OIRSCHOT
2025
The PIPE: BigBen
456x – a classic from the 1960s
This tobacco pipe is a beautiful example of artisanal craftsmanship and timeless design. The bowl, made from high-quality briar wood, consists of two funnel-shaped cylinders placed with their wide sides against each other. The upper part is subtly flattened, while the lower part flows seamlessly into the shank. At the junction of the two parts, two fine grooves have traditionally been applied — a refined detail characteristic of the classic Bulldog model. The true artistry lies in the transition from the rounded shapes of the bowl to the flat panels of the diamond-shaped shank, a transition that is executed smoothly and in perfect balance.
The briar wood bowls used for this pipe date from the period between 1955 and 1960. At the time, they were turned with great precision and then carefully stored and preserved for decades. Due to this long ‘maturation’, the wood has fully settled, become exceptionally stable, and has an almost fossilised feel — qualities that significantly enhance the pipe’s quality and durability. While crafting this pipe, we immediately noticed the benefits of this aged material, and we are convinced that it contributes to a rich and pleasant smoking experience.
In the spirit of Dutch tradition — inventive, rooted in the past, yet with a contemporary perspective — we have finished this pipe with a modern, high-gloss water-based lacquer in a deep green hue. This gives pipe smoking a modern look without losing its classic character.
The saddle-shaped mouthpiece is made from genuine ebonite, a material especially favoured by pipe makers in the last century for its durability and comfort. The transition between bowl and mouthpiece is marked by a double aluminium ring, with a 3 mm thick ring of green acrylic in between — a subtle but stylish nod to the modern finish of this unique pipe.
General information:
More information about the tobacco used in the championship can be found on the CIPC-website.
"SPECIAL EXHIBITION OF GERMAN PIPE MAKERS IN MEMORY OF THEIR COLLEAGUE STEFFEN MULLER" (1966 - 2024)
Saturday October 11 – from 10:00 – 17:00 – Van der Valk Hotel Eindhoven
CO-Pipes
These are the police officers ('Cops') Kelvin Pohler (48) and Toto Klemme (53) from the Ruhr area, who have been making pipes together for 10 years. 80 to 90 Danish classic-inspired, absolutely perfectly crafted specimens pass through their hands each year, which ensures a special qualityassurance.
Axel Glasner (57)
lives and works as a social pedagogue in Trier. His training as a carpenter is evident in the astonishing precision of the only 20 to 25 pipes that leave his workshop each year, which are stylistically reminiscent of the works of his great predecessors: Poul Ilsted and Jens "TAO" Nielsen.
Manfred Hortig
is like Steffen Müller, one of the founding members of the "German Avant-garde", which came together in the 2010s. The 74-year-old former cultural scientist from Neu-Ruppin in Brandenburg has been creating around 80 mostly very unusual pipes for the past 12 years and is a multiple winner of the Hanau Innovation Award.
Roland Kirsch
As a trained carpenter, he has a craft background. At the age of 73, he is about the same age as Manfred Hortig and, like him, comes from the former GDR. He lives in Schwerin and has achieved an annual production of now 200 pipes since 2013, which enjoy ever-increasing popularity internationally.
Uwe Maier (60)
was – like Roland Kirsch – once a carpenter, but he also went to sea. He is, so to speak, the shooting star of the "German Avant-garde", which he co-founded. The approximately 50 pipes he works on annually in his workshop in the Swabian Jura with needle and thread, screws and other unusual materials move far away from any mainstream.
Jürgen Moritz
from Mönchengladbach, has been building extremely delicate pipes at the highest level for 22 years. The unmistakable role model of the 66-year-old social pedagogue is, alongside the Danish masters, mainly Paolo Becker. Jürgen equips many of his approximately 70 pipes produced annually with applications such as bamboo.
Kristijan Pavic (52)
from Berlin learned stone sculpture and started pipe making 14 years ago. He does not associate himself with any "school" and refers to "everyone who is better than me" as his role models. Mostly produced without the use of machines, he achieves an annual output of 25 to 30 pipes.
Carsten Ringling
is the youngest pipe maker represented here at 51. The Saarlander began making pipes in the same year as Steffen Müller and has specialised in small, typically deeply sandblasted pieces inspired by Danish models. His professional work as an occupational therapist allows for the creation of no more than about 40 pipes per year.
Bertram Safferling
must – like Rainer Barbi – be referred to as the godfather of German pipe making. For more than 45 years, the now 74-year-old trained product designer has been involved with this subject, whose nuances he has passed on in countless workshops to beginners and advanced learners. Steffen Müller also attended his school! Bertram now lives in Salerno, Italy, where he creates between 40 and 50 artefacts each year. He rightly values belonging to a unique style that is focused on elegance, away from Scandinavian influences.
Roger Wallenstein
He shares the birth year with Bertram, with whom he has also completed workshops, but only came to pipe making 20 years ago. The lawyer from Saarland developed the 'Driftwood Finish', which is applied to the majority of his annual production of around 80 pipes, and is - like Steffen Müller and others - considered part of the 'German Avant-Garde'.
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Steffen Mueler (1966-2024)