Pipemaker - TOM RICHARD

Thomas Richard Mehret lives and works in the highly northern part of Germany in a short distance to the giant "pipe neighbor" Denmark. The starting fifty is an graduated architect (as a number of well known carvers are) and an enthusiastic pipe smoker. Numerous visits with Danish pipe makers, as e.g. a Poul Winslow, who´s very popular here in Germany, induced him, like many other pipe enthusiasts too, to try making an own pipe. For that reason, in 2001 and 2002 first pipes then arose for the personal use.

In spring 2003, Tom started to form hand made pipes at the dragging plate and to make her accessible to the public by German eBay, where I saw his pipes first. In the meantime, he has become an internationally recognized member of the pipe maker community by industriousness and determination.

Thomas lives a little peripherally in Germany. He therefore mentions his pipes "Danish Border hand made Pipes." As I wrote above, at first he tries to present his pipes to the public on German eBay . His pipes immediately found the desired attention and were topics of a extremely positive discussions in appropriate Internet fora. In fall 2003 Tom has sent three of his pipes to me which I could show to some pipe enthusiasts and fellow-collectors on the occasion of the pipe world championship in Barcelona. The echo was positive without exception.

Tom was always willing to perfect his pipes and he was always open to try something new. He doesn't have to have himself discouraged of a sharp review either but understood the criticism as help. This is not even usual in the "pipe job" . However, it can be helpful to respect the customer, and Tom has put this under proof. If one may speak at such a young career of early pipes at all, then these early pipes were very robust anyway. They absolutely had approvals recognized to the umbrella-stand like Winslow's models which are high on demand in Germany.

The current pipes of Tom Richard, orientates at the good Danish style, are considerably much more filigree and much more sweeping. The processing is excellent without exception. The pipes are good-natured smokers and therefore are not only beautiful but of good everyday suitability. The smooth pipes often have a very beautiful grain and the finish the rustic pipes are out of any critics. Tom always made very beautiful stems. He often made a pretty decorating rings of boxwood, roses- or snake wood. He also likes to work with shank applications from different precious materials. He has, moreover, established a very beautiful and fine way of the rustication.

In the meantime, Tom was making a great job with his Morta - Pipes (bog oak). These pipes are beautifully grained, featherweightet and excellent smokers. Highly recommended!

One can order Tom´s pipes from many Internet sites as e.g. from scandpipes.com. and Esterval´s Pipe House. There are also many retailers in Europe, as e.g. Peter Heinrichs in Cologne or Ostermann´s in Vienna, in Japan, in the USA (where he´s attending the Chicagoland Pipe Show for many years now) and, just recently, in Russia. A preview for recent pipes is avaiable on

Tom´s web-site .

Pictures by Tom Richard and Andreas Harm, CEO of Esterval´s Pipe House, with kind permission

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