Showing 1–500 of 2220 results
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Along with names like Barling, Charatan, and Dunhill Sasieni holds a special place in the history of English smoking pipes – one near to its very beginnings. So the story goes, Sasieni himself worked for Dunhill during its early days. But eventually he left Dunhill, having his own ideas about how pipes should be made,…
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…
Digby was a sub-brand made by GBD. GBD itself was founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, before the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century. Retaining the name, Oppenheimer opened GBD factories in London and Paris to meet an increasing demand for 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…
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…
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 came from that enduring staple of briar pipe-making, the humble billiard. In part because…
Selected Straight Grain was a “seconds” make from Comoy’s, the historic English-French pipe manufacturer. Selected Straight Grains were made from stummels that were destined to be Comoy’s rare, high-grade Specimen Straight Grain pipes, but which were ultimately discovered to have a small imperfection. As I’ve previously mentioned, the Selected Straight Grain could well be 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…
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…
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…
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…
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 appreciate who Kai Nielsen is, we must go all the way back to the very beginnings of modern Danish pipes. Around 1950, a man named Viggo Nielsen founded Bari Piber in Kolding, Denmark. Viggo was an extremely talented pipe-maker, and his Bari Piber grew to become one of the most renowned makes in the…
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…
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…
Ascorti belongs to a historic lineage in Italian artisan pipe-making. Guiseppe ‘Peppino’ Ascorti was first employed as a pipe-maker in the 1950s, in Carlo Scotti’s Castello workshop in Cantu. There he met Luigi Radice, and in the 1960s the two decided to leave Castello to create their own pipe-making workshop, under the name ‘Caminetto.’ At…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
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…
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…
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….
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…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
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…
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…
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…
The Briar Workshop was an integral part of a new generation of North American pipe-makers in the second half of the 20th century, and helped create a new American hand made pipe movement. Originally based in Vermont, USA, The Briar Workshop was founded by Jorg Jemelka and Eliot Nachtwalter. Over the years, Jemelka and Nachtwalter…
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…
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. It is often the case that you can’t beat the classics—but sometimes, you can add a little something extra to…
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…
While originally born in Italy, Thomas Cristiano emigrated to the United States at the age of 16, quickly finding work in the S.M. Frank factory in Long Island. S.M. Frank is a historic American pipe-making company, and at this time Cristiano worked on Frank-owned makes such as Kaywoodie. Later, Cristiano departed to make his own…
At MBSD 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…
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 is covered in our interview with Les Wood on the main MBSD hub. For a brief summary, however: Les Wood is most famous for Ferndown, a make of pipes created by Les and his wife Dolly. But Les and Dolly’s…
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…
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…
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…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
J.T. Cooke is a Vermont-based American artisan carver with a number of impressive credentials under his belt. Cooke was originally based at Elliot Nachtwalter and Jeorg Jemelka’s The Briar Workshop, in a role which included making pipes for Wilke’s tobacconist in Philadelphia. After leaving the Workshop, Cooke collaborated with Barry Levin in establishing the estate…
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. Like with the Deluxe line, I wanted some of our Silver line of meerschaums to feature a few classic shapes…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The MBSD Meerschaum Silver is our new series of silver mounted meerschaum pipes. Using the same high-grade, fast-coloring Turkish meerschaum found on our Deluxe series, these pipes exclusively feature silver army mounts or spigot mounts. This particular Silver grade MBSD Meerschaum is for those who like their Rhodesians stout and slightly stubby. It features a…
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 over 4.5…
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…
Along with names like Barling, Charatan, and Dunhill Sasieni holds a special place in the history of English smoking pipes – one near to its very beginnings. So the story goes, Sasieni himself worked for Dunhill during its early days. But eventually he left Dunhill, having his own ideas about how pipes should be made,…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Stephen and Roswitha Anderson, of S&R Woodcrafters, were two of the United States’ most renowned artisan pipe-makers. They were also one of the very few examples of a husband and wife pipe-making partnership, like Les Wood and Dolly Wood of Ferndown or Love Geiger and Sara Mossberg of Geiger Pipes. Stephen and Roswitha began making…
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…
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…
Jørgen Larsen was was one of the all-time greats of Danish pipe-making for a number of reasons. He began his career working for Stanwell, before departing to create his own brand of high-grade, artisan pipes. Larsen’s skills and reputation led to him being contracted to also make pipes for Peter Stokkebye, which, decades later, continue…
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…
John Middleton Co. is an American tobacco company founded in 1856. Pipes such as this one were made for John Middleton by Comoy’s in the early 20th century. Comoy’s itself is a historic brand in pipe making, and possibly the most historic brand in the making of briar pipes. Though originally founded in 1825 by…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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. With our MBSD Deluxe pipes, we explored meerschaum renditions of traditional and modern briar pipe shapes. One shape that did…
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. The egg shape has become a staple of modern pipe-making since its inception in the works of Danish artisans in…
Dave Neeb spent the first part of his life as an attorney. Upon retiring, however, he turned his hand to an altogether different vocation: pipes. First, Neeb was a pipe seller; he then learned the art of pipe restoration; finally, under the tutelage of Lee Von Erck and Rad Davis, he took up making artisan…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
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…
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…
PapaBearPipes are made by American artisan Tim Beaumont. Beaumont has been making pipes since 2018, cultivating a unique style that isn’t afraid to mix and match design elements and to create something completely out of the ordinary. Here we have a distinctly stout, distinctly plump, and distinctly Danish egg from American artisan Tim Beaumont. On…
Les Wood and Dolly Wood 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. This…
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…
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…
Garrett Woo is an American artisan pipe-maker based in Los Angeles, California. A technician by trade, Woo applies his years of experience working with machine tools to the production of hand made smoking pipes, which are crafted with the same amount of precision expected in his other professional duties. While the use of bamboo 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…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
The 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…
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. 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…
The MBSD Meerschaum Silver is our new series of silver mounted meerschaum pipes. Using the same high-grade, fast-coloring Turkish meerschaum found on our Deluxe series, these pipes exclusively feature silver army mounts or spigot mounts. While I was wondering what kinds of shapes I would like for the latest batch of MBSD Meerschaum pipes, I…
The MBSD Meerschaum Silver is our new series of silver mounted meerschaum pipes. Using the same high-grade, fast-coloring Turkish meerschaum found on our Deluxe series, these pipes exclusively feature silver army mounts or spigot mounts. As a progression from what turned out to be our especially popular MBSD Deluxe pot shapes, this MBSD Silver takes…
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…
The MBSD Meerschaum Silver is our new series of silver mounted meerschaum pipes. Using the same high-grade, fast-coloring Turkish meerschaum found on our Deluxe series, these pipes exclusively feature silver army mounts or spigot mounts. This particular Silver model is a classic – though distinctly stout – poker shape, with the added advantage of having…
Chacom is one of France’s most historic and iconic makes. Its founders, the Comoy family, began their career as boxwood pipe-makers in the early 1800s, before briar had even been discovered, with Henri Comoy (of Comoy’s fame) emigrating to England in 1879 and founding the country’s first briar pipe factory. In 1922, Henri and his…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
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…
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…
While originally born in Italy, Thomas Cristiano emigrated to the United States at the age of 16, quickly finding work in the S.M. Frank factory in Long Island. S.M. Frank is a historic American pipe-making company, and at this time Cristiano worked on Frank-owned makes such as Kaywoodie. Later, Cristiano departed to make his own…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The history of Lorenzo is a long and somewhat complicated one. In 1900, two brothers from Varese, Italy, established the “Fratelli Lana” company, through which they produced briar pipes bearing that name. Fratelli Lana enjoyed considerable success both in Italy and abroad, thanks in no small part to a partnership with the Tagliabue family from…
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…
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…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
The Stokkebye family are giants in the tobacco world; their pipes are similarly renowned, but for a slightly different reason. This is because Stokkebye-brand pipes have been made, at different times, by different makers – typically, though not always, by Danish masters. Peter Stokkebye pipes were largely made by one seminal figure in Danish pipe-making…
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…
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…
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…
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…
While pipes are made from a variety of plant materials today, including strawberry wood (arbutus), beech wood, morta, and so on, for a long time, briar was – outside of meerschaum – the absolute standard for pipe-making, even more so than it is today. But before briar became the norm, many woods were considered as…
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…
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;…
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…
Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Along with figures such as Hans ‘Former’ Nielsen, Anne Julie, and Tom Eltang, Kurt Balleby Hansen is one of the living legends of Danish pipe-making. Balleby celebrated his 40th year in the craft in 2023, having first started as an apprentice to Kai Nielsen and Preben Holm. Owing to a highly selective approach to 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…
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…
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…
It is said that Irwin’s was a sub-brand of GBD. Given that this 1345 is a dead ringer for GBD’s main-line shape 1345 pot-poker, I’m inclined to agree. The condition is fair. There’s certainly some rim darkening, especially at the rear section of the rim, but that won’t stop it from being a reliable smoker,…
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…
Though I’m proud of our own-brand meerschaums, that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the works of other master carvers working out of Türkiye. Sadik Yanik is undoubtedly one of those masters. Having carved meerschaum pipes since the late 1970s, and beginning at the age of just 13, Yanik has become a name as synonymous with…
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…
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…
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…
Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues…
Chacom is one of France’s most historic and iconic makes. Its founders, the Comoy family, began their career as boxwood pipe-makers in the early 1800s, before briar had even been discovered, with Henri Comoy (of Comoy’s fame) emigrating to England in 1879 and founding the country’s first briar pipe factory. In 1922, Henri and his…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Who made this pipe? Clearly they knew what they were doing, but “Canadian Club” is such a common set of words, even in combination, that finding information about these pipes has proved difficult. What about Pipedia? Well, after some persistent searching for these ubiquitous terms, we find that “Canadian Club” was either a second or…
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…
Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues…
To most, Svendborg is simply a small town on the island of Funen in Denmark. But to Danish pipe collectors, it is arguably as significant a place as Copenhagen. This is because the town has been the home base of some of the most revered pipe-makers in Denmark, such as Manduela Riger Kusk or Kaj…
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…
Gigi pipes occupy an interesting position in the history of Italian pipe-making. The story begins with the founding of Sociedade Rovera, a pipe-making company in Varese, Italy, by the Rovera family. As members of the Rovera family left to start their own ventures, the dynasty associated with the name would be split into several companies;…
Bennie Joe Pipes are made by Bennie Joe, an Indonesian artisan based in Jakarta. A trained architect and part-time pipe-maker for much of his life, he took on the latter full-time after a downturn in the property market during the dark days of 2020 and after. An interesting aspect of Bennie Joe pipes is that…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
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,…
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…
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…
The Briar Workshop was an integral part of a new generation of North American pipe-makers in the second half of the 20th century, and helped create a new American hand made pipe movement. Originally based in Vermont, USA, The Briar Workshop was founded by Jorg Jemelka and Eliot Nachtwalter. Over the years, Jemelka and Nachtwalter…
Tim West is one of the United States’ oldest and most experienced 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Muscovite artisan Andrey Kharitonov has, from his 20th birthday onward, never been without a pipe. Born in the former Soviet Union, Kharitonov’s first pipe was a gift, carved from cherry wood by his brother; years later, after happening upon a store in his home city that sold Italian Manno briar, he decided that he would…
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),…
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…
Chacom is one of France’s most historic and iconic makes. Its founders, the Comoy family, began their career as boxwood pipe-makers in the early 1800s, before briar had even been discovered, with Henri Comoy (of Comoy’s fame) emigrating to England in 1879 and founding the country’s first briar pipe factory. In 1922, Henri and his…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
‘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…
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…
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…
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…
We seem to run across a Benton once a month, and each seem nicer than the last. While refreshing my memory on Benton the maker, I read on the Pipes Magazine Forum where someone referred to Benton as “Chicago Dunhills”. I thought the nickname was witty and fitting. Chicago Tobacconist Iwan Ries stocked Benton as…
There are certain places that are renowned for their pipe-makers. In Denmark, Copenhagen is often recognized as the country’s pipe-making capitol, due to its historic workshops, such as Suhr’s, Pibe Dan, and W. O Larsen. But it is not only Copenhagen that gave the world its Danish pipe-making superstars. The town of Svendborg in south-east…
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…
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…
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…
Introducing our MBSD Meerschaum Deluxe Natural, featuring the innovative Briar-Mortis technology and a design inspired by the earth’s meerschaum formations. Retaining much of its natural shape, the remaining portions are expertly crafted into distinctive freehand designs, ensuring each pipe is one of a kind. Every Deluxe Natural is accompanied with a custom-fitted case for added…
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…
Introducing our MBSD Meerschaum Deluxe Natural, featuring the innovative Briar-Mortis technology and a design inspired by the earth’s meerschaum formations. Retaining much of its natural shape, the remaining portions are expertly crafted into distinctive freehand designs, ensuring each pipe is one of a kind. Every Deluxe Natural is accompanied with a custom-fitted case for added…
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…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
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…
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 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….
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,…
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…
The name ‘Parker’ is closely linked with that of Dunhill in pipe smokers’ minds and in the brand’s history, as Parker was originally something of a seconds outlet for Dunhill pipes, before becoming an independent product whose brand name was simply owned and overseen by the Dunhill company. In either case, they’re great, British pipes,…
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,…
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…
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…
Like Alfred Dunhill’s Windshield, or various silver-capped briars, the Hurricane was one of the many 20th century inventions intended to help smokers enjoy their pipes in less than favorable weather. Many of these inventions originated in Britain, which makes sense for a nation infamously beleaguered by gales and rainfall. The “Hurricane” wind cap system was…
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…
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,…
Johny Pipes are made by artisan Meysam Jahani. While Jahani previously worked in a university, he ultimately left to take on pipe-making in a professional capacity. Jahani’s specialties are calabash shapes – some traditional, some more modern – through which he continues to explore and perfect designs that have been constant fixtures in the world…
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)….
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…
Introducing the Volkan make requires a brief detour into Italian pipe history. Jean-Marie Alberto Paronelli, born in 1914, was one of the ‘fathers’ of Italian artisan pipe-making, a renown he achieved through pipes made under his own name, through designs he contributed to major Italian makes, and through his distribution of other artisan makes, such…
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….
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…
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…
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…
The American Smoking Pipe Company was founded in 1978 by artisans Mark Tinsky and Curt Rollar. Tinsky and Rollar’s venture was part of a new wave of North American hand made pipe making that emerged in the 1970s and ’80s, including artisan carvers such as Mike Butera, Tim West, Elliot Nachtwalter and Jorg Jemelka. Despite…
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 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….
‘BBB’ originally stood for ‘Blumfeld’s Best Briars’, so named after Louis Blumfeld after he took over the historic Alfred Frankenau Company in 1856. Later, the pipes came to be known as ‘Britain’s Best Briars’. Though the name might have changed, the quality of the pipes did not – they really were fantastic pipes, made in…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
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)….
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
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…
John Peel is a pipe make that appears to have fueled debates within the community for a long time. Exactly who made them—and, perhaps more importantly, when they made them—is still being pondered, as more John Peel pipes turn up on the estates circuit. This is an example of one of Barling’s John Peel pipes, as clearly…
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…
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, such as Charatan, Barling, and others. The opera is a relatively strange shape in the world of pipe design, even 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…
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…
Nørding was founded by Erik Nørding in the 1960s, and is one of the oldest remaining companies to come out of the Scandinavian pipe-making renaissance that began in the mid-20th century. Now in his 80s, Erik Nørding is one of the most experienced and skilled pipe-makers in the world, and over the decades he has…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
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 not quite sure who made this Shelton pipe. From the stamping, I know it was made in France, and it’s reasonable to assume that it was made for some kind of Anglophone establishment. Perhaps for a tobacconist of the name Shelton? That was certainly the norm last century. The pipe itself is very nice—a…
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. Long time visitors to MBSD will know that, for our MBSD Meerschaum pipes, I’m a big fan of incorporating classic…
J.M. Boswell is one of North America’s most revered artisan pipe-makers, with Boswell pipes typically selling out within minutes of going on sale. With a pipe-making career that started in the 1970s, J.M. Boswell has become the equivalent of a household name in the pipe world, both for his pipes and for serving as the…
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…
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…
Though sparse in nomenclature, I think this pipe may be from Pasquale “Pat” Vottis, a mid-century pipe-maker and tobacconist based in New York. I’m not 100% certain, so If I’m wrong, please let me know. The pipe itself is a very nice, large Liverpool design, with a screw tenon, which I have seen before on…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
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…
Richard “R.C.” Johnson started his pipe-making career at Weber, all the way back in 1939, later leaving and making pipes under his own name. Over the years, he established himself as one of America’s most notable pipe-makers. This large and highly unique panel design is very much in the American freehand tradition, while also being…
Comoy’s is a historic brand in pipe making, and possibly the most historic brand in the making of briar pipes. Though originally founded in 1825 by a French family from Saint Claude, France, production of Comoy’s pipes was soon moved to London, England, where it established itself as one of the quintessential English pipe companies….
While originally born in Italy, Thomas Cristiano emigrated to the United States at the age of 16, quickly finding work in the S.M. Frank factory in Long Island. S.M. Frank is a historic American pipe-making company, and at this time Cristiano worked on Frank-owned makes such as Kaywoodie. Later, Cristiano departed to make his own…
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…
Though I can’t be sure who made this meerschaum, it does have an enjoyable plumpness to it, reminiscent of Savinelli’s famous 320 author shape. It is also completely unsmoked. Details: Length: 5.2″ / 132.0mm Bowl Width: 0.78 / 19.81mm Bowl Depth: 1.3″ / 33.02mm Weight: 2.1oz / 62g
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…
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…
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…
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…
Hungarian-Canadian artisan Julius Vesz carved his first pipe all the way back in 1959, and continues making pipes today in the 2020s. With 60 years of experience in the craft, he is recognized as one of the most seasoned and skilled pipe-makers around, counting among his admirers luminaries such as Richard Carleton Hacker, who remarked…
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…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
It is a happy irony that Mike Sebastian Bay was introduced to pipe-making by breaking one. After dropping his father’s old Peterson and searching for someone to repair it, he visited the workshop of Tom Eltang, whom Bay had briefly met as a child on a family vacation. The Peterson—sadly—could not be saved but, during…
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,…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
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…
This pipe requires some explaining. In fact, it requires quite a lot of explaining, which is covered in our interview with Les Wood on the main MBSD hub. For a brief summary, however: Les Wood is most famous for Ferndown, a make of pipes created by Les and his wife Dolly. But Les and Dolly’s…
While originally born in Italy, Thomas Cristiano emigrated to the United States at the age of 16, quickly finding work in the S.M. Frank factory in Long Island. S.M. Frank is a historic American pipe-making company, and at this time Cristiano worked on Frank-owned makes such as Kaywoodie. Later, Cristiano departed to make his own…
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…
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 been wondering when we might get one of Mike’s pipes through our estates trade-in program. He’s been making pipes for about 10 years now, but his production remains fairly limited the pipes he does make are pretty hard to get your hands on—and in my line of work, pretty hard to get people 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,…
Originally a science teacher in California, Nathan Armentrout began making pipes in 2009 and has since emerged as one of North America’s most talented, high-grade artisan pipe-makers. Inspired by Denmark’s legendary carvers, Nathan’s designs continue the legacy of the Danish pipe-making movement into the present day and expand that legacy through his own unique interpretations…
Schulte’s was an American pipe tobacconist, located in New Jersey in the second half of the 20th century. Like many pipe stores, Schulte’s sold house brand pipes, but unlike most pipe stores, many of these house brand pipes were made by the store’s owner, Max Schulte. Similarly to a few other American pipe tobacconists, like…
The 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…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
The 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…
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. It is often the case that you can’t beat the classics—but sometimes, you can add a little something extra to…
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…
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…
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…
This pipe requires some explaining. In fact, it requires quite a lot of explaining, which is covered in our interview with Les Wood on the main MBSD hub. For a brief summary, however: Les Wood is most famous for Ferndown, a make of pipes created by Les and his wife Dolly. But Les and Dolly’s…
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. It is often the case that you can’t beat the classics—but sometimes, you can add a little something extra to…
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…
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. While…
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…
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…
I always feel a pang of shame when I can’t identify a pipe. This is especially the case when the pipe is as nice as this one. If I had to guess, I’d guess it was made by an American artisan, probably in the second half of the 20th century when the great American freehand…
Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were…
James Upshall was, along with Ferndown and Ashton, part of a new wave of British hand-made, high-grade pipes in the late 20th century, with their founders largely coming from previous positions in the factories of companies such as Dunhill and Charatan. James Upshall was founded in 1978 by Barry Jones and Ken Barnes, both of…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Les Wood and Dolly Wood 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. This…
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…
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 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…
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…
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 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…
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…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
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 associate with classic American makes…
James Upshall was, along with Ferndown and Ashton, part of a new wave of British hand-made, high-grade pipes in the late 20th century, with their founders largely coming from previous positions in the factories of companies such as Dunhill and Charatan. James Upshall was founded in 1978 by Barry Jones and Ken Barnes, both of…
Ben Wade was founded, as might be expected, by Leeds-based English pipe merchant Benjamin Wade in 1860. Soon after, Wade opened his own workshop to produce quintessentially British pipes. As one of the first makes to create pipes from briar, Ben Wade has a special place in pipe history, one only made more special by…
Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues…
To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe…
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…
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;…
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…
Mario Grandi pipes are made by Italy’s Pierluigi family, headed by Aldo Pierluigi, an artisan pipe-maker since the 1970s. The Pierluigi family are also responsible for the Pierluigi make, as well as Mastro Beraldi. This particular pipe is a highly distinct rendition of the traditional apple by Aldo Pierluigi’s Mastro Beraldi make. While its shank…
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…
Clarence Mickles was a pipe-maker from Illinois, Chicago, and something of a legend within the North American pipe scene. Before making pipes, Mickles was an auto mechanic, which is one reason why he was affectionately known as the ‘Mechanic.’ The other reason is that he was a supremely gifted pipe repairman, in addition to being…
Tendi is the name used by Graziano Tendi, an artisan pipe-maker from Italy. Tendi became enamored with tobacco pipes as a teenager, before beginning to collect and restore them. After developing his restoration skills, Tendi turned his attention to making his own pipes, which he has continued to do for the last ten years. While…
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….
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…
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. Here we have a nice, large lumberman shape from…
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 not sure who made this pipe. It may well have been a second by one of the great freehand carvers, such as Preben Holm, Karl Erik, or Erik Nording. It’s a nice design, featuring an acorn-like bowl paired with an Oom Paul sitter figure. The condition is very good. Minor inner rim darkening 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…
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…
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…
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…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
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…
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…
Like Castello, Mastro de Paja holds a special place in the world of Italian high-grade pipe workshops. Founded in 1972 by Giancarlo Guidi, the MdP team was soon joined by Giannino Spadoni and Bruto Sordini with the Guidi and Spadoni at the helm of the company until 1981. Guidi then left with Sordini to found…
The 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…
The Stokkebye family are giants in the tobacco world; their pipes are similarly renowned, but for a slightly different reason. This is because Stokkebye-brand pipes have been made, at different times, by different makers – typically, though not always, by Danish masters. Peter Stokkebye pipes were largely made by one seminal figure in Danish pipe-making…
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…
North Dane Pipes was a sub-brand of Georg Jensen, a pipe factory founded Copenhagen, Denmark in 1954. Georg Jensen itself was first owned by Per Georg Jensen Sr., before the reins were passed to Lis Jensen and Per Georg Jensen Jr. in the 1980s. Along with Stanwell, Kriswill and Bari, Georg Jensen was one 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Given how few pipe factories have existed in Holland, I would wager that this M.T. Natural pipe was made by Gubbels, a pipe company also known for producing the Porsche, Big Ben, and later Hilson makes. The pipe itself is a timeless billiard in design—eminently functionalist, while still being nice to look at. The condition…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
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…
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…
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…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
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…
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….
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 categorized this MBSD Silver as a stack, as it is a tall and relatively narrow-chambered pipe, but its origins…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
After the success of our MBSD Deluxe meerschaum pipes, which feature a patented Briar-Mortise system for extra durability, we’ve been developing additional series to offer an even greater range of meers for our customers. One of these series is the Deluxe Silver, which features a mortise strengthened both by briar on the interior, and sterling…
Ser Jacopo is likely the most famous contemporary example of high-grade, workshop-made Italian pipes. It also belongs to a very special tradition in Italian pipe-making, having been established by Giancarlo Guidi and Bruno Sordini after the two had left another great Italian workshop, Mastro de Paja. Together, Guidi and Sordini created a brand of pipes…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
The American Smoking Pipe Company was founded in 1978 by artisans Mark Tinsky and Curt Rollar. Tinsky and Rollar’s venture was part of a new wave of North American hand made pipe making that emerged in the 1970s and ’80s, including artisan carvers such as Mike Butera, Tim West, Elliot Nachtwalter and Jorg Jemelka. Despite…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Barling and Sons was originally founded in 1812 by Benjamin Barling and began as a family business making silver-adorned meerschaum pipes. In the early 20th century, however, the Barling family began to produce what the brand is today most famous for – expertly made briar pipes. This might just be my favorite Barling to have…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
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…
While it’s tough to be certain where this old meer originated, I suspect it was made in Austria in the early 20th Century. It’s got a bone tenon and a beautiful amber stem. Details: Length: 6″ Bowl Width: 24.2mm Bowl Depth: 1.8″ Weight: 1.4oz / 41g
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…
The MBSD Silver Meerschaum is our new series of silver mounted meerschaum pipes. Using the same high-grade Turkish meerschaum found on our Deluxe series, these pipes exclusively feature silver army mounts or spigot mounts. Continuing our passion for incorporating shapes most typically found in briar pipes into meerschaum pipes, this MBSD Silver is a traditional,…
Design Berlin is, as the name suggests, a German pipe-making company – and is in fact the number two best-selling German pipe make after Vauen. Founded in 1948 as Pfeifenstudio Hartmann by Hubert Hartmann, the company adopted the name Design Berlin and the lowercase ‘db’ logo in 1975 as part of a modernization push. I…
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…
While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
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…
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. Perfect for shorter smokes,…
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…
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. It…
Barling and Sons was originally founded in 1812 by Benjamin Barling and began as a family business making silver-adorned meerschaum pipes. In the early 20th century, however, the Barling family began to produce what the brand is today most famous for – expertly made briar pipes. This particular Barling, from the post-transition years, is a…
Astleys was one of London’s most historic pipe and tobacco shops. Like many pipe tobacconists, its owners had pipes made specially to be sold under the shop’s name. Astleys pipes, however, were made by some of the premier pipe manufacturers and artisans in the UK, such as Dunhill, Charatan, Les Wood, and Ken Barnes and…
While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them…
Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello quickly became known for producing some of the finest smoking pipes in the world. Over the years, the people involved in making Castello pipes has changed – such as Luigi Radice and Sergio Ascorti, who developed their skills in the Cantu workshop before leaving to start Caminetto, or…
Søren Refbjerg Rasmussen was one of the central figures in the post-war Danish pipe-making movement. Rasmussen worked at Copenhagen’s W.O. Larsen workshop, ultimately succeeding Hans “Former” Nielsen as its foreman, and was also the founder of the Søren workshop, which produced freehand pipes during the 1970s freehand boom. After the Søren workshop was closed, Rasmussen…
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…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
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…
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…
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…
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
Who is, or was, K. Johansen? My research from the limited information available is that he is – or, again, was – Danish and that he made Danish “freehand” style pipes. And from looking at this one, he was very good at it. The straight grain on this very large piece is practically magisterial, and…
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…
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…
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…
Kaywoodie pipes are as American as apple pie. Starting in 1919 as a pipe brand for KB&B, a pipe shop dating all the way back to 1851, Kaywoodie has since then been a staple of American-made pipes. In the present, many Kaywoodies are collectors’ items, in addition to being fantastic smokers. The “Drinkless” was Kaywoodie’s…
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…
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…
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 Hedegaard was an artisan from Denmark and one of the masters of post-war Danish pipe-making. Like so many of the Danish greats, Hedegaard honed his skills making pipes at Copenhagen’s WO Larsen workshop in the late 1970s, where he worked under its then-foreman, Hans “Former” Nielsen, and alongside other seminal figures, such as Poul…
While originally born in Italy, Thomas Cristiano emigrated to the United States at the age of 16, quickly finding work in the S.M. Frank factory in Long Island. S.M. Frank is a historic American pipe-making company, and at this time Cristiano worked on Frank-owned makes such as Kaywoodie. Later, Cristiano departed to make his own…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Nørding was founded by Erik Nørding in the 1960s, and is one of the oldest remaining companies to come out of the Scandinavian pipe-making renaissance that began in the mid-20th century. Now in his 80s, Erik Nørding is one of the most experienced and skilled pipe-makers in the world, and over the decades he has…
It is probably fair to say that Savinelli is Italy’s most famous pipe brand. Founded in Milan in 1876 by Achille Savinelli, the brand has continuously offered high quality pipes for nearly 150 years. Though various Savinelli lines have come and gone over the years, the brand has always been notable for putting out classically…
While 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…
Dr Grabow might just be the quintessential American working man’s pipe. Created in 1932 by Linkman & Co., the Dr Grabow name soon became a staple in the American pipe world, being still produced today and enjoyed by novices and veterans alike. I think this might be the first time I’ve seen this shape from…
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…
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…
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…
Denmark’s Poul Hansen was originally a toolmaker and machinist, which by chance led him to the now-legendary pipe workshops of Pibe Dan and WO Larsen. Hansen soon ended up as a student of one of the godfathers of Danish artisan pipe-making, Sixten Ivarsson. Hansen would go on to work for Stanwell, including making many of…
I’m a little familiar with the Sumer brand of meerschaum pipes, or rather the Sümer brand, belonging to Turkish carver Sümer Gövem. As the nomenclature on this pipe is very similar to the Sümer pipes I’ve handled, I have to wonder if it was from some kind of “branching out” of the Sümer brand into…
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…
Kent Rasmussen is a Danish pipe-maker and one whose meteoric rise in renown is nothing less than impressive. Rasmussen initially found his vocation in architecture and engineering, devoting the rest of his time to pursuing a career in modern art in a variety of mediums. By his late-30s, however, Ramussen had grown discontented with both,…
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)….
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…
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…
While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them…
While 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…
Børge Mortensen was a Danish artisan pipe-maker based in Haderslev. Mortensen worked for over 30 years at some of Denmark’s major pipe companies, including Kriswill and Bari, before beginning his solo career in pipe-making. While Mortensen was not well known outside of Denmark during his lifetime, he was a favorite among Danish pipe smokers, with…
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…
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…
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…
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…
After arriving in Varese, Italy, with the intention of becoming a pipe-maker, Tommaso Spanu was taken under the wing of Alberto Paronelli, one of the first modern-Italian master carvers. From here, Tom Spanu was charged with creating the high-grade Clairmont make owned and distributed by Paronelli. He then went on to create pipes under his…
Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello quickly became known for producing some of the finest smoking pipes in the world. Over the years, the people involved in making Castello pipes has changed – such as Luigi Radice and Sergio Ascorti, who developed their skills in the Cantu workshop before leaving to start Caminetto, or…
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…
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 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…
At MBSD we sell a lot of high-grade, high-quality pipes from various iconic makes, but the pipes we’re most proud of are our meerschaums. Right from the beginning, we wanted to offer the best smoking meers on the market, and to do this, we had them made with two distinct features. First, we made sure…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
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…
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….
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…
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…
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…
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;…
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. True to the name, Barling’s Garnet Grain finish was…
‘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…
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;…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp…
While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them…
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…
