Erwin Van Howe
Professionally, Belgium's best known pipe collector specialises in French linguistics and literature. Erwin Van Hove considers France his second home and has talked to many of the decision-makers in the French pipe industry. Over recent years, he has developed a good feel for their idiosyncrasies.
Though he's maintained a critical stance toward their products, Erwin is also convinced that pipes from France are often underrated. In this interview, he stresses one decisive fact: French briars usually offer a fantastic smoke.
What's happened to the grand old French pipe?
EVH: I don't think there ever was a grand old French pipe. True, some decades ago, French pipes were considered excellent smoking pieces with a very attractive price/quality ratio. When I started to smoke pipes in the second half of the seventies, the obvious choice for a beginning pipe smoker was a French pipe. I bought a lot of them: really cheap ones and hand made Butz-Choquin pipes - what we would call mid grades today. I never ever had a bad smoker. As a matter of fact, some of these pipes are part of my regular rotation to this day.
This said, I never had the impression that I was smoking prestigious, 'grand' pipes. Later on, I passed on to English and Italian pipes. Finally I went for Danish, German and American pipes. More and more I started to look down upon French pipes - they were unattractive, lots of them had visible fills, their execution, engineering and finish were not on a par with what I bought in Italy, Germany and Denmark. Only recently have I been buying French pipes again. I'm astounded. They still are great smokers. A contemporary French pipe is, in fact, very similar to the ones of the 'grand' era.
It's a fact that the international pipe community no longer considers France an important pipe making nation. The lack of beautiful designs, the absence of famous artisan carvers and the lack of good marketing are to blame.
Recently, Chacom, Butz, EWA and Jeantet have tried to come up with new 'designer' pipes. They have made a huge mistake: Instead of asking experienced carvers to create new shapes, as Stanwell and Brebbia have done, they used designers that weren't familiar with the pipe universe. The results were very disappointing. Until recently there wasn't any hope of the situation chaning, but last year the Butz-Choquin group was purchased by a young manager. He went over to the Chicago Pipe Show to see what is happening. He is interested in the international competition, in new designs and in modern marketing. So I guess there is still some hope left, but not for the immediate future.
Further, I'm convinced that in a decade or so there will only be one big French brand left. As for artisan pipes, I don't see any sign that promises a change. There are only half a dozen real artisans left and they're all quite old. Their workshops will close as there are no youngsters interested in taking over.
Anyway, if French brands want to regain their ancient reputation and prestige, just coming up with new designs won't cut it. Obviously they have to address several issues in order to be able to seduce international pipe connoisseurs again. They need better drilling - most French bents don't pass the pipe cleaner test -, better bits and, above all, less fills. The French are indifferent to fills and prefer a smooth pipe with putty to a blast or a rusticated pipe.
Why is France so cut off from the rest of the world regarding design?
EVH: I see several different reasons. First of all, there is the typical French mentality and culture. The French tend to believe their culture is special, even superior. So why follow the international tendencies and evolutions? They just don't see the point.
Secondly, the French pipe industry is concentrated in the Jura mountains. This region has always been cut off from the rest of the world. In this microcosm, the different brands and makers spend their time looking at each other, not at the rest of the world. Moreover, early on, the French pipes were made by factories, not by individual artisans. This never changed. It is usually a fact that individual artisans are the people who come up with new designs and styles. Hence the French conservatism.
Finally, the French firms didn't feel the need to make fundamental changes because they had a very strong local market. French pipe smokers buy French pipes. And to this day Chacom and Butz-Choquin manage to sell their pipes on all five continents, too. So they're convinced their product is still attractive.
Do people really buy those pop-art pipes by Butz and Chacom?
EVH: Since both Chacom and Butz continue to produce these pipes, there is obviously a market for them. In fact, the best-selling BC pipe in Germany is a blue lacquered model!
Who makes the best French pipes today?
EVH: On the level of execution, engineering, fit, finish and
attention to detail
not a single French carver equals the
great Danes etc. This said, there are still French pipes out there worth
buying. Butz Choquin makes some attractively priced hand mades - just look for
pipes with 'fait main' in the nomenclature. Their very best pipes - the
Collection series - are made by Alain Albuisson from top quality plateau.
Jacky Craen, the carver of the Genod pipes, not only produces factory made pipes, but also some very beautiful hand mades. His specialty are bent pipes with a curved drill in a natural, wax-only finish. Next year, Craen will close his factory and will only make hand-mades as a hobby.
The most creative and technically accomplished French carver is Pierre Morel. While his bits are quite thick, his stem/shank joints and decorations are extremely well executed. He makes classic pipes and freehands, both unstained and with a typical rich orange/red colour. Only one problem: Morel's production is extremely limited. Top of the line Chacom pipes are also made by Pierre Morel. Both Morel and Genod make pipes that are a pleasure to smoke - though the bits could be more comfortable.
What gives French pipes that special taste you and others note?
EVH: I don't think French pipes have a special taste. As a matter of fact very few brands anywhere produce what I'd call a typical taste. Dunhill, Castello and Jess Chonowitsch are the only ones that manage to conjure a truly special taste of their own.
This said, French pipes tend to produce a good, pleasing flavour. In the old days, they used a lot of Algerian briar, famous for its excellent smoking properties. Moreover the briar was seasoned for a very long time in barns in the cool and wet Jura climate. A long and slow seasoning process enhances the taste of a pipe. So that might have explained the good taste of the old French pipes. Yet today, only Chacom still uses those barns. BC has an attic where the briar is seasoned, but on average no longer than a year. Since Algerian briar production ceased, French pipe brands have used briar from various sources - Greek, Moroccon, Italian. The reason why the contemporary pipes still taste very good - often better than foreign competitors like Savinelli and Stanwell - remains a mystery.
(October 26, 2003)