Eckhard
Stöhr’s workshop. His house of birth is in the back of it!
Eckhard Stöhr was born in Hansfelde, called Hamberge today,
in 1954. To this day, Eckhard is living right beside his birthplace in
contemplative Hamberge, a small town near the Hanseatic City of Lübeck.
In
Lübeck young Eckhard was apprenticed to the world-famous company Dräger, and
became a toolmaker. He also spent the first year of his journeymanship in the
Hanseatic City.
But then Eckhard Stöhr joined the German Border Police, called Federal
Police today, where he works to date. Thus, you can describe him as someone who
is down-to-earth, who stood true to his principles, and is still living in the
town he was born in.
His first came into contact with pipes at age 18, when he bought one, but
did not really like it in the end. It was not before he turned 33 that his
passion for pipes began – a passion that is strong to this day.
35
years old, a friend gave him the catalogue of Dan Pipe, a company which was
located in Curslack at that time. Eckhard discovered briar blocks with
pre-turned stems and mouthpieces.
He
used the next day off to drive to Curslack and bought those briar blocks. Back
at home, Eckhard was faced with a problem: how should he make pipes out of them,
and which tools should he use???
After some experiments he succeeded in creating his first pipe. But he
quickly lost interest in using prepared briar blocks, so next time he bought his
first raw briar blocks and stems.
An
addiction began, and a hobby which fascinates him to this day!!!
Over the course of the last 18 years, Eckhard has not only gained
experience but also bought professional machines and tools. Using trial and
error, his pipes continuously got more presentable.
Since about twelve years Eckhard buys his material from Thorkild
Midtgaard, a Dane located in Kolding, who has become a friend of him. Speaking
of briar wood, he does not care for its origin, but quality only. He only buys
small quantities of briar blocks, which are all personally selected.
Until a few years ago Eckhard Stöhr’s pipes were, with very few
exceptions, all made for 9mm filters, and equipped with acrylic mouthpieces.
Today these proportions are inverted. Pipes with standard bore are, by
default, fitted with handcut mouthpieces.
Eckhard uses ebonite and cumberland for them, with acrylic mouthpieces
having become the exception by now.
His preferred applications are made of horn, silver, and lively grained
woods.
Eckhard is not rigidly committed to certain pipe shapes. The briar’s
grain and his eye determine the shape.
Working this way inevitably results in a great variety of shapes.
Realizing certain ideas is necessarily connected to the search for a perfectly
suited briar block. Eckhard not only places great importance on flawless
finishes, symmetry, and grain, but also on the precise placement and execution
of the bores. There is a little of his heart and soul in every
pipe.
