李冰，鼠李之樂

“在所有材料中，我可能更喜歡鼠李木，吸引我的是它的材質。與石楠木不同，鼠李木堅硬，木料會有很多瑕疵，這可能更符合我的性格?！?/p>

抽煙斗入迷的人往往有錢、有閑、非富即貴，他們也有能力根據喜好，定制專屬于自己的煙斗。而在最資深的一批煙斗客中，許多人往往會另辟蹊徑，發掘真正屬于自己的煙斗。也許這些煙斗不夠主流，但它們卻極具個性。

李冰與煙斗結緣始于他對一種奇特木料——鼠李木的喜愛。鼠李，這是一種很少見的木料，它的根莖異常堅硬，耐火燒，無雜味。而且它紋理斑斕，看起來不甚平整，這令它成為一種很有特色的木雕原料。

由于對鼠李木雕的喜愛，煙斗客李冰漸漸將它和煙斗聯系在一起。“鼠李木由于生長環境惡劣，內部常出現中空、砂眼，甚至夾雜石塊，所以出材率極低。但好的鼠李木中的毛細孔卻能夠很好地吸收、呼出煙草，產生一種特別的香氣?！?/p>

因為這種與石楠相似的特性，李冰2005年開始嘗試用它們制作煙斗。在普通人看來，鼠李木的外形有斑點、有瑕疵，但李冰卻相信這樣不完美的形態更符合人性。每當他用鼠李木煙斗抽煙時，都感覺很真實。而且，鼠李木能更直白地展現煙草的濃烈，李冰喜歡這種這種風格。

李冰收藏了大量的鼠李煙斗，有自己的作品，也有請名家“操刀”的作品?！拔矣幸话殉Ｓ玫亩?，旁人看來它外形似乎有缺點，但那種硬朗、曲折、嶙峋的造型就是我性格的寫照?！痹诶畋磥恚幻麩煻房汀⑹詹丶?，真正追求的并不是最貴、最稀有的煙斗，而是那些能與自己產生共鳴的作品。當你拿著這樣一把煙斗，就能感覺它是自己身體的一部分。

拿鼠李木與石楠比較，究竟誰更好？李冰認為，鼠李木將煙草風味表達得更直接，石楠的口味更醇和。對于煙斗客來說，最重要的不是誰更好，而是誰更適合你。

Sit down for a pipe of tobacco， watch the smoke drift， feel the taste evolve，

be relaxed but not detached. A master pipe can ease you into this elegant tranquility.

Mark Twain once said， “If smoking is not allowed in heaven， I shall not go.\" From his remark we can get a rough idea of man’s obsession of pipe. But with alternatives of cigar and cigarette， why would modern man still cling to pipes？

The biggest difference between a pipe and a cigar or a cigarette is that you can smoke a wide variety of tobacco and precious herb with one pipe， and smoke different tastes out of one tobacco with different pipes. This is made possible by a pipe maker in his design， material selection， shaping， and polishing of the pipe. If you smoke with a master pipe， each breath of tobacco will feel like a conversation with its maker. Each master pipe maker has his or her own philosophy. If you smoke with a pipe of Chinese maker Mao Yongbiao， you may taste a sense of Zen. If you smoke with a pipe of Danish master maker Anne Julie， you could feel the tenderness of the female.

Pipe markers are rare in modern society. Widely recognized master makers are even rarer. These masters spend their life looking for the best material and turning them into artworks craved by fans. Find out below world’s top pipe makers and their stories with pipes.

Anne Julie： A Female Touch

Anne Julie is bright and optimistic. On her hands scars could be seen left from her pipe making. A world renowned pipe master， she is admirably insistent on making every pipe by herself.

Anne Julie is known by many titles， a master pipe maker， an outstanding painter， and an excellent chef. For people close to her， the Danish lady is one who never submits to failure， even when fate was not kind to her. At 27， she lost her husband， then world famous pipe maker， Poul Rasmussen.

Left alone， Anne had to close their pipe shop. The day she went back after settling the shop rent， she bumped into the pipe-making teacher of her husband. They talked a lot about the past， which brought back her memories of her husband and the pipes he had made. And she realized that pipe has never left her life.

She then started to recall how her husband worked on pipes and tried to make pipes on her own. It was with pain and sorrow process， but her talent in pipe making was gradually discovered.

At then， Anne never expected to become a professional pipe maker. Making pipe was just a hobby， a way to commemorate her husband. She still remembered how years later she sold her first pipe to an American， who she later found out to be a TV producer. He loved her pipe， and not long after， invited her to his TV program.

Anne returned Denmark to find herself famous the U.S. It boosts her confidence in pipe making. She started to hone her skills and create more works. By and by， her pipe has attracted attention from worldwide pipe collectors.

With a brand new technique， Annie Julie created many unique works infused with painting skills. Her pipes are so sought after that she is always chased by orders. Despite this， she insisted on making every pipe by herself. She has no desire to make her name a brand， but continue to make the finest pipe with her hands.

For Anne Julie， pipe is not just a smoking aid， but an embodiment of art and beauty. She finds its beauty with the eyes of a painter. Since 1970s， her elegant and artistic pipes brought her fame and honors. And her pipe shop is always crowded with pipe lovers from all over the world.

Lars has been looking for a material that has “life” and can interact with the pipe maker. He wanted to have “surprises” in his creation so that his pipes would not be lifeless carvings.

Lars pointed at the pipe on his hand. He made it in 1989. The ox bone pipe was an experimental product in his search for the perfect material. Ox bone is not， so he kept it for himself.

Son to Sixten Ivarsson， the Edison in pipe making， Lars inherited the wisdom and talent from his father， and mastered superb techniques in making briar pipes.

Lars has been looking for a material that has life and can interact with the pipe maker. He wanted to have “surprises” in his creation so that pipes would just be lifeless carvings. He found it in briar and made it his life-long pursuit. The uncontrollable beauty of briar is exactly what he has been looking for.

Before making a pipe， Lars will review the texture of briar and compare it with the blueprint in his mind. Only when the two match will he start making. He makes 50 to 80 pipes a year， but each one is close to perfection.

The Ivarssons is a leading family in the pipe world. Sixten Ivarsson is the first generation pipe maker in the family and the first to make free style pipes. Lars inherited the craft from his father and is now one of the most acclaimed master pipe makers. Nana， daughter of Lars， is the third generation pipe maker in the family， and she is already among top class makers.

Lars is proud of Sixten， but does not follow his track. In Lars’ words， his pipes embody his soul. He believes that every outstanding pipe maker breathes part of his soul and style into his works. Lars started assisting his father cleaning up pipes since he was 12. At 17， he made his first pipe following a design of his father. His father asked him to keep making the same pipe over and over again until Lars established his own style.

Lars appreciates his strict upbringing， by which his father helps him to establish his own style. To many， it was no small achievement for Lars to create his own style under the overwhelming fame of his father. But Lars knows that it is his father’s teaching of “breathe your soul into your pipes” that make him successful， and that is what he has passed down to his daughter.

S.Bang： Workshop of Two Masters

In over 40 years of cooperation， the two makers of S. Bang pipes remain committed to making the best pipes. They never knew or cared how their pipes are admired by pipe smokers.

The world famous S. Bang workshop is an unambiguous shop in the hustling downtown of Copenhagen. Its owners Uif Noltensmeier and Per Hansen had worked there for over half a century.

The two masters each have a desk to place their finish products. Uif Noltensmeier’s faces the kitchen， and Per Hansen’s is by the window. On the other side of the room is their lathe， drill and grinding machine. It is in this humble room that they have made top class pipes widely coveted by fans from Taiwan China， Japan， Germany， and the United States.

In the 1970s， Hansen was a staff in a trendy pipe workshop， and Noltensmeier an electrician. One day， Noltensmeier visited the shop Hansen worked in， and the two young men become instant friends. Together they made a wild decision， to make pipes in cooperation， and this cooperation lasted for over 40 years.

In 1984， they acquired the current shop from a retired pipe maker， S. Bang and kept the brand. They started to reduce output and to make pipes with the best material and refined techniques. They stamped their names on the pipes they each make， and sell the once a-few-dozen-dollar S. Bang pipes at over 3，000 dollars each.

Although they design pipes in their own styles， the constant clash of their ideas helped to stimulate limitless inspirations， a feat much envied by other pipe makers.

The two masters are no longer young as they claimed that they are not as adept as before. They are making fewer pipes， less than 120 a year. But the reduction in number does not mean a decrease of value. They do not know or care how their pipes are received in the market. They are just making pipes to their best ability. The value of their pipes is highly appreciated by collectors and smokers， but the two S. Bang owners never expect any rewards for their works.

Mai Yongbiao： Zen in Pipes

“The Europeans have improved pipe making skills to perfection， but they are always trying to transform a briar， not to understand it， display it， in orient aesthetics， this is called ‘unimaginative’ ”

To Mao Yongbiao， a pipe is first a tool for smoking. But this is often ignored in the Orient. Top class pipes in the East are mostly made of ivory， gem， or agate， brilliant looking， but unable to release the best taste of tobacco.

In contrast， the European makers are more skilled. As if with God’s will， they find the best material—briar. Briar does to tobacco what Yixing clay teapot does to tea. It absorbs tobacco and releases it with a stronger flavore. The Europeans improved their skills and established pipe aesthetics around briar. Mai has smoked pipes of nearly every master maker， and he could feel how these masters find satisfaction in their aesthetics.

But in oriental aesthetics， what the European makers are doing is to transform briar， be it with machine or with hand. They impose their will onto the piece of wood. In China， that is called unimaginative.

Mai Yongbiao tries to interpret the texture of every briar with respect， so as to present it in its natural form. It is like the difference between a Chinese root carving and a Europe sculpture， the former is to bring out the inner features， and the latter is to remake. In the eyes of pipe smokers， Mao’s pipes not only fit Chinese aesthetics， but also embody a sense of Zen.

Is it possible for a pipe to carry meaning and Zen？ Mao said，“Lars once had a Japanese teacher， not a piper maker， but a master sword maker. The teacher taught Lars about images and how to express the image of a moon or a perfect stone.”That is the Zen of pipes.

Zhang Youxu： A Thousand Pipes Does Not Make Me a Collector

To Zhang Youxu， all pipes are similar functionally but different pipes can bring different tastes. Look not for the best pipe， but the best fit.

Zhang Youxu has over a thousand pipes， but he does not consider himself a collector. “I bought them to smoke， if I want to collect， I would rather purchase wood sculptures.”

He is not a collector， so he is not concerned whether his pipes would appreciate or depreciate. To him， a pipe is a pipe. A master pipe is not more functional than an ordinary pipe.

Zhang was born in a well off family. He started smoking pipes since the 1960s when he saw his fourth aunt smoke cigar and pipes. Over the past 50 years， he had smoked over a thousand different styles of pipes. In his eyes， pipes are not structurally complex， and require not much skill. Master pipes are better only because they are made of good materials and are more artistically appealing.

Zhang is a heavy smoker. He smokes cigarettes， cigars and pipes， but pipe is his favorite， because all cigarettes taste the same， but with pipe， you can taste different types of tobacco. “For example， the Piaohe Town of Jilin Province produces a small amount of tobacco which used to be a tribute to Empress Dowager. Tobacco like this will not be made into cigarette. If you want to taste and if you are able to get some， you can only smoke it with a pipe. ”

In his opinion， the only way to identify the characteristic of each pipe is through years of smoking. Be it U shape or V shape， Italian briar or Greek briar， you need to find the most matching tobacco for each pipe and the best pipe to your taste. What taste good for others does not necessarily taste good for you. It is more of luck whether a master pipe fits you.

How will you enjoy it when you find “your” pipe？ “Many think pipe smoking is to about the taste， that couldn’t be more wrong.” Old smokers like Zhang likes either to smoke or hold the pipe in hand， filling tobacco， pressing and lighting up. It is a lifestyle that creates a private space that distracts people from worries. It is also helpful when you need time to think or to get over an embarrassing situation.

Xiao Kun：

Making Friends with Pipes

To Xiao Kun， pipe is charming because it helps him to calm down and introduces him into an interesting circle of friends.

Xiao Kun had his first pipe at 16. Now 10 years passed， he may still be a young pipe smoker， but his understanding of pipe is mature. “Who says young men cannot smoke？ If you are a young man interested in making friends， you will find that pipe will open up a brand new world for you.”

Since he started smoking with pipes， he found man pipe smokers more interesting and experienced， like Holmes， Churchill， Chaplin and other classic figures he had seen in movies who always have a pipe in hand. “In reality， the pipe smokers around you promise more interesting stories. They could be collectors， painters， or businessmen. When they lit a pipe and smoke， they will reveal their most candid and interesting side.” With pipes， Xiao Kun got to know many outstanding people. And he believes those gathered around pipes are much purer persons.

“Pipe smokers collect pipes not for investment， but out of love. The more you smoke， the more difficult it will be for you to give up your pipe. A circle of pipe smokers must be the most non-utilitarian people.” That is why he finds pipe smokers charming and comfortable to get along with.

“Among my friend smokers， pipe maker Mao Yongbiao gives me the biggest influence. His imaginative ideas left me the deepest impression. The works of most European masters could not make you so at ease. A smoke with his pipe many help better appreciate his style” With Mai’s influence， Xiao Kun loves freestyle pipes.

Xiao is now the owner of several pipe shops. For him， pipe shops are more a place for friend get-together. Many friends come here to smoke， drink， and chat. We would open a bottle of whiskey， and enjoy the tranquility and purity surrounding with tobacco flavors.

Li Bing：

Enjoying Rhamnus Pipes

Of all materials， I am attracted to Rhamnus for its texture. Unlike briar， Rhamnus is flawed， but it fits my personality.

Pipe smoker are either rich or of good birth. They have the ability to tailor-make their own pipes. Among the most experienced pipe makers， many will take an unusual approach to create their own pipes. Pipes of this kind may not be mainstream， but are quite unique.

Li Bin’s romance with pipes starts with his love of rhamnus. Rhamnus is a very rare wood with extremely hard and heat-resistant roots. Its texture is irregular and craggy， making it a unique material for pipes.

Li’s love of rhamnus brings him to pipes. “Rhamnus grows in a very adverse environment， making production of quality wood very low. But well grown rhamnus could absorb tobacco and release a special fragrance. ”

Because of its similarity with briar， Li tired to make pipes with rhamnus since 2005. To ordinary smokers， the wood is spotted and flawed， but Lin believes its imperfection is closer to human nature. Every time he smokes with rhamnus pipe， he feels real. In addition， rhamnus bring out a strong aroma of tobacco.

Li collected a large number of pipes， some made by himself， others made by famous makers. “The pipe I smoke the most looks flawed， but its hard， zigzag， and craggy feature reflects exactly my personality.” To him， what a pipe smoker and collector pursues is not the most expensive and rare pipe， but the one that most resonate with their hearts. When you have such a pipe， it will become a part of your body.

When asked which is better， briar or rhamnus？ Li said rhamnus is more straightforward， while briar offers a richer taste. For a pipe smoker， what matters is not which material is better， but which one suits you better.