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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…
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…
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,…
Until quite recently, Design Berlin was the number two best-selling German pipe brand 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. Design Berlin went on to achieve a level of success that…
Beginning his career as a pipe-maker in the 1970s, Randy Wiley was a key figure in the new wave of American artisans in the late-20th century pipe scene – and still is today, nearly 50 years later. Wiley’s pipes might be characterized as American freehand in style; though he has occasionally made more traditional pieces,…
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…
Known as the “dean of American pipe designers” Ed Burak was not a pipe-maker per se. Rather, Burak was someone who worked with the master carvers of his time to bring his distinct ideas of what a pipe could be to life. As the owner of the Connoisseur Pipe Shop, Burak designed freehand pipes so…
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…
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…
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…
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…
B. 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. If one was to list the most esteemed…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. As ever, I have to say, Michel Mitchell sure knew how to pick ’em. This…
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…
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…
Owing to a sporadic career, Hans Hartmann is, today, one of a number of lesser known artisans in the history of Danish pipes. Yet those who are acquainted with the finer details of that history know of his great significance within the emergence of modern pipe making. Hartmann was one of what might be called…
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…
Though I don’t think he’s around on the scene anymore, Rick Knight was a very talented artisan pipe maker in the 2000s. Inspired by the likes of Mark Tinsky and Trever Talbert, Knight was given more formal instruction in the craft by Lee Von Erck, Brian Ruthenberg, and Tyler Beard, with the resulting pipes selling…
The Colossus Pipe Factory, known by its initials C.P.F., is a make that is – as of yet – still a little shrouded in mystery. What is known is that the make was established in 1851 and that it was owned by Kaufman Bros & Bondy (later of Kaywoodie fame) by at least 1898. It is…
While China has long been associated with cheaper factory pipes, a new generation of artisans and workshops have emerged over the past decade, producing some genuinely excellent pipes. HS Studio is an example of the latter, being a Hong Kong workshop dedicated to crafting handmade briars, typically in shapes and styles reminiscent of the post-war…
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…
4th Generation—or, rather, Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation, to use its full name—is a brand of pipes first conceived by Denmark’s Erik Stokkebye (as one would expect), who holds the accomplishment of representing four generations of the Stokkebye family’s involvement in pipes and tobaccos (as one would also expect). Erik Stokkebye himself does not make pipes;…
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…
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…
Known as the “dean of American pipe designers” Ed Burak was not a pipe-maker per se. Rather, Burak was someone who worked with the master carvers of his time to bring his distinct ideas of what a pipe could be to life. As the owner of the Connoisseur Pipe Shop, Burak designed freehand pipes so…
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…
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 China has long been associated with cheaper factory pipes, a new generation of artisans and workshops have emerged over the past decade, producing some genuinely excellent pipes. HS Studio is an example of the latter, being a Hong Kong workshop dedicated to crafting handmade briars, typically in shapes and styles reminiscent of the post-war…
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…
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…
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…
Karlheinz Joura is a fascinating German pipe-maker, based in the town of Bremen. Along with being a pipe-maker of the same stature as Italy’s Baldo Baldi, or Denmark’s Per Hansen and Ulf Noltensmeier of S. Bang, Joura is a former world-class diver. He’s also perhaps the only master pipe-maker to have successfully crossed the Berlin…
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…
Bruce Weaver was, quite simply, one of America’s great artisans, something made even more impressive by his relatively short career. He first studied pipe making with Lee Von Erck, before continuing to develop his skills under Tim West and Todd Johnson, the latter of which he would end up collaborating with on certain pieces. Weaver…
Unraveling the history of these CPF pipes we’ve had in recently has been a blast. As I mentioned in a previous listing, I was able to find out – thanks to a small, ancient piece of paper tucked into one of the CPF pipes’ bowls – that the make was founded in 1851. This, coupled…
Merchant Service was, originally, a mid-century British pipe brand founded by Herbert Merchant, and is today most remembered for manufacturing the pencil-shank billiard pipes favored by Bing Crosby. As with so many pipe companies of days gone by, Herbert Merchant Inc. was ultimately dissolved, with the Merchant Service story seemingly coming to a close—until something…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, is one of the few self-taught…
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…
WO Larsen was a world-renowned tobacconist in Copenhagen Denmark and a major player in modern pipe history. 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…
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…
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…
Pierre Morel may well be France’s most revered living pipe maker, and can surely be regarded as one of the nation’s all-time greats. While there are a number of notable dynasties in the pipe world, and with them a number of very talented, second-, and even third-generation pipe makers, the Morel family has been making…
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….
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…
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 KB&B’s…
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. For this Silver line meerschaum, inspiration was taken from a singular shape in modern pipe making, one that has been…
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…
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…
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…
Like so many classic names in English pipe making, Loewe & Co. was founded by a Frenchman, Emil Loewe, in 1856, in London’s Haymarket street. Though not as well-known as contemporaries such as Comoy’s or GBD, Loewe—sometimes referred to as L&Co.—pipes have long held a place in the hearts of pipe collectors, especially collectors of…
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;…
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…
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…
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…
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 discussing with my carver what shapes we should have for the next MBSD Meerschaums, the subject of stubbier, chubbier,…
We don’t get many Michal Novák pipes come through here at MBSD, but that didn’t stop me from instantly recognizing this one when it landed on desk. Novak is one of those select few artisans whose work is unmistakably theirs, with his signature style blending, on the one hand, the unfurling, spiral carvings familiar to…
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;…
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…
The “Jacobean” was one of the first pipes created by Leslie Wood and Dolly Wood after both had left Dunhill. In fact, the Jacobean was conceived so early into Les & Dolly’s independent careers that it was manufactured under the umbrella of L&JS Silverware (Leslie’s private silversmithing company) rather than L&JS Briars, which came a…
You may have wondered, as I often do, what would happen if professional meerschaum carver was to turn their attention to briar wood, and to make pipes out of that instead. While many early briar pipe manufacturers, such as Frederick Charatan, made just such a transition back in the late 19th century, both briar and…
Andrey Kharitonov is, to my eye, one of the most innovative artisans in pipe-making today. Born in 1961 in the former Soviet Union, Kharitonov’s work has been inspired by a number of his compatriots in the artisan scene, such as Viktor Yashtylov, Misha Revyagin, and Alexey Kharmalov. Like the latter, Kharitonov frequently experiments with novel…
L’Anatra pipes are made by the artisan duo Massimo Palazzi and Andrea Pascucci in northern Italy’s Pesaro region. Those with some familiarity with Italian pipes will likely recognize that particular region, as it is the home of what has come to be known as the “Pesaro School” of high-grade pipe making. Through its close network…
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…
Andrey Kharitonov is, to my eye, one of the most innovative artisans in pipe-making today. Born in 1961 in the former Soviet Union, Kharitonov’s work has been inspired by a number of his compatriots in the artisan scene, such as Viktor Yashtylov, Misha Revyagin, and Alexey Kharmalov. Like the latter, Kharitonov frequently experiments with novel…
Andrey Kharitonov is, to my eye, one of the most innovative artisans in pipe-making today. Born in 1961 in the former Soviet Union, Kharitonov’s work has been inspired by a number of his compatriots in the artisan scene, such as Viktor Yashtylov, Misha Revyagin, and Alexey Kharmalov. Like the latter, Kharitonov frequently experiments with novel…
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. So-called “stubby” pipes are far from new in the world of briar, with prime examples being the designs of Danish…
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…
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 Silver grade MBSD Meerschaum is for those who want something portable without sacrificing chamber size. At just 5 inches…
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…
This particular pipe came to us with a batch of new old stock (NOS) pipes from a store closure a few states over. Based on what I was able to research, the Mina company runs a pipe workshop in China, not unlike HS Studio or GH Zhang, which produces a number of different makes based…
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 or so, Indonesia has produced some impressive pipe-makers in the artisan scene. West Java’s Wandi Riyadi was one of the first to receive major international acclaim, inspiring many more of his compatriots to take up the craft – something that we at MBSD, having carried a couple of talented Indonesian artisans,…
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…
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. Since the late 1940s, the Dublin shape has undergone innumerable transformations, resulting in a vast variety of distinct renditions 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…
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…
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…
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…
Bjarne Nielsen was one of the towering figures of Danish pipe-making until his passing in 2008. As the founder of Bjarne, Nielsen employed talented pipe-makers from Denmark to produce distinctly Danish pipes and sold them to a devoted international audience. Among those in his employ were figures such as Mogens Johansen (also known as Johs),…
Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, is one of the few self-taught…
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…
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…
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 call Canada’s Todd Bannard, the artisan behind Briar, Sweat and Tears (BST) pipes, a “cult favorite” would be a profound understatement. Like his fellow countrymen Michael Parks and Julius Vesz, Bannard’s work has demonstrated that, though Canada may have far fewer pipe-makers than its neighbors in the US, Canadian handmades truly are a matter…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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. The cutty is one of the earliest briar pipe shapes, in part because early briar carvers transposed an already-familiar design…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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. After being sold by the Barling family in the…
Bjarne Nielsen was one of the towering figures of Danish pipe-making until his passing in 2008. As the founder of Bjarne, Nielsen employed talented pipe-makers from Denmark to produce distinctly Danish pipes and sold them to a devoted international audience. Among those in his employ were figures such as Mogens Johansen (also known as Johs),…
Along with WO Larsen and Suhr’s Pibemageri, Pipe Dan (or Pibe Dan) was one of the foundational workshops in the emergence of post-war Danish pipe-making. Founded in 1943 by H. Dan-Christensen, Pipe Dan not only sold the pipes of pioneering Scandinavian pipe-makers, such as Sixten Ivarsson, Sven Knudsen and Preben Holm, it employed many of…
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…
Just about every pipe-maker stamps their name or brand on a pipe as a seal of approval for its craftsmanship. Sicily’s Salvatore Amorelli, however, went even further, by deciding that every one of his pipes would not only bear his name, but also an 18 karat gold inlay as a testament to their high quality….
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. Inspired by the distinctly plump brandy shapes of the Danish post-war scene, this MBSD Silver line meerschaum is for those…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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. I’ve been on a bit of a maritime kick lately, having grown to really appreciate the strange, boat-like shapes of…
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…
Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, is one of the few self-taught…
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. The inspiration for this MBSD Silver model came from a distinct mid-century shape – one popularly associated with classic American…
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…
Hailing from a family of pipe smokers, American artisan Will Purdy took up the pipe as soon as he graduated from high school. A few decades later, around the turn of the millennium, he began to make his own pipes as well. By 2004, and after building up his workshop and developing his skills, Purdy…
A graduate of Italy’s prestigious Academia della Pipa, Michele Sottocasa has been making pipes for over a decade under the la Biota name. Prior to becoming a pipe-maker, Sottocasa trained and worked as a designer and art director, and la Biota pipes continue this drive towards a distinct aesthetic vision. The name, ‘la Biota,’ originally…
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…
In the world of pipes, Tom Eltang needs no introduction. I will, however, give one anyway, if just as a reminder. Eltang made his first pipe from a Pipe-Dan hobby kit at the age of 11. At age 16, he apprenticed under the legendary Anne Julie, before moving on to work for Pipe-Dan three years…
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…
With its origins in an 1858 collaboration between Jean-Baptiste Choquin and Gustave Butz, Butz-Choquin ultimately become one of the premier smoking pipe companies in 20th century France. The brand is known both for its stylish variations on traditional English-French shapes and for its exploration of atypical and elaborate finishes. The brand is also known for its…
This pipe requires some explaining. In fact, it requires quite a lot of explaining, which will be covered more extensively in our upcoming interview with the now-retired pipe-maker Les Wood. Because that interview is taking more time than expected to edit, I figured I’d ask the interviewer, James, to let me know the basic story…
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…
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…
I’m a big fan of Abb’s Pipes by Corey “Abb” Brown, an American artisan from my own home state of Georgia. He’s got a real knack for creating handmade, working man’s pipes, with this pot being no exception. It’s classically inclined, but has some good heft to it, including nicely thick bowl walls. It’s also…
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. The inspiration for this MBSD Silver model came from a distinct mid-century shape – one popularly associated with classic American…
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…
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…
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…
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…
As a child, Piero Vitale spent many an afternoon in the workshop of his grandfather, who was a carpenter and luthier. This proclivity for working with his hands translated into a number of artistic pursuits as he grew up, including painting and wood carving. Then Vitale was introduced to the world of handmade pipes by…
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. The egg shape has become a staple of modern pipe-making since its inception in the works of Danish artisans 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…
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. We’ve had a new hire recently, and when I asked him what shape he would most like to see in…
While some pipe-makers take inspiration from the natural world, or from the technologies of present and past, few of them in the contemporary seek to represent these forms in their work. Czech artisan Ondrej Bárta of Moonlight pipes does just that, in a way that recalls the intricate, figural carvings of briar pipes from the…
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. Sometimes you can’t beat the classics. For this MBSD Silver Meerschaum I figured a nice, full bent brandy would be…
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…
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…
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…
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. So-called “stubby” pipes are far from new in the world of briar, with prime examples being the designs of Danish…
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…
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…
B. 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 Barling, however, was made by Nording. As…
Over the last decade or so, Indonesia has produced some impressive pipe-makers in the artisan scene. West Java’s Wandi Riyadi was one of the first to receive major international acclaim, inspiring many more of his compatriots to take up the craft – something that we at MBSD, having carried a couple of talented Indonesian artisans,…
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 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…
Andrey Kharitonov is, to my eye, one of the most innovative artisans in pipe-making today. Born in 1961 in the former Soviet Union, Kharitonov’s work has been inspired by a number of his compatriots in the artisan scene, such as Victor Yashtylov, Misha Revyagin, and Alexey Kharmalov. Like the latter, Kharitonov frequently experiments with novel…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Gilbert Henry Krisor, who made pipes under the GHK moniker, was an American artisan based in California. Though Krisor began making pipes only after his retirement, Krisor’s pipes would ultimately achieve significant acclaim and would even feature in the personal collections of celebrity pipe-smokers, such as Jack Lemmon and Anwar Sadat. Krisor died in 1984….
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
H. Willmer and Sons was an English pipe workshop founded at some point in the mid-20th century. Harold Willmer himself was the brother of Dan Tennyson, one of Charatan’s freehand carvers, and would, according to Ken Barnes, often buy bowls from Charatan’s freehand workshop, which would be subsequently finished by Willmer’s craftsmen. In addition to…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Karl Erik was a Danish pipe-maker, and one of the originators of the Danish style of pipe-making that swept the world in the 20th century. He was a prolific carver and many who apprenticed in his workshop went on to become iconic pipe-makers in their own right, such as Peder Jeppesen and Bent Nielsen (Benner)….
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…
If you’re familiar with high-grade pipes – especially those from Denmark – you’ll likely have at least heard of Hans ‘Former’ Nielsen. Former 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,…
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,…
Tim West is one of the United States’ oldest living artisan pipe-makers, having made his first pipe all the way back in 1967, and having become a full-time pipe maker since 1975. A legend in the scene, West has produced thousands of pipes in his lifetime, and has won his far share of awards for…
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…
A graduate of Italy’s prestigious Academia della Pipa, Michele Sottocasa has been making pipes for over a decade under the la Biota name. Prior to becoming a pipe-maker, Sottocasa trained and worked as a designer and art director, and la Biota pipes continue this drive towards a distinct aesthetic vision. The name, ‘la Biota,’ originally…
Wojtek Pastuch is an artisan pipe-maker from Poland. A former student of Mimmo Romeo and Tom Eltang, Pastuch has been carving pipes since 2011, recently serving as part of the visiting faculty for Italy’s prestigious Academia della Pipa alongside its Mastri Romeo, Gioacchino Sauro, Davide Iafisco, and Gabriele Dal Fiume. Given Wojtek Pastuch’s pipe-making education, it seems only…
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…
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…
While artisan pipe-making has historically been associated with North America, Europe, and Japan, talented carvers from more and more countries are being brought to the fore thanks to social media. One of these countries is Indonesia, and one of these carvers is Mohammad Anggi, the make of G Pipes. I’ve categorized this pipe from Indonesian…
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…
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…
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…
‘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…
‘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…
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…
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…
Tsuge is Japan’s largest and most internationally renowned pipe company, having been founded in 1936 by Kyoichiro Tsuge. In the 1970s, however, Tsuge was so impressed by the pipes coming out of Denmark, that he sent two of Tsuge’s own master pipe-makers, Kazuhiro Fukuda and Smio Satou, to hone their craft under the likes of…
Peterson’s St. Patrick’s Day series is the Irish marque’s longest-running annual release, a widely anticipated release celebrating the brand’s heritage since its debut in 1998. For 2024, the series comprises a variety of classic shapes, all with stylish mounts of vibrant emerald acrylic. Each of the shapes boast Peterson’s iconic system engineering and are fitted…
This large billiard is outside the norm of the Astleys we’ve stocked in the past. It’s on the bigger side at 7″ long, and sporting an almost 22m wide chamber. The birds-eye is stunning! This beautiful billiard has been lightly smoked and meticulously maintained. Nomenclature: 109 Jermyn ST London Details: Length: 7″ Bowl…
Dark-stained and crisply rusticated on one side and smooth polished with a ruby hue on the other, those are the two faces of Peterson’s Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde series. Here, the iconic “XL02” bent Apple design takes well to the two finishes, offering the best of both textures for a thoroughly unique in hand…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. A while back, we bought a few dozen Michel pipes from a tobacconist that had…
I could not find much information about this Chadhall make billiard. All I know is that it was made in Italy, and that it was probably imported to the US, or perhaps the UK, possibly for a store of some kind. The stamping of “Algerian Briar” likely signals a mid-century make, as that was far…
Bjarne Nielsen was one of the towering figures of Danish pipe-making until his passing in 2008. As the founder of Bjarne, Nielsen employed talented pipe-makers from Denmark to produce distinctly Danish pipes and sold them to a devoted international audience. Among those in his employ were figures such as Mogens Johansen (also known as Johs),…
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…
With a legacy spanning several decades, J.M. Boswell has solidified his place as a distinguished artisan among the top of American pipe making. Hailing from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Boswell’s journey into the world of pipe craftsmanship began in the early 1970s. Fueled by a passion for both art and tobacco, he embarked on a quest to…
Tsuge is Japan’s largest and most internationally renowned pipe company, having been founded in 1936 by Kyoichiro Tsuge. In the 1970s, however, Tsuge himself was so impressed by the pipes coming out of Denmark, that he sent two of Tsuge’s own master pipe-makers, Kazuhiro Fukuda and Smio Satou, to hone their craft under the likes…
I’ve read conflicting reports as to who made Wild Honey pipes, and even Wilczak & Colwell’s Who Made That Pipe? list two answers: Sasieni, and the Wild Honey Tobacco Company. Given that the latter is ancient, and that companies are far less documented than pipe makes, I thought this one would remain a mystery. Except the shape…
Much like London, Saint-Claude, Copenhagen, Pesaro, and Tokyo before it, Saint Petersburg emerged, in the later decades of the 20th century, as one of the powerhouses of high-grade pipes—especially high-grade artisan pipes. Commentators sometimes speak of a “Saint Petersburg school” in this regard, which includes figures such as Vladimir Grechukhin, Sergey Dyomin, Alexander Tupitsyn, and,…
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 Super Grain was…
Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, is one of the few self-taught…
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…
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…
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that our current President did not make this pipe. I don’t imagine that it was made as part of his personal brand, either, though he has had a large variety of businesses over the decades. The style is much more akin to something like LHS,…
Who made this pipe? It’s certainly not like the typical seconds one finds from Italy (which is one way that major Italian pipe companies deal with pipes that aren’t quite perfect as far as aesthetics go). In fact, it looks handmade, and if it didn’t say “Italy” on the stem, I might think it was…
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…
Merchant Service was, originally, a mid-century British pipe brand founded by Herbert Merchant, and is today most remembered for manufacturing the pencil-shank billiard pipes favored by Bing Crosby. As with so many pipe companies of days gone by, Herbert Merchant Inc. was ultimately dissolved, with the Merchant Service story seemingly coming to a close—until something…
In recent decades, Saint Petersburg has emerged as a hub for the production of some of the world’s finest and most sought-after pipes, securing a place alongside such cities as London, Copenhagen, and Tokyo. In fact, there is now recognized to be a “Saint Petersburg school” of pipe making, with its own, distinct style and…
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…
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…
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….
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…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. Another perfect clencher from Maison Michel! Good size, good bowl capacity, and this time only…
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…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. It seems as though these “Selected” Michel pipes were a step up from the standard…
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…
Merchant Service was, originally, a mid-century British pipe brand founded by Herbert Merchant, and is today most remembered for manufacturing the pencil-shank billiard pipes favored by Bing Crosby. As with so many pipe companies of days gone by, Herbert Merchant Inc. was ultimately dissolved, with the Merchant Service story seemingly coming to a close—until something…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
MBSD Classic is our series of, well, classic meerschaum pipes, with an eye to affordability. As meerschaum has a special place in our heart, we wanted to offer pipes made from this special material to suit every budget. Our classic line is also intended to give those who haven’t yet tried smoking a meer’ a…
With its origins in an 1858 collaboration between Jean-Baptiste Choquin and Gustave Butz, Butz-Choquin ultimately become one of the premier smoking pipe companies in 20th century France. The brand is known both for its stylish variations on traditional English-French shapes and for its exploration of atypical and elaborate finishes. The brand is also known for…
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…
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…
Beginning his career as a pipe-maker in the 1970s, Randy Wiley was a key figure in the new wave of American artisans in the late-20th century pipe scene – and still is today, nearly 50 years later. Wiley’s pipes might be characterized as American freehand in style; though he has occasionally made more traditional pieces,…
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…
Merchant Service was, originally, a mid-century British pipe brand founded by Herbert Merchant, and is today most remembered for manufacturing the pencil-shank billiard pipes favored by Bing Crosby. As with so many pipe companies of days gone by, Herbert Merchant Inc. was ultimately dissolved, with the Merchant Service story seemingly coming to a close—until something…
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…
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 KB&B’s…
The Colossus Pipe Factory, known by its initials C.P.F., is a make that is – as of yet – still a little shrouded in mystery. What is known is that the make was established in 1851 and that it was owned by Kaufman Bros & Bondy (later of Kaywoodie fame) by at least 1898. It is…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. Another perfect clencher from Maison Michel! Good size, good bowl capacity, and this time only…
The Colossus Pipe Factory, known by its initials C.P.F., is a make that is – as of yet – still a little shrouded in mystery. What is known is that the make was established in 1851 and that it was owned by Kaufman Bros & Bondy (later of Kaywoodie fame) by at least 1898. It is…
Known as the “dean of American pipe designers” Ed Burak was not a pipe-maker per se. Rather, Burak was someone who worked with the master carvers of his time to bring his distinct ideas of what a pipe could be to life. As the owner of the Connoisseur Pipe Shop, Burak designed freehand pipes so…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. The opera is a relatively unique shape in the world of pipe design, even in…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. This particular Michel is a compact and relatively lightweight author shape, one that should be…
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…
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…
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. There’s plenty to like…
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. Along with our meerschaums modeled on the shapes and styles of modern, Danish and post-Danish briar pipe designs, I also…
Jes Phillip Vigen Gertsen, known professionally as Ph. Vigen, is a relatively mysterious figure within Danish pipe-making. His work is distinct and recognizable, and has garnered significant attention and acclaim from collectors, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him photographed. It is known that he worked at WO Larsen under foreman Hans “Former” Nielsen,…
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…
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…
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…
Ropp is a historic French make, founded in 1870 by Eugène-Léon Ropp. Ropp’s original claim to fame was patenting the first pipes made from cherry wood, at a time when pipe-makers were still exploring which materials were most suitable to meet the needs and increasing numbers of tobacco pipe smokers. Later, Ropp established a workshop…
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. Here we have a lovely, lightweight lumberman from the…
KB&B, or Kaufmann Bros & Bondy, was an American pipe company established in the mid-19th century, most famous today for having created Kaywoodie. The company originally made pipes under the KB&B name, but their innovative designs and patents soon led them to market several makes under the KB&B umbrella, including Kaywoodie, Yello-Bole, and CPF. Though…
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…
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….
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…
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…
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….
One of the most fun aspects of this job is getting to talk about rare pipes or pipe designs, especially when they have an interesting backstory. As such, allow me to introduce the ‘Captain Warren,’ or rather, Savinelli’s own version of the shape, the Capt Warren. Who was Warren? That is something pipe historians debate….
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…
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…
Peter Heeschen was one of the great Danish pipe-makers of the late-20th and early 21st-century. Heeschen’s father was a pipe-maker who worked primarily with cherry wood, which provided an early impetus for him to experiment with making his own pipes. Heeschen did not immediately pursue a career in pipe-making, however, and instead drifted in and…
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…
This particular pipe came to us with a batch of new old stock (NOS) pipes from a store closure a few states over. Based on what I was able to research, the Mina company runs a pipe workshop in China, not unlike HS Studio or GH Zhang, which produces a number of different makes based…
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. As might be expected,…
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…
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…
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…
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;…
You may have wondered, as I often do, what would happen if professional meerschaum carver was to turn their attention to briar wood, and to make pipes out of that instead. While many early briar pipe manufacturers, such as Frederick Charatan, made just such a transition back in the late 19th century, both briar and…
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…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. It seems as though these “Selected” Michel pipes were a step up from the standard…
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 KB&B’s…
Sven Lar was the name used by a workshop headed by American freehand carver Michael Kabik. Kabik got his start as one of the earliest freehand carvers in the United States, working for CHP-X Pipes, owned by Chuck Holiday, in the early-1970s. After CHP-X was forced to close, Kabik was approached with the offer of…
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…
This particular pipe came to us with a batch of new old stock (NOS) pipes from a store closure a few states over. Based on what I was able to research, the Mina company runs a pipe workshop in China, not unlike HS Studio or GH Zhang, which produces a number of different makes based…
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…
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…
Bari was a pipe company founded in Kolding, Denmark, in 1950. Along with Stanwell, Bari was one of the first companies that started the Danish movement in pipe-making, offering innovative designs and propelling its founders and carvers into celebrity status within the pipe world. Bari’s founder was Viggo Nielsen, whose sons Kai Nielsen and Jørgen…
Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, is one of the few self-taught…
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…
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…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. I’ve mentioned before how much these Michel pipes have surprised me, and how partial I’ve…
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…
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…
This particular pipe came to us with a batch of new old stock (NOS) pipes from a store closure a few states over. Based on what I was able to research, the Mina company runs a pipe workshop in China, not unlike HS Studio or GH Zhang, which produces a number of different makes based…
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. This particular Kaywoodie is…
It is very likely that Indiana’s Nate King had something of a “head start,” or at least an advantage, when he first took up pipe making, by virtue of his previous careers. First employed as a transmission specialist in an IndyCar pit crew, before moving on to work as an aeronautical engineer, King came to…
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,…
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…
Tsuge is Japan’s largest and most internationally renowned pipe company, having been founded in 1936 by Kyoichiro Tsuge. In the 1970s, however, Tsuge was so impressed by the pipes coming out of Denmark, that he sent two of Tsuge’s own master pipe-makers, Kazuhiro Fukuda and Smio Satou, to hone their craft under the likes of…
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…
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…
Stefano Santambrogio is one of only a handful of people in the world that can claim to be a third-generation pipe-maker. Like Nanna Ivarsson and Federico Becker, Santambrogio’s father and grandfather both made their living crafting pipes, with Santambrogio inheriting his workshop from his father, Renzo, just as Renzo inherited it (with his brother Armando)…
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…
With its origins in an 1858 collaboration between Jean-Baptiste Choquin and Gustave Butz, Butz-Choquin ultimately become one of the premier smoking pipe companies in 20th century France. The brand is known both for its stylish variations on traditional English-French shapes and for its exploration of atypical and elaborate finishes. The brand is also known for…
You may have wondered, as I often do, what would happen if professional meerschaum carver was to turn their attention to briar wood, and to make pipes out of that instead. While many early briar pipe manufacturers, such as Frederick Charatan, made just such a transition back in the late 19th century, both briar and…
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…
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…
This particular pipe came to us with a batch of new old stock (NOS) pipes from a store closure a few states over. Based on what I was able to research, the Mina company runs a pipe workshop in China, not unlike HS Studio or GH Zhang, which produces a number of different makes based…
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…
SederCraft pipes are made by Kraig Sederquist, an American artisan based in California. While Sederquist’s pipes vary in shaping and style, his pipes are predominantly freehand, following an ethos of letting the materials used (such as briar) decide what they will be, based on their natural affordances. I’ve been a fan of Kraig Sederquist’s work…
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…
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…
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…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. Of all of the pipes that have come through over the years, Michel is one…
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,…
Walt Cannoy first emerged as a major figure in the the North American pipe-making renaissance around the turn of the millennium. Originally an R&D mechanic, Cannoy carved and sold his first pipe in 1999, having been inspired by artisan pipe-makers as diverse as Preben Holm, Robert ‘Micoli’ Burns, and Joe Mariner. Cannoy would soon rise…
Roma are budget-friendly pipes made by Italy’s major pipe factories. One could think of them as an unofficial ‘seconds’ line for various Italian mainstays. Details: Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm Bowl Width: 0.80 / 20.32mm Bowl Depth: 1.63″ / 41.40mm Weight: 1.8oz / 52g
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…
Walt Cannoy first emerged as a major figure in the the North American pipe-making renaissance around the turn of the millennium. Originally an R&D mechanic, Cannoy carved and sold his first pipe in 1999, having been inspired by artisan pipe-makers as diverse as Preben Holm, Robert ‘Micoli’ Burns, and Joe Mariner. Cannoy would soon rise…
Bjarne Nielsen was one of the towering figures of Danish pipe-making until his passing in 2008. As the founder of Bjarne, Nielsen employed talented pipe-makers from Denmark to produce distinctly Danish pipes and sold them to a devoted international audience. Among those in his employ were figures such as Mogens Johansen (also known as Johs),…
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…
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…
Over the last decade or so, Indonesia has produced some impressive pipe-makers in the artisan scene. West Java’s Wandi Riyadi was one of the first to receive major international acclaim, inspiring many more of his compatriots to take up the craft – something that we at MBSD, having carried a couple of talented Indonesian artisans,…
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 with many of our Deluxe series meerschaums, this pipe was inspired by prominent briar shapes. More specifically, this one…
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…
Bjarne Nielsen was one of the towering figures of Danish pipe-making until his passing in 2008. As the founder of Bjarne, Nielsen employed talented pipe-makers from Denmark to produce distinctly Danish pipes and sold them to a devoted international audience. Among those in his employ were figures such as Mogens Johansen (also known as Johs),…
Karl Erik was a Danish pipe-maker, and one of the originators of the Danish style of pipe-making that swept the world in the 20th century. He was a prolific carver and many who apprenticed in his workshop went on to become iconic pipe-makers in their own right, such as Peder Jeppesen and Bent Nielsen (Benner)….
You may not know it, but Dr Plumb is one of the oldest extant briar pipe makes, having been established all the way back in 1925. And, while the name sounds like it should be an Anglophone invention, it was originally a French one – though admittedly it is claimed that the name was borrowed…
Beginning his career as a pipe-maker in the 1970s, Randy Wiley was a key figure in the new wave of American artisans in the late-20th century pipe scene – and still is today, nearly 50 years later. Wiley’s pipes might be characterized as American freehand in style; though he has occasionally made more traditional pieces,…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. Another very beautiful and relatively lightweight author shape from Maison Michel. The grain on this…
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…
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 comes from a much-debated period in…
Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, is one of the few self-taught…
You may not know it, but Dr Plumb is one of the oldest extant briar pipe makes, having been established all the way back in 1925. And, while the name sounds like it should be an Anglophone invention, it was originally a French one – though admittedly it is claimed that the name was borrowed…
To call Canada’s Todd Bannard, the artisan behind Briar, Sweat and Tears (BST) pipes, a “cult favorite” would be a profound understatement. Like his fellow countrymen Michael Parks and Julius Vesz, Bannard’s work has demonstrated that, though Canada may have far fewer pipe-makers than its neighbors in the US, Canadian handmades truly are a matter…
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…
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…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. Of all of the pipes that have come through over the years, Michel is one…
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…
You may not know it, but Dr Plumb is one of the oldest extant briar pipe makes, having been established all the way back in 1925. And, while the name sounds like it should be an Anglophone invention, it was originally a French one – though admittedly it is claimed that the name was borrowed…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. Of all of the pipes that have come through over the years, Michel is one…
It would not be unreasonable to say that Peter Matzhold is one of Austria’s foremost living pipe-maker—if not the foremost living pipe-maker from Austria. Nor would it be to say that he is one of the foremost living pipe-makers in the entire German-speaking region of Europe, rivaled only by other masters such as Wolfgang Becker….
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…
Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, is one of the few self-taught…
Sven Lar was the name used by a workshop headed by American freehand carver Michael Kabik. Kabik got his start as one of the earliest freehand carvers in the United States, working for CHP-X Pipes, owned by Chuck Holiday, in the early-1970s. After CHP-X was forced to close, Kabik was approached with the offer of…
The William Demuth Company, otherwise known as WDC, was established in 1862 by German-born American William Demuth, and survived as a mainstay brand in the United States until the 1970s. It would not be inappropriate to call such pipes ‘presidential,’ given that, owing initially to Demuth’s friendship with US president James Garfield, WDC pipes became…
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…
While China has long been associated with cheaper factory pipes, a new generation of artisans and workshops have emerged over the past decade, producing some genuinely excellent pipes. HS Studio is an example of the latter, being a Hong Kong workshop dedicated to crafting handmade briars, typically in shapes and styles reminiscent of the post-war…
Ichi Kitahara is a Japanese pipe-maker, but he’s also something of a renaissance man. He is classically trained in fine art; he has spent time as a high-end jeweler and silversmith; he has also worked as an Itame, the Japanese name for a particularly skilled sushi chef; and last, but not least, he is an artisan…
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;…
I’m not sure who made this meerschaum pipe, but I do like their style. The Oom Paul is a design I’ve similarly had made for some of our Deluxe and Silver line meerschaums, as it’s not a common shape among the Turkish carvers. This one is a large specimen, with a good, deep chamber. This…
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…
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…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. Another perfect clencher from Maison Michel! Good size, good bowl capacity, and this time only…
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 with many of our meerschaum pipes, the design of this one was inspired by Danish artisan renditions of the…
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…
Paul Becker is one of Germany’s most accomplished artisans, which is impressive given the competition he’s been up against over the decades. I’ve followed his career for many years—so many, in fact, that I remember when he used to stamp his pipes “Paul Becker,” instead of “PaulPipes.” You see, probably the only hurdle that Paul…
As part of the “Muscovite School” of artisans that has emerged in the last few decades, Sergey Cherepanov first apprenticed in pipe-making under Victor Yashtylov and Mikhail Revyagin. Since then, he has become one of East Europe’s premier pipe carvers, creating shorter, compact works that nonetheless carry with them the grace of the Danish masters…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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. In the pantheon of British pipes, there are few…
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…
Bjarne Nielsen was one of the towering figures of Danish pipe-making until his passing in 2008. As the founder of Bjarne, Nielsen employed talented pipe-makers from Denmark to produce distinctly Danish pipes and sold them to a devoted international audience. Among those in his employ were figures such as Mogens Johansen (also known as Johs),…
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…
Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, is one of the few self-taught…
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…
You may not know it, but Dr Plumb is one of the oldest extant briar pipe makes, having been established all the way back in 1925. And, while the name sounds like it should be an Anglophone invention, it was originally a French one – though admittedly it is claimed that the name was borrowed…
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…
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…
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 own…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Like Alfred Dunhill’s Windshield, or various silver-capped briars, the “hurricane” wind cap was one of the many 20th century inventions intended to help smokers enjoy their pipes in less than favorable weather. Though its origins are unclear, it was, at one time or another, associated with Roy Talent, Nutt Products (side note: a fantastic name…
Beginning his career as a pipe-maker in the 1970s, Randy Wiley was a key figure in the new wave of American artisans in the late-20th century pipe scene – and still is today, nearly 50 years later. Wiley’s pipes might be characterized as American freehand in style; though he has occasionally made more traditional pieces,…
Elliott Nachwalter was one of the greats of American pipe-making in the late 20th and early 21st century, not least because of his influence on other pipe-makers, who would ultimately rise to a similar (or even greater) renown. Though he originally studied in art history, he took up pipe-making in the 1970s, helping to found…
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…
Les Wood and Dolly Wood both began their careers in pipes working for Dunhill, with Les working in the silver mounting department, and Dolly working in the finishing department. While at Dunhill, both learned the fundamentals of making pipes, and after marrying and leaving the company, the two began to create pipes of their own….
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. Another perfect clencher from Maison Michel! Good size, good bowl capacity, yet only 34 grams….
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…
Age (or rather, Åge) Bogelund is a somewhat less known carver from the 20th century Danish pipe-making tradition – though he was no less a master than his contemporaries. Originally, he worked for Viggo Nielsen’s Bari pipe company, being charged with making some of its higher-grade freehands. Later, Bogelund made pipes under his own name,…
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…
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…
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…
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. While animals have featured as prominent motifs in meerschaum carving since its inception, these animals (whether real or imaginary) have typically been those…
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…
The House of Rattray was originally a tobacconist, opening in Perth, Scotland, in 1903, under the oversight of Charles Rattray. House of Rattray soon became a blending house (whose blends are still sold to this day under the Rattray’s name) and a purveyor of Rattray-brand pipes, made for the tobacconist by established English pipe makers….
Jes Phillip Vigen Gertsen, known professionally as Ph. Vigen, is a relatively mysterious figure within Danish pipe-making. His work is distinct and recognizable, and has garnered significant attention and acclaim from collectors, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him photographed. It is known that he worked at WO Larsen under foreman Hans “Former” Nielsen,…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. Like many of the Michel pipe’s we’ve had come through, this one is exceedingly lightweight,…
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…
Andrey Kharitonov is, to my eye, one of the most innovative artisans in pipe-making today. Born in 1961 in the former Soviet Union, Kharitonov’s work has been inspired by a number of his compatriots in the artisan scene, such as Victor Yashtylov, Misha Revyagin, and Alexey Kharmalov. Like the latter, Kharitonov frequently experiments with novel…
Andrey Kharitonov is, to my eye, one of the most innovative artisans in pipe-making today. Born in 1961 in the former Soviet Union, Kharitonov’s work has been inspired by a number of his compatriots in the artisan scene, such as Victor Yashtylov, Misha Revyagin, and Alexey Kharmalov. Like the latter, Kharitonov frequently experiments with novel…
Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, is one of the few self-taught…
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…
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…
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…
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. Simple and effortlessly ergonomic to the point that functionalist stalwarts like Tom Eltang have built signature designs around it, the…
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…
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…
I’ve had my eye on Brazilian artisan Emanuel de Queiroz Emiliano for a while now, and I’ve certainly enjoyed what I’ve seen. From his humble beginnings as an autodidact, to the fruits of his spent time studying under major talents such as Luis Lavoz and Italy’s Angelo Fassi, Emiliano has proved himself to be one…
Sebastian Heck is part of younger generation of highly skilled artisans to have emerged from Germany in recent years. Based in Heidelberg, Heck took up pipe smoking—and, ultimately, pipe-making—as part of a conscious effort toward slowing down in an otherwise constantly accelerating modern world. Like many pipe-makers, Heck took his first steps into the craft as a…
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…
Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, is one of the few self-taught…
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…
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…
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…
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 with many of our Deluxe series meerschaums, this pipe was inspired by prominent briar shapes. More specifically, this one…
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…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. This particular Michel comes from the make’s Natural series, named for its light, almost naked…
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…
Bjarne Nielsen was one of the towering figures of Danish pipe-making until his passing in 2008. As the founder of Bjarne, Nielsen employed talented pipe-makers from Denmark to produce distinctly Danish pipes and sold them to a devoted international audience. Among those in his employ were figures such as Mogens Johansen (also known as Johs),…
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…
And now for something completely different… Well, not completely, but it is different. These days, Benson & Hedges is predominantly known for a different kind of nicotine delivery technology but, way back when, the company did dabble in pipes. As far as I know, B&H didn’t manufacture their own pipes, with this being done for them…
Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, is one of the few self-taught…
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…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. While the pipes we’ve had come in from Maison Michel have all been very traditional…
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…
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…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel. Of all of the pipes that have come through over the years, Michel is one brand that has surprised me the…
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…
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…
Bjarne Nielsen was one of the towering figures of Danish pipe-making until his passing in 2008. As the founder of Bjarne, Nielsen employed talented pipe-makers from Denmark to produce distinctly Danish pipes and sold them to a devoted international audience. Among those in his employ were figures such as Mogens Johansen (also known as Johs),…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. Now this is what I’d call a clencher. A good size and bowl capacity, yet…
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…
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…
Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, is one of the few self-taught…
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…
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. The stack billiard, or chimney, is, in my humble opinion, a criminally under-utilized shape in meerschaum pipes. So, I decided…
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…
If you were to ask me how to best describe the pipes of Czech artisan Martin Čermák, I’d probably point to one of his Rhodesian shapes as a good indication. He’s got a real knack for playing with proportions, with this one showing off his predilection for shorter, stubbier designs that nonetheless carry a great…
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…
Now here is a brand that I haven’t seen in a long time: Sébastien Beo. For those who were not keeping abreast of pipe developments in the early 2010s, Sébastien Beo was a project undertaken by Sébastien Beaud, a French pipe-maker otherwise responsible for the Genod brand. Amidst an ascendant Danish-American hegemony, Sébastien Beo pipes…
Verona was a brand of pipes made exclusively for The Tinder box. The Tinder Box itself is a historic North American tobacconist, originally founded in 1928, and over the years, a number of established pipe manufacturers have produced pipes for The Tinder Box house-brand, including Ascorti, Charatan, Nording, and Savinelli. For their Verona pipes, manufacture…
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…
Michel pipes were store-brand pipes made for Maison Michel, a North Carolina (USA) tobacconist run by Michel J. Mitchell between 1951 and 1980. Over the years, several prominent pipe-makers made pipes for Maison Michel. Of all of the pipes that have come through over the years, Michel is one brand that has surprised me the…
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 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…
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…
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;…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
When Paul Perri passed away in 2021, at the ripe old age of 101, he established a record that I don’t think will be broken any time soon: he had, to paraphrase Marty Pulvers, “been making pipes for 95 years.” Obviously, Perri started young and hit the ground running, having been born to a father…
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,…
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. The cutty is one of the earliest briar pipe shapes, in part because early briar carvers transposed an already-familiar design…
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…
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…
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…
While China has long been associated with cheaper factory pipes, a new generation of artisans and workshops have emerged over the past decade, producing some genuinely excellent pipes. HS Studio is an example of the latter, being a Hong Kong workshop dedicated to crafting handmade briars, typically in shapes and styles reminiscent of the post-war…
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…
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…
Tsuge is Japan’s largest and most internationally renowned pipe company, having been founded in 1936 by Kyoichiro Tsuge. In the 1970s, however, Tsuge himself was so impressed by the pipes coming out of Denmark, that he sent two of Tsuge’s own master pipe-makers, Kazuhiro Fukuda and Smio Satou, to hone their craft under the likes…
Mastro Cascia has been making pipes for around 25 years now, and having been familiar with his work for a long time, I’d go so far as to consider him as a natural successor to another great Italian pipe-maker: Tommaso Spanu. Like Tom Spanu, Cascia is great at freehand shaping some really elegant designs; he’s…
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…
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…
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…
Ichi Kitahara is a Japanese pipe-maker, but he’s also something of a renaissance man. He is classically trained in fine art; he has spent time as a high-end jeweler and silversmith; he has also worked as an Itame, the Japanese name for a particularly skilled sushi chef; and last, but not least, he is an 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…
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…
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…
