In Part 1 of this series, we featured American-made pipe brands BriarWorks and Moonshine Pipes. In Part 2 we feature European-made pipes from Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, England and Ireland.
So get ready to pick your pipe!
If you enjoy smoking a well-crafted pipe, you can thank the Europeans.
In fact:
- Northern Europeans made the first pipes by hand in the late 16th century.
- The first mass production effort was made by native British pipe maker William Baernelts, who launched his effort in Holland in the early 1700’s.
- The French and British military popularized the pipe among the common man by encouraging its use during war. European philosophers, writers and thinkers elevated the pipe’s status among the affluent upper class.
Today, some of the best-made pipes in the world still come from European manufacturers in England, Ireland, Denmark, Germany, France and Italy. And many of them are available on our shelves right now.
“Now’s the time to come in and pick your pipe,” says Buddy Williams, manager of M.A.’s Smoke House in Shreveport and Bossier. “Our shelves are full of some of the best pipes in the world.”
Here’s a brief description of some of the brands we offer.
Savinelli – Italy
Savinelli pipes originated in 1876 when Achille Savinelli Sr. opened one of the first smoking stores in the world, located in the center of Milan near the famous Piazza Duomo.
Generations later, the company is still in the family. Run by a great-grandson, Savinelli continues to be beloved by pipe smokers throughout the world.
The trademark feature of Savinelli pipes are its Balsa Filter System which features ultra-porous Balsa wood that reduces the tar intake and cools the smoke. The company capitalizes on this system by making convertible pipes that enable you to choose your smoking preference with each smoke.
Nording – Denmark
Trained as a machinist and engineer, Erik Nording transitioned to professional pipe carving after spending 10 years carving pipes as a hobby. He followed the trend of other carvers during the 1960s who worked in the new Freehand style, characterized by “organically flowing shapes and aesthetically unified stems and bowls.”
Today, his Nording brand uses premium Corsican and Grecian plateau briar in all factory-made pipes, which feature his trademark technique of matching stem with shank. His pipes are also characterized by the artful stem work, designed with stylistic elements emphasizing both bowl and shank.
Jobey, France
The origin of Jobey Pipes is somewhat cloaked in mystery. For 100 years, production jumped back and forth from North America to Europe landing in the hands of seven different companies during that time. Today, Jobey pipes are produced in St. Claude, France.
These popular pipes are best known for their ease of repair, thanks to the “Jobey Link,” a screw thread system in which a broken stem can simply be unscrewed, and sent to the manufacturer for repair.
Vauen, Germany
German natives Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener founded the first German pipe factory in 1848. The firm merged with another pipe company fifty years later and the name “Vauen” was born.
Vauen is the most popular pipe of choice in Germany, which provides a large base of local customers to the company as the country boasts a high number per capita of pipe smokers. Vauen pipes were one of the first to incorporate paper filters. The 9mm filters, called the “Dr. Perl Activated Carbon Filter,” is its trademark filter.
Vuillard, France
Vuillard pipes were popularized after they were issued to French troops during World War I. These pipes, beloved by French pipe smokers, carry a distinctive “V” on them and come in a variety of traditional shapes and styles made of fine briar wood.
Peterson, Ireland
Peterson pipes carry a reputation of being some of the best tobacco pipes in the world. Credit for that goes to the Peterson System and Peterson mouthpiece, which give the smoker a cool, dry and comfortable smoke. And it doesn’t hurt Peterson’s popularity that famous fictional character Sherlock Holmes sports a Peterson pipe in print ads, on television and in movies.
Come In and Pick Your Pipe
Did you see a pipe maker that interests you? Come visit us at M.A.’s Smoke House, and check out our stock of 200 pipes. We serve customers in two locations: Towne Oaks Shopping Center at 855 Pierremont Rd. in Shreveport or at 2917 Old Minden Rd. in Bossier City.