Karlheinz Joura Grade 9 Panel Shank Brandy Estate Briar Pipe, German Estates

Description

Karlheinz Joura is a fascinating German pipe-maker, based in the town of Bremen. Along with being a pipe-maker of the same stature as Italy’s Baldo Baldi, or Denmark’s Per Hansen and Ulf Noltensmeier of S. Bang, Joura is a former world-class diver. He’s also perhaps the only master pipe-maker to have successfully crossed the Berlin wall, having defected from Communist East Germany in the 1960s, narrowly escaping its secret police in the process.

Germans are generally known for being especially methodical and precise in whatever they do. Sometimes this is a good thing; sometimes, not so much. Thankfully, Karlheinz Joura’s expression of these cultural facets was very much a good thing. In fact, Joura ultimately became so rigorous that he would stamp his pipes with an indication of exactly where the briar used to make them was harvested—in this case, from the south of France, a region widely known for its superior briar and expert biar cutters. But, of course, Joura would not be nearly as celebrated if his meticulousness only extended to record-keeping. If we look at something like this grade 9 brandy for example: it is curvaceous in its bowl section, which transitions into a paneled shank, before ending in an ever so slightly bent, tapered mouthpiece. It’s an unconventional mishmash of seemingly contrary elements, but they’re so smoothly brought together that nothing seems out of place. And further still, the shape is perfectly aligned with its—no less than extraordinary—straight grain, resulting in a design that might as well have been dictated to Joura by the briar itself.

The condition is also excellent. Some minor wear to the rim, but nothing major at all. Its previous owner clearly took good care of it, just as they should have. It also comes with its original leather sleeve, which is always a good sign as far as preservation goes.

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.88 / 22.35mm

Bowl Depth: 1.38″ / 35.05mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 48g