Visit to the workshop
Dane Mike Sebastian Bay first came into contact with pipe making when he was in Copenhagen looking for someone to repair his father's old pipes. It wasn't long before he found himself in the workshop of none other than Tom Eltang, gazing with fascination into wood chips, tools and dim light.
Apprenticeship with Tom Eltang
A few weeks later, he began an apprenticeship with the pipe-making legend on a part-time, but very long-term basis. He has now been part of the workshop team since 2015.
Taking over something...
To date, Mike Bay has learned a lot, come up with some things himself, but also adopted things from Tom and modified them for himself. This includes, for example, the peculiar, but handy-structured rustication, which is also known from Eltang pipes, or strongly contrasting stained pipes.
...and yet cultivate his own style
His own style can be seen in his preference for shapes with a slightly forward bent bowl and the poker shape with a characteristic „bend in the bowl" which has almost become his signature shape.
Young Danish pipe star
Mike Bay is considered one of the new, young, up-and-coming pipe stars from Denmark. Connoisseurs see him as the direct successor of Tom Eltang and are of the opinion that his pipes will certainly not be cheaper.
A pipe smoker himself
Mike Bay is a passionate pipe smoker himself. He likes pipes that are easy to handle and easy to hold in the mouth while working. Therefore, they must not be too heavy. Whether they are straight or bent doesn't matter to him. They must have a good balance. For tobacco, he prefers Virginia-Perique blends like Rattray's Marlin Flake or Orlik Golden Sliced.
