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Steadily finding his style

When new carvers get traded like a secret to lottery riches, affordability is often the strongest lure - and sometimes the sole attraction. But when the praise stems from a personage like German collector Jörg Lehmann, it's worth opening an eye. Not only is Jörg's arsenal of high grades (from Bo to Rodriguez) well beyond the ambitions of your average buck-saver. There's also the rather telling fact that he's the pipester who first drew attention Cornelius Mänz.

Tom Richard Mehret has a long way to go before he can be compared to Cornelius, but the 47 year old architect from the German-Danish border area has some points in his favour. For one thing, there's personality - like Cornelius, Tom is a modest man and unlikely to be paralysed by that frequent carvers' ailment PC (Premature Cocksureness). And then there is the swift, regular rate of progress that shows in his work. "Every time he adds pictures to his site, you get the impression that he's reached a new phase in his development," says one German fan.

Tom Mehret hast been making pipes for just over two years and only switched to a freehand production style last Spring. He isn't churning out slender and elegant high grades yet, but he is clearly moving away from the amateur's penchant for chunky pseudo-Winslows. "With time, you start to stretch your limits," he says. "My pipes are getting slimmer, and this allows room for new shapes."

With Jörg's help, Tom has established regular contact with Mänz and other useful advisors on the German scene. He has set pretty high goals, admitting that he would like to go full-time, should the market permit it. But he harbours no illusions about the tier he currently occupies. "I haven't yet carved out a style of my own," Tom admits. "But come time, I think you'll recognise certain elements that define my pipes."

Initially, Tom chose Ebay to market his work, typically fetching prices between 50 and 80 Euros. He says the auction platform helped him establish "many good contacts with smokers and collectors", but he has since switched to direct marketing on his own website. There, smooth pieces are currently priced between 80 and 140 Euros. The brand name is 'Tom Richards Pipes'.

Tom Mehret's pipes can be seen here: http://www.tom-richard-pfeifen.privat.t-online.de/

(December 9, 2003)

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