Thomas Kalmar Freehand

Thomas Kalmar is among the newest wave of pipe makers from Germany who are gaining a lot of attention. Born in Hungary in 1978, he has lived with his family in the picturesque Bavarian Forest since 2009. After completing his university degree in horticultural engineering, he spent seven years working in the public sector.

In 2010, he decided to take a completely new direction and, together with his wife, opened an online shop. There, he offered restored tobacco pipes, and bringing these old pipes back to life brought him great joy. This also helped him to learn the basic skills needed for pipe making.

For more than 20 years, he has been a passionate pipe smoker. For a long time, he dreamed of one day crafting his own pipes under his own name. In March 2022, he finally pursued this dream and began creating handmade tobacco pipes as a self-taught artisan. This new, creative phase opened up an entirely new world for him, enchanting him with its freedom.

He uses his social media channels as a platform to receive valuable feedback.

Thomas Kalmar exclusively uses high-quality Italian briar wood from Mimmo (Mimmo Romeo, Romeo Pipe) as well as Greek plateau or ebauchon. For decoration, he relies on natural materials, including various native and exotic woods, as well as different types of horn. The mouthpieces are made from fine ebonite or acrylic. The integration of 9mm filter drillings is not an issue for him.

Thomas has set up his workshop in a small wooden cabin at the foot of the Falkenstein mountain. The creation of a tobacco pipe is a time-consuming, creative process that requires a great deal of patience and dedication. The result is a unique work of craftsmanship.

Thomas Kalmar is a regular exhibitor at various pipe shows, where he and his wife are known to be approachable and attentive conversationalists.