Butz Choquin Pipes: The History of Saint-Claude
In 1858, the foundation for what is now the Saint-Claude-based company Butz Choquin in the French Jura was laid in Metz. This makes BC the oldest continuously operating pipe manufacturer in the world. The company's history is closely tied to the story of Saint-Claude, considered the birthplace of the briar pipe.
Legend has it that a French pipe maker traveled to Corsica to visit Napoleon’s birthplace. On the way, his delicate meerschaum pipe broke, prompting him to ask a local craftsman to carve a pipe from the native briar roots. He was so impressed by the smoking properties of the briar pipe that he brought the idea of carving pipes from briar back to mainland France. Thus, the root of the Erica arborea, or briar, found its way to Saint-Claude.
The Fascinating World of Butz Choquin Pipes
Briar became synonymous with pipes. The pipe industry grew rapidly, soon employing almost the entire local population. By 1911, nearly 28 million pipes were produced in Saint-Claude, rising to 43 million by 1920.
Even today, thousands of pipes are produced annually in Saint-Claude, and renowned brands like Chacom have their production facilities there.
The first Butz Choquin was a long reading pipe adorned with silver appliqués and a shank made of albatross bone. The range quickly expanded to include shapes now considered classic, such as Billiard, Apple, Bulldog, Bent, and Canadian. Historically, pipes were also crafted for other notable brands or exported unfinished to England for finishing and stamping.
Pipes from BC's factory are available not only under their own name. Brands like EWA, Chap, and Dr. Boston also originate from there.
Butz Choquin Pipes: Craftsmanship with History
Today, the variety of models is nearly limitless. In recent years, Butz Choquin has established itself as an innovative pipe producer. Pipes with colorful finishes or acrylic mouthpieces are part of the standard range, as are pipes with intricately rusticated surfaces.
Despite ongoing modernization of the machinery, pipe making in Saint-Claude still requires a significant amount of manual labor. Interestingly, the factory workforce, both historically and today, is predominantly female. The Butz Choquin buildings are located on a small side street in the picturesque town of Saint-Claude.
A Classic in the World of Pipes: Butz Choquin
The business is now run by Denis Blanc, the factory owner, a friendly man recognizable from afar by the distinctive sound of his laughter.
The good news for pipe smokers is that so much tradition, history, and craftsmanship is available at an incredibly affordable price. At BC, you get colorful, creative, as well as classic and honest pipes whose quality is hard to beat at this price point. Unsurprisingly, this reputation has spread to Germany, where nearly every pipe smoker today owns a pipe from the Butz Choquin factory.
We personally value BC pipes as very solid, smokeable everyday companions that we are happy to recommend.
