might be expected, by Leeds-based English pipe merchant Benjamin Wade in 1860. Soon after, Wade opened his own workshop to produce quintessentially British pipes. As one of the first makes to create pipes from briar, Ben Wade has a special place in pipe history, one only made more special by…
Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
Gigi pipes occupy an interesting position in the history of Italian pipe-making. The story begins with the founding of Sociedade Rovera, a pipe-making company in Varese, Italy, by the Rovera family. As members of the Rovera family left to start their own ventures, the dynasty associated with the name would be split into several companies;…
Mario Grandi pipes are made by Italy’s Pierluigi family, headed by Aldo Pierluigi, an artisan pipe-maker since the 1970s. The Pierluigi family are also responsible for the Pierluigi make, as well as Mastro Beraldi. This particular pipe is a highly distinct rendition of the traditional apple by Aldo Pierluigi’s Mastro Beraldi make. While its shank…
Tendi is the name used by Graziano Tendi, an artisan pipe-maker from Italy. Tendi became enamored with tobacco pipes as a teenager, before beginning to collect and restore them. After developing his restoration skills, Tendi turned his attention to making his own pipes, which he has continued to do for the last ten years. While…
Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello quickly became known for producing some of the finest smoking pipes in the world. Over the years, the people involved in making Castello pipes has changed – such as Luigi Radice and Sergio Ascorti, who developed their skills in the Cantu workshop before leaving to start Caminetto, or…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
James Upshall was, along with Ferndown and Ashton, part of a new wave of British hand-made, high-grade pipes in the late 20th century, with their founders largely coming from previous positions in the factories of companies such as Dunhill and Charatan. James Upshall was founded in 1978 by Barry Jones and Ken Barnes, both of…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Chris Morgan is an American artisan pipe-maker based in California. Beginning his pipe-making career in 2006, Morgan has managed to carve a distinct niche for himself in the contemporary pipe scene – or, rather, many niches. Morgan creates high-grade pipes both as part of his Signature line and as part of his Workshop line, which…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
While Ben Wade was a historic British pipe brand, for a time during the 1970s, production of Ben Wade pipes was contracted out to one of Danish pipe-making’s superstars: Preben Holm. Though he would tragically pass away at the age of 42, Holm was one of the pioneering figures in the ‘Danish design’ movement in…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
Caminetto was, and is to this day, a decisive figure in the history of Italy’s pipe workshop tradition. After spending time developing their skills in the Castello workshop, Sergio Ascorti and Luigi Radice left to found their own venture, which they named, ‘Caminetto.’ Here, Ascorti and Radice were able to create their own now-classic shapes…
Armellini is something of a hidden gem in the world of Italian pipe-making. It is also a make that deserves more recognition, given the singular contributions of its namesake, Mauro Armellini, to Italian pipe history. Mauro himself began his pipe-making career at the Rossi factory in the 1960s, before it was acquired by Savinelli. Later,…
The MBSD Meerschaum Silver is our new series of silver mounted meerschaum pipes. Using the same high-grade, fast-coloring Turkish meerschaum found on our Deluxe series, these pipes exclusively feature silver army mounts or spigot mounts. As a progression from what turned out to be our especially popular MBSD Deluxe pot shapes, this MBSD Silver takes…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
Pipe Tristan is the name used by French artisan Tristan Lefebvre. Lefebvre is part of a new wave of up-and-coming hand made pipe carvers from the birthplace of briar, following in the footsteps of figures such as Alain Albuisson, Paul Lanier, and Pierre Morel Sr and Jr. Lefebvre credits a wide range of influences upon…
Pipe Tristan is the name used by French artisan Tristan Lefebvre. Lefebvre is part of a new wave of up-and-coming hand made pipe carvers from the birthplace of briar, following in the footsteps of figures such as Alain Albuisson, Paul Lanier, and Pierre Morel Sr and Jr. Lefebvre credits a wide range of influences upon…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
The MBSD Meerschaum Silver is our new series of silver mounted meerschaum pipes. Using the same high-grade, fast-coloring Turkish meerschaum found on our Deluxe series, these pipes exclusively feature silver army mounts or spigot mounts. Thanks to the recommendations of my new hire, I’ve been following developments in the Chinese artisan scene recently, and I’ve…
The American Smoking Pipe Company was founded in 1978 by artisans Mark Tinsky and Curt Rollar. Tinsky and Rollar’s venture was part of a new wave of North American hand made pipe making that emerged in the 1970s and ’80s, including artisan carvers such as Mike Butera, Tim West, Elliot Nachtwalter and Jorg Jemelka. Despite…
Don Carlos belongs to a historic lineage within Italian pipe making. The workshop was founded by Bruto Sordini (along with his wife Rosaria), who had previously made pipes for Mastro de Paja, where he also met Giancarlo Guidi. In 1981, Sordini and Guidi left Mastro de Paja to found their own workshop, Ser Jacopo. After…
I’ll be honest, I don’t know who made U-Briar pipes. I know they were made by an American who—from what I’ve seen—was active in the mid-2010s, and I have a sense of the style they pursued, which I do enjoy. I also can safely presume they were an artisan, as each of the ones I’ve…
After the success of our MBSD Deluxe meerschaum pipes, which feature a patented Briar-Mortise system for extra durability, we’ve been developing additional series to offer an even greater range of meers for our customers. One of these series is the Deluxe Silver, which features a mortise strengthened both by briar on the interior, and sterling…
Ser Jacopo is one of the most famous examples of high-grade, workshop-made Italian pipes. It also belongs to a very special tradition in Italian pipe-making, having been established by Giancarlo Guidi and Bruno Sordini after the two had left another great Italian workshop, Mastro de Paja. Together, Guidi and Sordini created a brand of pipes…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Barling and Sons was originally founded in 1812 by Benjamin Barling and began as a family business making silver-adorned meerschaum pipes. In the early 20th century, however, the Barling family began to produce what the brand is today most famous for – expertly made briar pipes. This particular Barling, from the post-transition years, is a…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
Along with names like Barling, Charatan, and Dunhill Sasieni holds a special place in the history of English smoking pipes – one near to its very beginnings. So the story goes, Sasieni himself worked for Dunhill during its early days. But eventually he left Dunhill, having his own ideas about how pipes should be made,…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
Preston Rogers is an American artisan based in Lexington, Kentucky. As keen pipe smoker (with an insatiable appetite for Latakia blends) Rogers was fascinated with modern, handmade pipes but, like so many of us in the community, found that his budget would not allow him to purchase as many of these pipes as he would…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Kaywoodie pipes are as American as apple pie. Starting in 1919 as a pipe brand for KB&B, a pipe shop dating all the way back to 1851, Kaywoodie has since then been a staple of American-made pipes. In the present, many Kaywoodies are collectors’ items, in addition to being fantastic smokers. The “Drinkless” was Kaywoodie’s…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
According to my copy of Wilczak & Colwell’s Who Made that Pipe?, Royal Canadian was an English make imported to the US by Lane Ltd. The book also lists this connection as taking place just prior to the Second World War. Oddly enough, Lane Ltd used to have a tobacco blend called “Royal Canadian.” In any…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
Kent Rasmussen is a Danish pipe-maker and one whose meteoric rise in renown is nothing less than impressive. Rasmussen initially found his vocation in architecture and engineering, devoting the rest of his time to pursuing a career in modern art in a variety of mediums. By his late-30s, however, Ramussen had grown discontented with both,…
While originally born in Italy, Thomas Cristiano emigrated to the United States at the age of 16, quickly finding work in the S.M. Frank factory in Long Island. S.M. Frank is a historic American pipe-making company, and at this time Cristiano worked on Frank-owned makes such as Kaywoodie. Later, Cristiano departed to make his own…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
After arriving in Varese, Italy, with the intention of becoming a pipe-maker, Tommaso Spanu was taken under the wing of Alberto Paronelli, one of the first modern-Italian master carvers. From here, Tom Spanu was charged with creating the high-grade Clairmont make owned and distributed by Paronelli. He then went on to create pipes under his…
Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello quickly became known for producing some of the finest smoking pipes in the world. Over the years, the people involved in making Castello pipes has changed – such as Luigi Radice and Sergio Ascorti, who developed their skills in the Cantu workshop before leaving to start Caminetto, or…
Don Carlos belongs to a historic lineage within Italian pipe making. The workshop was founded by Bruto Sordini (along with his wife Rosaria), who had previously made pipes for Mastro de Paja, where he also met Giancarlo Guidi. In 1981, Sordini and Guidi left Mastro de Paja to found their own workshop, Ser Jacopo. After…
Astleys was one of London’s most historic pipe and tobacco shops. Like many pipe tobacconists, its owners had pipes made specially to be sold under the shop’s name. Astleys pipes, however, were made by some of the premier pipe manufacturers and artisans in the UK, such as Dunhill, Charatan, Les Wood, and Ken Barnes and…
Gigi pipes occupy an interesting position in the history of Italian pipe-making. The story begins with the founding of Sociedade Rovera, a pipe-making company in Varese, Italy, by the Rovera family. As members of the Rovera family left to start their own ventures, the dynasty associated with the name would be split into several companies;…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them…
Chacom is one of France’s most historic and iconic makes. Its founders, the Comoy family, began their career as boxwood pipe-makers in the early 1800s, before briar had even been discovered, with Henri Comoy (of Comoy’s fame) emigrating to England in 1879 and founding the country’s first briar pipe factory. In 1922, Henri and his…
Barling and Sons was originally founded in 1812 by Benjamin Barling and began as a family business making silver-adorned meerschaum pipes. In the early 20th century, however, the Barling family began to produce what the brand is today most famous for – expertly made briar pipes. While I had originally considered this to be a…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them…
Mastro Geppetto pipes are made by the Italian workshop brand Ser Jacopo. One could call them Ser Jacopo’s series of ‘affordable’ pipes, and while this would be correct purely from the standpoint of price, it wouldn’t be entirely fair to them in other regards. Geppetto pipes are hand made from the same high-grade briar as…
Though he would tragically pass away at the age of 42, Preben Holm was one of the pioneering figures in the ‘Danish design’ movement in 20th century pipe-making – a movement that still dominates the high-grade pipe scene. By hand-shaping his pipes on a belt sander, Holm was able to make the most of the…
I’m not sure who made this Oom Paul. It does look a little like Savinelli’s shape 604 shape, and Savinelli did produce a number of sub-brands in the 20th century, but I can’t be sure. One thing I will say is that the rustication is quite fascinating, with vermiculated carvings more commonly seen in architecture…
Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
James Upshall was, along with Ferndown and Ashton, part of a new wave of British hand-made, high-grade pipes in the late 20th century, with their founders largely coming from previous positions in the factories of companies such as Dunhill and Charatan. James Upshall was founded in 1978 by Barry Jones and Ken Barnes, both of…
Ferndown pipes were made by the legendary British pipe-maker Leslie ‘Les’ John Wood, along with his wife Dolly. Both Les and Dolly previously worked for Dunhill, where Les developed his skills and reputation as Britain’s premier pipe silversmith, as well as one of its premier pipe carvers. Ferndown pipes are highly coveted by pipe-smokers due…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello quickly became known for producing some of the finest smoking pipes in the world. Over the years, the people involved in making Castello pipes has changed – such as Luigi Radice and Sergio Ascorti, who developed their skills in the Cantu workshop before leaving to start Caminetto, or…
MBSD Meerschaum Masters is our line for special, typically figural, meerschaum pipes carved by some of today’s greatest living meerschaum carvers. For this pipe, we enlisted the services of Turkish master Kenan. The closest classical art form to meerschaum carving is sculpture. In this instance, the closest analog in the sculptural arts as classically defined,…
Viggo Nielsen was one of the pioneers of the Danish style in pipe-making, founding the Bari pipe company in 1948. While at Bari, Viggo, his sons Jørgen Nielsen and Kai Nielsen, and budding carvers such as Age Bogelund Åge Bogelund and Helmer Thomsen, created pipes that would help set the standard for Danish design. After…
Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello quickly became known for producing some of the finest smoking pipes in the world. Over the years, the people involved in making Castello pipes has changed – such as Luigi Radice and Sergio Ascorti, who developed their skills in the Cantu workshop before leaving to start Caminetto, or…
Jobey is a name that has been associated with a number of pipe manufacturers, vendors, and nationalities over the years. The Jobey name has also been attached to a wide variety of pipes and styles, from the Italian-inspired Stromboli line, to the Jobey Dansk pipes carved in the workshop of Karl Erik. Speaking of the…
Barling and Sons was originally founded in 1812 by Benjamin Barling and began as a family business making silver-adorned meerschaum pipes. In the early 20th century, however, the Barling family began to produce what the brand is today most famous for – expertly made briar pipes. This might just be the nicest Barling I’ve had…
Here’s an interesting little pipe. It comes from a workshop in Hong Kong called “HS Studio.” While for many years China has been associated with factories pumping out cheap rosewood pipes, HS Studio is different because, as far as my understanding goes, the pipes are mostly made freehand by artisan carvers, kinda like the great…
The origins of the Fieldstub make are as yet unknown, but connections have been drawn to both Custombilt and to Mastercraft, which, in either case, would make it an American make from some time in the 20th century. As such, I’m filing it under American Estates. That, and because the shape is such a quintessentially…
Ashton is an English pipe brand created by William Ashton Taylor, a former Dunhill pipe-maker who left Dunhill in the 1980s to make pipes under his own name. Along with other pipe-makers such as Ken Barnes and Barry Jones of James Upshall and Les Wood of Ferndown, Ashton emerged as part of a new wave…
Dave Neeb spent the first part of his life as an attorney. Upon retiring, however, he turned his hand to an altogether different vocation: pipes. First, Neeb was a pipe seller; he then learned the art of pipe restoration; finally, under the tutelage of Lee Von Erck and Rad Davis, he took up making artisan…
Hardcastle was founded by Edmund Hardcastle in 1906, in London, England. Like many pipe-makers of the time, such as Barling and Sasieni Hardcastle was originally a family-owned business, with its ‘family era’ coming to an end over the course of the years 1936-1946. During this time, Dunhill partially, then fully, bought out the Hardcastle factory…
Named for the company’s home township, Brebbia was founded in 1953 by Enea Buzzi, an alum of Savinelli’s manufacturing division. Still in operation 70 years later, Brebbia is one of Italy’s oldest extant pipe companies, with production still being undertaken using simple lathes and traditional methods of hand finishing. More recently, Brebbia has also collaborated…
Comoy’s is a historic brand in pipe making, and possibly the most historic brand in the making of briar pipes. Though originally founded in 1825 by a French family from Saint Claude, France, production of Comoy’s pipes was soon moved to London, England, where it established itself as one of the quintessential English pipe companies….
Founded in 1964 by Turkish engineer Cano A. Ozgener, CAO was one of the most renowned importers of meerschaum pipes in the last half-century, thanks in no small part to their close affiliation with master carvers such as Ismet Bekler. Emerging out of Ozgener’s own dissatisfaction with the quality of Turkish-made meerschaum pipes of the…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Alongside near-contemporaries such as Otto Pollner and Karlheinz Joura, Rainer Barbi was one of the ‘grand old men’ of German artisan pipe-making. Beginning his career in the 1970s, Barbi was largely self-taught, but nevertheless managed to establish a reputation as one of the most talented freehand pipe carvers in the world. In his later years,…
Comoy’s is a historic brand in pipe making, and possibly the most historic brand in the making of briar pipes. Though originally founded in 1825 by a French family from Saint Claude, France, production of Comoy’s pipes was soon moved to London, England, where it established itself as one of the quintessential English pipe companies….
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Along with names like Barling, Charatan, and Dunhill Sasieni holds a special place in the history of English smoking pipes – one near to its very beginnings. So the story goes, Sasieni himself worked for Dunhill during its early days. But eventually he left Dunhill, having his own ideas about how pipes should be made,…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
Chacom is one of France’s most historic and iconic makes. Its founders, the Comoy family, began their career as boxwood pipe-makers in the early 1800s, before briar had even been discovered, with Henri Comoy (of Comoy’s fame) emigrating to England in 1879 and founding the country’s first briar pipe factory. In 1922, Henri and his…
Though I’m of course partial to our MBSD-brand meerschaums, that doesn’t mean I don’t recognize genuine artistry in the craft when I see it, regardless of the maker. This meer, from the highly respected SMS make, is an example of exactly that. It’s a beautiful vase-like creation – very old-world, in fact – with a…
Gigi pipes occupy an interesting position in the history of Italian pipe-making. The story begins with the founding of Sociedade Rovera, a pipe-making company in Varese, Italy, by the Rovera family. As members of the Rovera family left to start their own ventures, the dynasty associated with the name would be split into several companies;…
Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues…
Along with names like Barling, Charatan, and Dunhill Sasieni holds a special place in the history of English smoking pipes – one near to its very beginnings. So the story goes, Sasieni himself worked for Dunhill during its early days. But eventually he left Dunhill, having his own ideas about how pipes should be made,…
Among today’s vibrant scene of high-grade artisan pipe-makers, there are yet few who command as much respect as Jess Chonowitsch. He began his career in 1966, working alongside his father, Emil, at Teofil Suhr’s workshop and under Poul Rasmussen’s direction. After Rasmussen’s passing in 1967, Jess joined the W.O. Larsen workshop alongside other budding masters,…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
H.T.L. pipes are a little mysterious, but it has been suggested that these pipes were a house-brand for Californian tobacconist Hiland’s Tobacco Locker (with one person suggesting this having worked at a Hiland’s branch in years past). The pipes were made for Hiland’s by established makes of the time, including Savinelli, Comoy’s and GBD. This…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
Astleys was one of London’s most historic pipe and tobacco shops. Like many pipe tobacconists, its owners had pipes made specially to be sold under the shop’s name. Astleys pipes, however, were made by some of the premier pipe manufacturers and artisans in the UK, such as Dunhill, Charatan, Les Wood, and Ken Barnes and…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
Originally founded in 1968 by Svend Bang, a former store manager at Denmark’s legendary W.Ø. Larsen, S. Bang would go on to become a legend in its own right, one that would rival even Larsen in fame and acclaim. While Svend himself was not a pipe-maker, he was able to enlist some of the most…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
J.T. Cooke is a Vermont-based American artisan carver with a number of impressive credentials under his belt. Cooke was originally based at Elliot Nachtwalter and Jeorg Jemelka’s The Briar Workshop, in a role which included making pipes for Wilke’s tobacconist in Philadelphia. After leaving the Workshop, Cooke collaborated with Barry Levin in establishing the estate…
Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Caminetto was, and is to this day, a decisive figure in the history of Italy’s pipe workshop tradition. After spending time developing their skills in the Castello workshop, Sergio Ascorti and Luigi Radice left to found their own venture, which they named, “Caminetto.” Here, Ascorti and Radice were able to create their own now-classic shapes…
Peder Christian Jeppesen is an artisan pipe-maker from Denmark. Beginning his career in the workshops of Karl Erik and Erik Nording, he later began a solo career under his own name, as well as under the ‘Neerup’ Moniker. In the years since, Jeppesen has come to be recognized as one of Denmark’s premium carvers, including…
Like many Italian workshop brands, Ardor pipes are a family affair. The name itself is an acronym of Angelo Rovera and Dorelio Rovera, father and son pipe-makers who created the brand in 1972. The Rovera family’s history with pipes goes back much further, however, as Angelo’s own father, Francesco, had previously established the Sociedade Rovera…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Comoy’s is a historic brand in pipe making, and possibly the most historic brand in the making of briar pipes. Though originally founded in 1825 by a French family from Saint Claude, France, production of Comoy’s pipes was soon moved to London, England, where it established itself as one of the quintessential English pipe companies….
While I’m not too sure about the history of the Darnell make, it appears that the pipes were made for export by Gasparini. Gasparini itself is an Italian make, named for its founders Mario and Ida Gasparini, who took up pipe-making all the way back in 1938. Gasparini has remained a family affair since, and…
While originally born in Italy, Thomas Cristiano emigrated to the United States at the age of 16, quickly finding work in the S.M. Frank factory in Long Island. S.M. Frank is a historic American pipe-making company, and at this time Cristiano worked on Frank-owned makes such as Kaywoodie. Later, Cristiano departed to make his own…
At MBSD, our mainstay of meerschaum pipes are our Deluxe Meerschaums, which are all fitted with a patented Briar-Mortise system. But we, like many meerschaum smokers, also appreciate how good sterling silver looks on a meerschaum pipe too. So with each batch of pipes from our carver in Türkiye, we try to have a few…
Gigi pipes occupy an interesting position in the history of Italian pipe-making. The story begins with the founding of Sociedade Rovera, a pipe-making company in Varese, Italy, by the Rovera family. As members of the Rovera family left to start their own ventures, the dynasty associated with the name would be split into several companies;…
Mario Grandi pipes are made by Italy’s Pierluigi family, headed by Aldo Pierluigi, an artisan pipe-maker since the 1970s. The Pierluigi family are also responsible for the Pierluigi make, as well as Mastro Beraldi. While I’ve categorized this Mario Grandi as a Rhodesian to better suit search algorithms, as well as our own category system,…
Don Carlos belongs to a historic lineage within Italian pipe making. The workshop was founded by Bruto Sordini (along with his wife Rosaria), who had previously made pipes for Mastro de Paja, where he also met Giancarlo Guidi. In 1981, Sordini and Guidi left Mastro de Paja to found their own workshop, Ser Jacopo. After…
Astleys was one of London’s most historic pipe and tobacco shops. Like many pipe tobacconists, its owners had pipes made specially to be sold under the shop’s name. Astleys pipes, however, were made by some of the premier pipe manufacturers and artisans in the UK, such as Dunhill, Charatan, Les Wood, and Ken Barnes and…
While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
Ascorti belongs to a historic lineage in Italian artisan pipe-making. Guiseppe ‘Peppino’ Ascorti was first employed as a pipe-maker in the 1950s, in Carlo Scotti’s Castello workshop in Cantu. There he met Luigi Radice, and in the 1960s the two decided to leave Castello to create their own pipe-making workshop, under the name ‘Caminetto.’ At…
Nørding was founded by Erik Nørding in the 1960s, and is one of the oldest remaining companies to come out of the Scandinavian pipe-making renaissance that began in the mid-20th century. Now in his 80s, Erik Nørding is one of the most experienced and skilled pipe-makers in the world, and over the decades he has…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Nørding was founded by Erik Nørding in the 1960s, and is one of the oldest remaining companies to come out of the Scandinavian pipe-making renaissance that began in the mid-20th century. Now in his 80s, Erik Nørding is one of the most experienced and skilled pipe-makers in the world, and over the decades he has…
‘BBB’ originally stood for ‘Blumfeld’s Best Briars’, so named after Louis Blumfeld after he took over the historic Alfred Frankenau Company in 1856. Later, the pipes came to be known as ‘Britain’s Best Briars’. Though the name might have changed, the quality of the pipes did not – they really were fantastic pipes, made in…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Custom-Bilt (later, as in this case, Custombilt) pipes were originally created in the early 20th century by Tracy Mincer, an American pipe-maker. Later adopting the slogan, ‘As Individual as a Thumbprint,’ Custom-Bilts were each rusticated by hand, giving them their signature rugged look, and ensuring that no two Custom-Bilts were exactly alike. Today, these pipes…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
A graduate of industrial design and of a less formal apprenticeship under Todd Johnson, Adam Davidson has become one of North America’s most renowned artisan pipe-makers. Davidson initially worked with Johnson on his Medici pipes, while also being employed as a refurbisher for one of America’s leading pipe dealers. He then went solo, soon rising…
Aldo Velani pipes are made by Cesare Barontini at the latter’s factory in Italy. Originally, Aldo Velani was conceived by Mastercraft to be a new Italian make for the American market, as all of Mastercraft’s other pipes at the time were of English or French origin. Mastercraft partnered with Barontini, and thus the Aldo Velani…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
While there are many historic tobacconists, few can claim to be quite as historic as Fribourg & Treyer. Situated in London’s Westminster borough, Fribourg & Treyer was founded in 1720, and continued its operations until its closure in 1980. As with many major tobacconists, Fribourg & Treyer had house-make briar pipes created for their shops…
Gasparini made Darnell pipes back in the 1980s as a quality but affordable option. This pipe, like many others we stock came from a shop in Europe that closed many years ago. This is a stout rusticated billiard. Details: Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm Bowl Depth: 1.97″ / 50.03mm Weight:…
Ser Jacopo is likely the most famous contemporary example of high-grade, workshop-made Italian pipes. It also belongs to a very special tradition in Italian pipe-making, having been established by Giancarlo Guidi and Bruno Sordini after the two had left another great Italian workshop, Mastro de Paja. Together, Guidi and Sordini created a brand of pipes…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
Doctor’s Pipes are made by artisan pipe-maker Roman Kovalev. Based in Saint Petersburg, Kovalev’s pipe-making moniker derives from his sixteen years spent as a pediatric neurologist, and the consequent nickname of ‘Doc’ given by his friends. Taking up pipe-making in the early 2010s, and with a great deal of inspiration from Japanese masters such as…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
Mastro Geppetto pipes are made by the Italian workshop brand Ser Jacopo. One could call them Ser Jacopo’s series of ‘affordable’ pipes, and while this would be correct purely from the standpoint of price, it wouldn’t be entirely fair to them in other regards. Geppetto pipes are hand made from the same high-grade briar as…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues…
Along with names like Barling, Charatan, and Dunhill Sasieni holds a special place in the history of English smoking pipes – one near to its very beginnings. So the story goes, Sasieni himself worked for Dunhill during its early days. But eventually he left Dunhill, having his own ideas about how pipes should be made,…
Design Berlin is, as the name suggests, a German pipe-making company – and is in fact the second best-selling German pipe make after Vauen. Founded in 1948 as Pfeifenstudio Hartmann by Hubert Hartmann, the company adopted the name Design Berlin and the lowercase ‘db’ logo in 1975 as part of a modernization push. This particular…
Chacom is one of France’s most historic and iconic makes. Its founders, the Comoy family, began their career as boxwood pipe-makers in the early 1800s, before briar had even been discovered, with Henri Comoy (of Comoy’s fame) emigrating to England in 1879 and founding the country’s first briar pipe factory. In 1922, Henri and his…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello quickly became known for producing some of the finest smoking pipes in the world. Over the years, the people involved in making Castello pipes has changed – such as Luigi Radice and Sergio Ascorti, who developed their skills in the Cantu workshop before leaving to start Caminetto, or…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Nørding was founded by Erik Nørding in the 1960s, and is one of the oldest remaining companies to come out of the Scandinavian pipe-making renaissance that began in the mid-20th century. Now in his 80s, Erik Nørding is one of the most experienced and skilled pipe-makers in the world, and over the decades he has…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues…
Though I’m biased in my being partial to our own, MBSD-make meerschaums, I still appreciate the pipes of other makes, especially when they’re as nice as this one. The style makes it look at least half a century old, bearing a distinctly figural carving of what appears to be grapevines or berry branches, which sit…
While I’m not entirely sure who made this David’s pipe, I do know that there’s a pretty historic tobacconist and pipe shop here in the United States under that name. So, I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s one of their house-brand pipes. It’s a great looking pipe whoever made it,…
Gigi pipes occupy an interesting position in the history of Italian pipe-making. The story begins with the founding of Sociedade Rovera, a pipe-making company in Varese, Italy, by the Rovera family. As members of the Rovera family left to start their own ventures, the dynasty associated with the name would be split into several companies;…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
Dave Neeb spent the first part of his life as an attorney. Upon retiring, however, he turned his hand to an altogether different vocation: pipes. First, Neeb was a pipe seller; he then learned the art of pipe restoration; finally, under the tutelage of Lee Von Erck and Rad Davis, he took up making artisan…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Mastro Geppetto pipes are made by the Italian workshop brand Ser Jacopo. One could call them Ser Jacopo’s series of ‘affordable’ pipes, and while this would be correct purely from the standpoint of price, it wouldn’t be entirely fair to them in other regards. Geppetto pipes are hand made from the same high-grade briar as…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Astleys was one of London’s most historic pipe and tobacco shops. Like many pipe tobacconists, its owners had pipes made specially to be sold under the shop’s name. Astleys pipes, however, were made by some of the premier pipe manufacturers and artisans in the UK, such as Dunhill, Charatan, Les Wood, and Ken Barnes and…
While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them…
Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello quickly became known for producing some of the finest smoking pipes in the world. Over the years, the people involved in making Castello pipes has changed – such as Luigi Radice and Sergio Ascorti, who developed their skills in the Cantu workshop before leaving to start Caminetto, or…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
Astleys was one of London’s most historic pipe and tobacco shops. Like many pipe tobacconists, its owners had pipes made specially to be sold under the shop’s name. Astleys pipes, however, were made by some of the premier pipe manufacturers and artisans in the UK, such as Dunhill, Charatan, Les Wood, and Ken Barnes and…
Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
As you probably know, we many many of our MBSD meers on traditional and danish shapes. It’s always cool to see an older meer inspired by the same shape charts. Details: Length: 6″ / 152.4mm Bowl Width: 0.85 / 21.59mm Bowl Depth: 1.74″ / 44.19mm Weight: 1.1oz / 54g
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello quickly became known for producing some of the finest smoking pipes in the world. Over the years, the people involved in making Castello pipes has changed – such as Luigi Radice and Sergio Ascorti, who developed their skills in the Cantu workshop before leaving to start Caminetto, or…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Mutcat pipes are made by Mutcat Cat, an Indonesian artisan residing in its northeastern Java province. A pipe-maker for many years, and a pipe-smoker for even longer, Mutcat’s pipes are frequently innovative in their use of alternative, home-grown materials and elaborate forms and finishes. This is not only because of a desire to offer pipe-smokers…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Rossi pipes are made by Savinelli, Italy’s most popular make, and an equally historic one at that. The Savinelli company itself was founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli and has continuously produced high-quality pipes for nearly 150 years. In 1985, Savinelli debuted the Rossi make, as a way of applying the same high-quality…
As you probably know, we many many of our MBSD meers on traditional and danish shapes. It’s always cool to see an older meer inspired by the same shape charts. Details: Length: 5.2″ / 132.0mm Bowl Width: 0.83 / 21.08mm Bowl Depth: 1.36″ / 34.54mm Weight: 1.3oz / 38g
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
Ferndown pipes were made by the legendary British pipe-maker Leslie ‘Les’ John Wood, along with his wife Dolly. Both Les and Dolly previously worked for Dunhill, where Les developed his skills and reputation as Britain’s premier pipe silversmith, as well as one of its premier pipe carvers. Ferndown pipes are highly coveted by pipe-smokers due…
Along with names like Barling, Charatan, and Dunhill Sasieni holds a special place in the history of English smoking pipes – one near to its very beginnings. So the story goes, Sasieni himself worked for Dunhill during its early days. But eventually he left Dunhill, having his own ideas about how pipes should be made,…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Along with names like Barling, Charatan, and Dunhill Sasieni holds a special place in the history of English smoking pipes – one near to its very beginnings. So the story goes, Sasieni himself worked for Dunhill during its early days. But eventually he left Dunhill, having his own ideas about how pipes should be made,…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously produced high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
If the French make Corrieu is to be believed, then it holds a very special place within the history of smoking instruments: the creation of the first briar pipe. And, if this is true, Courrieu would hold a similarly impressive title, being the oldest extant manufacturer of briar pipes in the world. Based in the…
