Cornelius Mänz in his workshop
Cornelius first appeared on the scene about three years ago and swiftly rose to local hero status in the German pipe newsgroup DAFT, establishing an initial reputation for affordability, imagination and decent quality - but already capturing the attention of stars like Rainer Barbi and Tom Eltang.
In between then and pretty soon afterwards, a transformation took place. About a year ago, it became perfectly clear that Cornelius had left the ranks of the 'promising' - and was producing high-grades on a par with the very best. Put a Mänz next to a Bang and compare the two… but let's spare him the superlatives, lest they remind anyone of hype. For that is something Cornelius is especially wary of. He says going full-time didn't worry him too much, since he can always return to textile design if demand nose-dives. "But I'm more scared of being hyped out - a star today and dead tomorrow."
Mouthpiece master
Cornelius Mänz makes about 12 pipes a month. Most experts agree that he and Kent Rasmussen of Denmark are Europe's premier young carvers - with Kent leading the way in avant-gardism and Cornelius espousing a gentler, yet equally convincing mode of innovation. A Mänz mouthpiece is a masterpiece in its own right, equal to the wondrously thin bits produced by Rainer Barbi and exceedingly few others. Along with his pipes' usually fairly moderate size, the effect is an ergonomic dream.
Cornelius himself expects more new carvers to emerge in future, saying that the popularity of pipe-making seminars given by Rainer Barbi and Bertram Safferling in Germany is an indication of a new level of interest in the craft. Someday soon, he expects other Europeans to step out of the twilight hobby zone and on to the professional stage. He says he's not mentioning any names - "I've no right to do so."
"Who knows whether next year won't see a new star rise in the pipe universe?" Mänz comments, "And from which country?"
Is the heart of pipe artisanship not clearly moving from Europe to the USA? It's a question Cornelius answers ambiguously. "The pipe boom of recent years originated in America," he says, "So, it's more than logical for a pipe-making scene to emerge there. Some people are very innovative, and maybe there'll be an 'American style', some day."
But he adds that he finds comments about the famous Danes resorting to imitation of themselves disturbing. "It takes so long for a maker to develop a style of his own. And then one works in that style, developing it, albeit in nuances. It's not very fair to establish such a divide between America and Europe, especially Denmark. All of us are working with briar and trying our best to make beautiful and original objects. People should just let things flow and indicate their preferences by the choice of the pipes they buy. It's not good to talk things to death."
Respect for mid-graders
Asked why Germany comes up with a fair number of high-graders, yet has very few carvers working in the more affordable sphere, Mänz shows a lot of admiration for mid-graders. "To survive in the middle class, you need to make a lot of pipes. You have to be fast and nifty. Where do you learn that kind of skill? In factories and on manufacturing lines. These are to be found in Italy and Denmark - there's nothing like that in Germany."
In his home country, Cornelius adds, there's never been such a phenomenon as the Copenhagen-style workshop. "Everybody here is doing their own thing - although I have the impression that this is changing. Who knows? Perhaps one day, a couple of carvers will get together and start a workshop, which could turn into a venue for new pipe makers."
Where to buy?
Cornelius says that he has had to disappoint many dealers who want to sell his work. At the moment, it's chiefly available from Heiko Jahr and Per Billhäll - with an Austrian, a Swiss and possibly an American outlet planned. "That's all the work I can handle - and all I want to handle," he adds. "Quality comes first, and that simply requires time. Pipe making takes patience. I hope smokers have patience with me."
You can also see Cornelius Mänz pipes here: http://www.corneliusmaenz.de
(October 27, 2003)