A Visit To
Poul Winsløw’s Workshop
In August 2007 I visited Poul Winsløw in Denmark. After a nice drive
through Denmark, crowned with brilliant sunshine, we arrived at Poul Winsløw’s
house in the late afternoon.
Poul
had called us at least ten times during the drive to ask us for our current
position.
So it did not come as a big
surprise that Poul and his wife were standing on the street, beckoning, as we
arrived in the little suburb of Copenhagen, where they live.
After
a hearty welcome with coffee and cake I could take a look at their
property.
First
and foremost, my interest was sparked by Poul’s workshop.
The
house of Poul and Jette is located in a small housing estate with wonderful one
bedroom houses.
His workshop is on the side of the house, being an extension of the
carport.
The first thing you see in the workshop is the staining station.
On the right is a small storage.
Stained pipes waiting to be finished.
This is Poul’s brother-in-law working on pipes.
Because the Pipe Exhibition in Dortmund was around the corner, the
production was in full swing.
Turning left at the entrance, you enter the real workshop.
The
workshop is a cozy little room with a maximum capacity for three
people.With
three people inside, the room is cramped. To be able to work together for the
whole day under these circumstances, you should definitely have a good
relationship to each other.
This
clearly looks like a workplace, and you really do not know where to look at,
because everything looks very interesting and impressive.
The only permanent employee and Poul Winsløw’s right hand man.
Poul
Winsløw was born in 1951, and apprenticed to pipe maker Preben Holm at age
17.
Soon,
fancy pipes became his preferred object.
But
his master urged him to learn the basics of the craft first, to have a strong
foundation for developing a distinctive style later.
Poul was
very talented, learned eagerly, and quickly became a master himself. He had
worked with Preben Holm for seventeen successful years when he decided to become
self-employed and opened his own workshop.
He
left Preben Holm as a well-trained and widely experienced pipe maker. Poul
established his workshop in 1987, and a hard time began – right from the
beginning he was confronted with a declining market for freehand
pipes.
It was
not easy to establish his workshop and introduce his own line of pipes, but Poul
eventually succeeded with several courageously shaped freehand
pipes.
All
pipes from Poul Winsløw are freehands, sometimes referred to as handcuts, made
from the best briar from Corsica and other Mediterranean countries.
All of
his shapes are exceptionally harmonious, and each pipe has a special character,
expressed by the combination of shape, size and remarkable finish.
Poul
Winsløw permanently tries to set new accents through extraordinary rustication,
or flamboyant applications made of acrylic or other materials. He finishes his
pipes using a special coloured stain to emphasize the grain of the briar wood,
while silver bands add to the overall beauty and harmony of it.
One
can say that Poul Winsløw’s pipes are created for the individualist.
Soon,
his unconventional and distinct variations of classic pipe shapes became famous
all over the world. Winsløw’s trademark: two silver nails – a smaller and a
larger one – next to each other in the mouthpiece.
Winsløw pipes come in five gradings, marked E to A.
Group
E consists of the least expensive pipes. Most of them come rusticated or
sandblasted because the briar wood displayed no impressive grain.
Group
D comes in flame grain but may have minor sandpits, but the quality is good.
The grain of
Group C is more interesting and Group B designates another step in quality and
beauty.
Only
pipes marked as Group A have near perfect straight grain.
The
most beautiful pipes are equipped with ornaments of gold, or even with precious
stones. However, all of his pipes have equal, i.e. excellent, smoking
capabilities.
There’s another small shed at the back of Poul’s garden.
It is used for his second passion, painting.
Proudly he presents us his current work in progress.
Of
course, pipe production is not neglected over painting. Here, the “boss” makes
sure everything is in perfect order.
The
two days with Poul Winsløw were very impressive. But could someone please stop
that telephone from ringing every minute…
Having
hit the pubs of Copenhagen that night, we left Poul Winsløw with a heavy heart
on the next day – after all, we had planned a visit to Stanwell on our way back
to Germany.
Many
thanks to Poul & Jette for the great time.
Copyright © 2007 by TECON
GmbH |
