A while ago I worked a trade with a fellow pipe smoker on one of the online forums for this beautiful cross-grained horn-shaped pipe from German pipe maker Oliver Camphausen. I had heard of Oliver’s work but had not held one in my hands before. When I received the pictures of the pipe and the offer for a trade I was struck by the shape and the grain. Though I am not a big fan of horn-shaped pipes there was something about this beauty that just grabbed my attention. With little ado the deal was done and the pipe was on its way to Canada.

I did a bit more digging into information about the carver while I waited for the pipe to arrive. There were various European sites that listed a few of his pipes, there were several on EBay available from some of the high-end sellers but I could not find a web site on the carver. I found that. Oliver Camphausen is considered one of the bright new stars to emerge from Germany’s pipe carving scene. His work bears strong resemblance to that of Karl Joura, yet his designs are totally different. I also found out that Pipes and Tobaccos Magazine did a report on him in the Spring 2006 issue.

This particular pipe is gorgeous and gracefully shaped and displays a beautiful “sunburst” cross grain pattern that runs down the sides of the bowl and the shank. The symmetrical grain is terminated with a panel of dense birdseye grain that flows down the front panels and the top and bottom of the shank. It is very comfortable in the hand and the balance is about perfect.The overall length is 5 3/4″. The bowl height measures about 1 3/4″. The tobacco chamber is 7/8″ in diameter and an angled inner depth of 1”. To give an idea of the size I photographed it with a Group 3 sized billiard. The bowl height and the length of the pipe match the billiard very closely.

The finish on the pipe is very well done. There is a dark understain, either black or dark brown that brings out the cross grain on the side panels and the rings of the birdseye on the front and the back panels. The red oxblood stain serves as a top coat and matches the red in the Cumberland stem. The finish is smooth and there are no sanding marks or scratches in the bowl. It is definitely well finished. The six sides of the panels line up very well and the slightly crowned top on the bowl gives fullness to the look of the rim and top. The curves and angles all are aligned and there is a flow and grace to the lines of the pipe. The inner edge of the rim is chamfered inward and stained to give a finished look to the top of the pipe. The end of the shank is countersunk to give a tight fit for the stem against the shank.

The stem is hand carved out of Cumberland and matches the colour of the stain well. The stem is six-sided to match the panels on the bowl at the shank end and then all panels blend into a taper from the middle of the stem back to the button. The tenon is Delrin and is perfectly installed into the stem. The tenon fits perfectly against the end of the stem. The tenon is countersunk on the end to give a funneled end where it sits in the mortise. The inside of the stem is smooth with no roughness in the transition between the Delrin tenon insert and the Cumberland stem. Shining a light down the airway in the stem shows a smooth shiny surface with nothing to impede the airflow in the stem.The finish on the Cumberland is glass like and smooth. The fit against the shank is tight three-quarters of the way around the pipe. There is a slight gap on the right side where it does not sit tightly and light can be seen when it is held up to the light. It is not too problematic in that it is only visible against the light.

The mechanics are excellent. The airway in the shank is centered in the end of the mortise and the tenon sits neatly against the end of the mortise. The curve of pipe made drilling a straight airway a slight challenge. There is a small divot out of the bottom of shank end of the mortise that allowed for a straight shot to the bowl. The end of the airway where it enters the bowl is slightly opened and flared give a smooth transition for the smoke to travel to the mouthpiece. The inside of the mortise and airway is also smooth with no roughness. There is nothing in the airway of the pipe from stem to bowl that would cause impedance in air flow. A fluffy pipe cleaner easily slides the length of the pipe with no snags along the way.

The pipe came to me pre-smoked so there was no need to break it in as a new pipe. There was already a light cake forming on the walls of the bowl. From what I can see there was no bowl coating used on the inside of the bowl. The cake is hard and smooth on the walls. The previous pipeman smoked English/Balkan tobaccos in the pipe so I have continued that tradition with some aged Rattrays Red Raparee that I have. It smokes very well and is truly an effortless smoke. I was concerned that the walls of the bowl toward the bottom might heat up during smoking as they are not as thick as the upper portion of the bowl. However, I have smoked it for quite a while and the heat is not an issue. The bowl is warm to the touch but never hot.

I am well pleased to have one of Oliver’s pipes in my collection. It is a good smoking pipe and certainly one that is well finished. It remains a pipe that I pick up again and again and turn over in my hands to enjoy the grain – both cross grain and birdseye. The beauty of the colours and subtle shifts in the way the light dances off the grain make it ever-changing and delightful to me. I would gladly purchase another one of Oliver’s pipes should one come by that catches my eye. If you have not had the opportunity to try one I would encourage you to find one and give his work a try. I don’t think you will be disappointed.