Karel Krška certainly belongs to paramount line of Czech pipe makers. His classical shaped pipes but especially his freehands which show off the natural beauty rings of briar are pride of evryone pipe collection and there are really very few pipe smokers without his pipe. From cassical shapes belongs to his favourite namely bulldog and bent pipes. Karel Krška started with his craft by the late pipe maker Jan Kopa whose pipes he decorated by inlays and metal rings. He set up on his own in 1995 and produced his pipes in his workshop in Brno. Nowadays he has the workshop at Drnovice (Blanchard). Despite of being pipe maker he smokes pipes rarely. His top pipes bear the stamp „Mr King“.
Jan Klouček - JanPipes (*1965, Czechia)
He produces his pipes professionally from 1999 and served out the craf in French city Saint-Claude. He started off his own workshop after collaboration with French company Chacom whose owner Yves Grenard was his principal skilful mentor. His perfect craft mastery is the priority for him. He produces not only classical pipe shapes but makes his own pipe collections inspired e.g. by architecture as well. His well-known collection is „Gaudí Dreams“. He made series of pipes for the pipe-clubs across the world e. g. Barcelona Pipe Club or two series for his home club Dýmka.net or competition pripes for the world championship at Mariánské Lázně in 2006.
He organizes amateur workshops in his work-room at Kostelec nad Černými lesy (close to Prague) originally for Czech pipe club Dymka.net but by and by they became international. The workshops are worth for the pipe smokers to see the whole manufactural operations and give opportunity to make own pipe according to own design.
Radek Jůza – RX Pipes (*1970, Czechia)
He started his own production in 2011 and the first steps made by master Jan Klouček during one of the club´s workshops. He makes both classical shapes and freehands. He often decorates his pipes partly with simple silver rings or with applications from various exotic woods. Making pipes for three years he can be proud of 250 individualstic pipes and the pipe series for Dymka.net.
Radek not only makes the pipes but actively collets the them as well (namely old Dunhill and Peterson). Inseparable of his hobby are reparations and refurbishments of old pipes which are after the procedure like new ones and, as his customers like to say, maybe better as originals.
Petr Vobořil (*1971, Česko)
Originally cabinetmaker which way to pipe handicraft was partly his love to the wood just as serious spine injury. After recovering he had to give up his prime job and from 2007 started the pipe making. He is fascinated by endless variety of craftsmanship, accuracy and the space for his own phantasy. His workshop is at Votice near Benešov, here he owns small but famous pizzeira where he also sells his pipes.
As the turn of the years 2012 and 2013 is his mark VP completed with blue spot lined by yellow metal.
Petr Libora – Petr Pipes (*1974)
Petr Libora is the youngest from our presented Czech pipe makers both by age and duration of pipe making. He began with pipes at the turn of years 2011 and 2012. As mechanical engineer has qualification so needful for making the pipes. By that time it seems that his big love are the pipes of classical shapes. His handicraft, cutting of various materials and ambition to be always ahead urges him to excellent working with silver applications in which is really perfect and lately is specialises in handmade forging of „spigots“, namely by shape Bulldog and Bent bulldog. Just for the masterly made pipes as a whole piece are his pipes much favoured. Nowadays he made about 200 pipes and now is faced with making „club pipes“ for his mother pipe club Dymka.net.
Tomáš Mahovský - TM (* 1963)
Tomas makes his pipes marked by bass cleff in his workshop in Bustehrad near Kladno. He produced first pipe in 2006 under open-eyed suppervision of Jan Kloucek at Kostelec more likely forhis own pleasure. However this hobby has absorbed him as much as he established own workshop and began realize his ideas. He makes namely robust pipes of full proportions as well as classical shapes, both have his characteristic handwork. He likes full bent shapes which are very popular both by Czech and Austrian pipe smokers.Together with briar working with morta oak and like olive woods as well. His pipes decorates with applications of exotic woods, silver, stable-based bones or buffalo horn.
Robert Kněz (*1952)
Robert Knez, collector, pipe maker and excellent competitive pipe smoker is a solitaire among Czech pipe makers. He dates the birth of making pipes by the year 1990. Each of his pipes is author´s original with only exception – competitive pipes for Czech championship in Podebray in the year 2010.
It is very simple to recognize his pipes – they are freehands which he wants upgrade his collection and hence inclines to unorthodox and extravagant shapes. His pipes have always perfect smoking quality because of his sklil like smoker for own pleasure or on competitions.
Přemysl Omrt (*1951)
Czech pipe maker doyen from Rychnov nad Kneznou started pipe making in 1971.
He himself characterizes his style simply: „I always take use of whole plateaux, it would be pitty to make it smaller when I need not…“.
The shape of his pipes is influenced by structure of woods and he respectes it without bigger embellishment. He likes experiments, sometimes it is oval calibre of tobacco chambre, next time he uses unorthodox construction or materiál which he gets. Famous are his nature calabashes or pipes from coco nut for dry smoking. He have made even a few carved pipes.
Petr Kučera (1958)
After his 50th birthday his handicap not allows him working in his prime job. Because he smoks pipes since his 17th he decided met his dream – making own pipes. He has his workshop at villige Voznice near Prague and hammers away the pipes. His teacher were first of all of course master Jan Kloucek and the next one Tomas Mahovsky. He makes the pipes only one year, however, they have great succes because are really rare. He invented his own shapes and unique rustic „honeycomb“. Recently he visited for the first time notorius Danish pipe shop in Copenhagen. He presented them his pipes very uncertainly. But for his astonishment they were delighted and took all his pipes on sale. So Petr is the first Czech pipemaker which gained the Mecca of the famous Danish pipemarkers.