HOWAL Old Briar

Germany (GDR)

It would be good to start by saying that Schweina in Thuringia could well have laid claim to the role of Germany’s St Claude; however, to be honest, neither the economic conditions nor the political and historical circumstances were likely to favour such a development.

The largest pipe-making business in Germany was founded by Carl Sebastian Reich (C. S. Reich) in 1887, after he had gained experience working in the family firm, August Reich Söhne (since 1864), alongside his father and brother. However, it was disagreements with the latter that prompted Carl Sebastian to strike out on his own. We have read something similar in the fairy tale ‘Puss in Boots’.

By the early 20th century, it had already become a major manufacturer. Admittedly, its 100 German workers in 1909 were significantly fewer than the nearly 900 employed by Rossi in Italy at the time; however, one suspects that the difference lay not only in production volumes but also in the technological solutions employed.

The first major upheaval came with the First World War and the economic crisis that followed. Against the backdrop of reduced raw material supplies, C. S. Reich skilfully diversified, offering other wooden products as well as high-quality carpentry tools, including some protected by its own patents. The 1935 tool catalogue would impress any experienced craftsman – indeed, carpenters still enjoy using such tools to this day.

The Second World War was not a disaster for the company – Reich needed soldiers, soldiers wanted to smoke pipes, and C. S. Reich met that demand. However, with the establishment of the Soviet-backed German Democratic Republic in East Germany, everything went awry. The company’s owners at the time were arrested in 1952, and the state-owned enterprise ‘VEB Pfeifen und Holzerzeugnisse Bad Liebenstein’ began operating from its facilities. Consequently, the brand was renamed Howal (HOlzWAren Liebenstein – wooden goods from Liebenstein, Bad Liebenstein being the town that gradually absorbed Schweina).

Although some specialists managed to flee to West Germany, the existing production capacity, traditions, and craftsmanship did not disappear without a trace; the company continued to operate successfully and had even absorbed all other pipe manufacturers in the GDR by the 1970s.

The turning point came in 1990, following the fall of the Berlin Wall. The planned economy could no longer function, businesses were closing down, and ‘VEB Tools and Measuring Devices Schweina’ was no exception. Three years later, Design Berlin bought the remaining assets of the company and established its own production.

So today we have a humble witness to one of the most totalitarian and ruthless regimes in European history. We do not know who the first owner was – perhaps a Stasi agent, perhaps a mid-level Party functionary, or perhaps a grey-moustached German engineer reading ‘Neues Deutschland’ in the evening and thinking of his children, who had long since settled in the West.

Historische Werkzeugkataloge:

https://www.holzwerken.de/museum/hersteller/howal.phtml
https://kataloge.holzwerken.de/index.html?name=reich_cs&lfdnr=1
https://www.holzwerken.de/museum/hersteller/fabriken.phtml

Reborn Pipes:

https://rebornpipes.com/tag/howal-bruyere-pipe

Pipe markings: “Howal \ Old Briar”
Length 13.9 cm (5.47″)
Bowl height 3.9 cm (1.54″)
Outside diameter 3.6 cm (1.42″)
Chamber diameter 1.7 cm (0.67″)
Chamber depth 2.8 cm (1.1″)
Weight 30 g

Briar, vulcanite stem, aluminium air cooler.

The pipe has been thoroughly cleaned, polished, sanitised, and is now ready for a new life.

The catalogue pages are, of course, included for informational purposes only; we do not offer carpentry tools.