News & Featured Pipes

I have just turned 80, and as a wonderful birthday present my son Mark has rebuilt my old website and brought it back to life. The original was built back in the 1990s and never did work on the mobile phones everyone seems to carry these days.

The banner at the top is from the original site, and we have kept much of the old look and feel, but now it works beautifully on both your computer and your phone. It has been an absolute delight to wander back through the hundreds of different designs I developed over the years.

More than anything, I would love to reconnect with old friends and customers. If you are still smoking your Zeman pipe, I would be thrilled to hear from you and to know how it is holding up after all these years. Please do drop me a line.

Smoke in peace,
Jan

Since my return in 2004 I was storing batch of Plateaux purchased from well known Italian briar cutter Romeo Domenico, known to many as "Mimmo". I decided to season it well as they are very special blocks and they deserve the best treatment I can give them.

So I decided its time to carve some special pipes and I hope my friend Mimo will not be disappointed. Bellow is the result of first small batch carved from his Plateaux...

Season's break behind me, I am back at the workshop carving away and you can check me new pipe additions here or on my site. This time of the year business is usually bit slow due to the fact that most pipe smokers slow down a bit during the winter months and things should pick up again as warmer weather approaches.

Down under we had great summer this year and I enjoyed my pipes outdoors for most evenings. I'll be going away for few weeks in our old trusty caravan to do bit of fishing and relaxing while it's still warm, so if you see any pipe you might want to buy, if you let me know straight away, I should be able to dispatch it before we leave...

There are couple of Klocek's pipes and plenty of Hodula's still available and all the people who purchased one in the past are very happy with them.

They are good pipes for the money and I can higly recommend them. So have a look and see if any will speak to you...

This is a large and very nice freehand and would suite smoker with larger hands. Most of Kloucek's are gone, but there are still some nice ones left, so if you are after one, check my site, you'll find them under the Friend's Pipes category...

I have a good selection of Hodula's still available and there are some very nice pipes to be had, so please check them out, they are great smokers, good lookers and possibly the best value for hand carved pipes...

I would like to wish you all great Christmas and very Happy New Year. I hope you'll find the pipe of your dreams under the X-mas tree and will enjoy it despite some very cold weather in Northern Hemisphere. I will think of you all while sitting on the beach and enjoying the sun :-)

Thank you all for your support, and I look forward to your company and friendship in 2008...hope we'll all have a awesome year !!!

Well I had a great time in Europe and during our travels met with few new carvers who also become my friends. One of these is Jan Kloucek from Czech Republic.

He works from rather large workshop in small village close to Prague. Jan has considerable experience and is well known for his unique and high quality hand made pipes not only in his native Czech Republic but also abroad.

His pipe design is amazing, with high level of details and very nice stem work. All pipes are hand made and some include hand cut stems as well, both in Ebonite and Acrylic.

He is proud of his knowledge of both, briar and carving techniques and strives for perfection in all his designs.He pays an extra attention to grain and turns to architecture and nature for most of his design inspirations. His philosophy is that exclusive pipes should bring pleasure and satisfaction to even the most demanding pipe smokers.

His grades are VO, VS, XO, VSOP from which VSOP is the highest grade.

His pipes are as unique as they are beautiful and I am proud to be able to bring his pipes to you, and I know you will love them and enjoy them as much as I do...

The above pipe, Kloucek 01 is simply stunning, displaying beautiful straight grain around the bowl and simple lines of timeless Classic,,, must be seen to be fully appreciated...

This is beautiful Freehand with some great grain on the side of the bowl and interesting shape, featuring bent stem desing. Well balanced pipe and sure head turner. It is fitted with Acrylic stem...and of course should smoke like a dream...

This is a XO class pipe.

Freehand with a twist or should I say knot :-) This is certainly shape which will start few people thinking and it is the first pipe I've come across to be carved to this particular design. It has nice grain as well and is fitted with hand cut Acrylic stem in ivory color with some interesting black stripes.

It is well balanced and if you hold your pipe in left hand, will fit you like a glove...and the pipe is in VSOP class...

Another stunning pipe, this time in offset square shape and just look at the grain. Even straight grain all around the bowl and even more noticeable because of the four sided shape.

The pipe is fitted with Acrylic stem and is aslo in VSOP class...

I've received new batch of Pavel's pipes and as usual there are some very nice pipes in there.

This particular pipe is a 1/4 bent with an excellent grain and is fitted with black Vulcanite stem...beautiful pipe...

Medium size chubby 1/2 bent pipe in typical Hodula style. This pipe would make ideal outdoor pipe with its solid design and feel...

Great combination of smooth and rustic finish is evident on this lovely slightly bent Apple shaped pipe. Good grain on the upper half of the bowl is nicely offset with earthly rustication...I love it.

There are many more of Pavel's pipes on my site, so if you have the time, go and check them out, you might find one or two which will speak to you and as always, they are good value for the money...

Well all good things must come to the end and so did my time in Europe and Japan and I must say I am happy to be back at my bench. I still need to finish few overdue back orders, but you should see some new pipes to be posted shortly...so keep an eye on my site from time to time and I thank you all for your support while I was away.

I must say it's been a long time since my last Newsletter and it surely proofs the theory that "times flies". It went rather fast for me, starting with X-mas holidays, followed by our kids visit and then I seemed to be busy carving couple of batches of pipes for the shops.

But all that is behind me and I had time to carve few nice pipes and I hope you'll like them...

Well I'll be taking bit of a spell from my carving as we are due to depart for Europe straight after the Easter Holidays.

The time has come again to go and stock up on my pipe making supplies and to catch up with my friends and perhaps make a few new once :-)

Even thought that we are flying via US and will spent few days in and around San Francisco, the Chicago Pipe Show is as elusive as ever and the timing and the extra expense just wont make the trip possible. I need all my money for the supplies...so Chicago perhaps next time.

Talking about the money, I must thank you all for your generous support during the last year and if you are in the position and need to buy a new pipe before our departure on 10th of April, your contribution will be very much appreciated and the money be put to good use of extending my carving when I come back in five months time.

Please order pipes available from my site even in my absence, they will be dispatched with the help of my friend and the orders which can not be completed will be rewarded when I come back...thank you all.

My self and all my family would like to wish you Merry Christmas and very Happy New Year...

I would like to thank you all for your suport during the past year and I look forward to your company in 2007...

I hope your pipes will burn steady and bright and keep your spirits soaring high, and if you find yourself too deep in the snow, please send some our way...

Best wishes

Jan, Vera and family

I had received the last batch of new Hodula's pipes for this year and they are available for Christmas delivery when ordered on or before the 11th of December.

There are some very nice pipes in this batch and I will show you few of them here, but please visit my site and check them all if you have time as I am sure you'll find one or two there which might appeal to you and they are very affordable.

This medium sized classic has some nice grain all around the bowl. It is light and well balanced for its size and the light stain works well with the black Vulcanite stem and metal band.

This is a nice Hodula pipe and will smoke like a dream...

This is a nice Apple shaped pipe in rather chubby version. I like the grain which is even around the bowl.

The black Vulcanite stem is fitted with sandblasted alloy band, which is interesting and unique design feature.

The birds eyes on top of the bowl are great. Couple of tiny pits do not distract the eye from the grain.

Lovely pipe...

I love this pipe, but then I love all Buldogs. This one is very large and chubby with good grain and very clean look.

I like the short stem fitted with Alloy band and to me this is a attractive pipe...

I love the contrast between the top of the bowl and the bottom sandblasted section. The blast has real earthly feel to it.

The pipe is of large size, but not too big and will be good smoker. The black Vulcanite stem is fitted with very nice and interesting Allo band, nice pipe indeed...

What a pipe and what a size. This is very large and beautifull pipe indeed. The shape and grain works together with amber colored Acrylic stem and is fitted with an Allow band.

If you like large 1/2 bent pipes, then this pipe is for you...

This is a large sandblast with interesting finish and almost organic feel to it. The Mahagony color suit it nicely and the pipe is fitted with black Vulcanite stem.

Good combination of large size, interesting finish and saddle stem all comming together in this large pipe.

There are couple of sandblasts available and these are the first blasts I have recieved from Pavel so if you like them you'll be the first to smoke them...

If you like the new Hodula for Christmas, or any other pipe from my site, you need to order them on or before the 11th of this month. If you can do it sooner, please do so as the post office will be very busy during the last days before the holidays and I hate to disapoint you.

Please check the rest of the additions from my site and I trust you will find one or two for you :-)