Wolfram Benz Freehand

Wolfram Benz, born in 1975, comes from Pforzheim and now lives in Wintzenbach in Alsace - known as the home of Willi Überall. After training as an industrial mechanic, Benz worked as a TIG welder for almost 30 years and later set up his own metalworking shop.

He came to pipe making around four years ago when he started smoking pipes himself. He began by restoring old pipes, then ventured into building his own. His wife finally registered him for the pipe fair in Worth in 2022, where he sold six pipes straight away - a key moment.

It was clear to him right from the start that his pipes were made by hand - without machines, using only files. This is still the case today. The wood itself dictates the shape: The ‘grain dictates the shape’. Benz favours old briar wood and currently works with stocks from R. Barbi and db Berlin, among others. The colours of his pipes are often vibrant, which is also reflected in his mouthpieces, which were initially made of acrylic. Today, hand-cut ebonite and Cumberland mouthpieces are standard.

For the past year and a half, Benz has dedicated himself full-time to pipe making - a path that has become not only a profession but also a vocation for him. Each pipe is unique, characterised by material, feeling and precision craftsmanship.