KARL ERIK 3

May 31, 2017December 29, 2018

Denmark

“Attractive, well made but affordable Danish freehands and fancy pipes” (c) pipedia. That’s perhaps the best description of the main idea of Karl Erik Ottendahl (1942 – 2004) pipe making.

A pipe smoker since 14 y.o., Karl Erik moved to Kenia in 1962 during the war in that country and for the next 3 years among other deprivations he was unable to procure pipes. Under such unfavourable conditions he had a time to convert his small hobby into a professional pipe carving experience and since 1965-66 Karl Erik started selling pipes to Copenhagen pipe stores.

Kark Erik’s approach to producing pipes was in many cases untypical and many things were made in his own specific way. He tried to expand the production (up to 15 craftsmen), but finally decided that it’s much more comfortable to make pipe by own. Briar was supplied from different countries without any preferences, but it had to be well cured briar. The stems and sandblasting were usually ordered from Stanwell. Initial carving and drilling were made on machines, but fine shaping and finishing – ony by hand. And you’ll never find two exactly the same pipes, there was no copying. So Karl Erik pipes became very soon popular both between collectors and just “generic smokers”, who wanted to have a pleasant and practical Danish freehand for a reasonable price.

That’s interesting that Karl Erik’s old lathe was obtained by Tom Eltang, who had an idea to equip a small workshop and make a series of good and interesting pipes for a reasonable price. This series was named “Sara Eltang”.

The pipe bears the old stamping with the grade 3 thus it was made the most probably before 1990.

The pipe markings are “Karl Erik \ HANDMADE IN DENMARK \ 3”. The length is 13.2 cm (5.2″), bowl’s height is 5.1 cm (2″). External diameter of the bowl is 4.4 cm (1.73″), internal diameter is 2.2 cm (0.87″). The depth is 4.5 cm (1.77″) and this pipe weights 52 gr. Briar, vulcanite stem, 9 mm filter. The bowl had a few small chips carefully and reliably patched during the restoration.

PREBEN HOLM
PREBEN HOLM Hand Cut 4
February 2, 2021February 2, 2021
Denmark, 1960s A creature of young Preben Holm carved in the late 1960s, when his pipes were stamped with with the “Preben Holm” name and such grade numbers in a circle. At that time the artisan was not elder than 24 years and the era of fantastic success of his Danish Ben Wade pipes had…
Read More PREBEN HOLM Hand Cut 4
CHARATAN'S
CHARATANS MAKE Distinction Giant
February 22, 2020February 22, 2020
England, 1960-70s The largest Charatan’s pipe we have ever offered! This giant high grade Distinction was made in the “Second Lane era (1965-76), the period of the brightest blossoming of this brand, delightful shapes and grains, which eclipsed all others pipe makers including Dunhill. There’s no shape number on the pipe, thus it was made…
Read More CHARATANS MAKE Distinction Giant
KARL ERIK
KARL ERIK 2
October 1, 2022October 11, 2022
Denmark Karl Erik Ottendahl (1942 – 2004) was one of the most famous Denmark artisans, who offered good, “really Danish” pipes for an affordable value. He began smoking pipe when he was 14, and started carving as a hobby. Over a few years Karl Erik founded his own workshop, but later he realized that the…
Read More KARL ERIK 2
LUIGI VIPRATI
LUIGI VIPRATI La Pipa Collection unsmoked
November 17, 2019November 17, 2019
Italy An unsmoked and really large Collection grade pipe of the one of the most respected and collected modern Italian high grade pipe makers. Luigi Viprati (1953) started to carve pipes during his military service and since 1982 he’s a full time pipe maker.
Read More LUIGI VIPRATI La Pipa Collection unsmoked
SAVINELLI
SAVINELLI Authograph 4 Relief Grain
November 24, 2015January 27, 2019
Italy Autograph pipes make only 2% of the Savinelli production, but since 1980s they are the subject of a special pride of the company. The pipes are made essentially by hand; briar is sourced absolutely separately from the materials for a mass market. Every bowl is firstly shaped and only then drilled by experienced carvers….
Read More SAVINELLI Authograph 4 Relief Grain
JOBEY DANSK KARL ERIK
JOBEY DANSK 2SM
May 24, 2016January 11, 2019
Denmark The origin of the Jobey brand is a kind of a mystery. The most probably the company was founded in the beginning of the XX century, but there is a contradictory opinion about a mother country of Jobey pipes. Most sources believe Jobey was an English founded company switched soon to production in USA….
Read More JOBEY DANSK 2SM