Ingo Garbe
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A beautiful pipe, Peck!
I had never heard of Ingo Garbe, but now I see that others certainly have. His work fetches good money.
I had never heard of Ingo Garbe, but now I see that others certainly have. His work fetches good money.
Marty Pulvers is also a big proponent of stem comfort and holds Garbe as its exemplar. I've seen expensive pipes with no regard for this, where comfort gives way to design. I don't understand how a maker would miss this. Can you imagine the hours and hours of labor that went into Brad's pipe's stem, reducing the vulcanite layer by layer to that incredible thinness?
I think it was on this forum's cigar/sister site that Tad Gage or some other tobacco potentate pronounced that the most important part of the cigar was that part of the head that fit the mouth.
I think it was on this forum's cigar/sister site that Tad Gage or some other tobacco potentate pronounced that the most important part of the cigar was that part of the head that fit the mouth.
I first became aware of Garbe's work about 26-7 years ago. Beautiful proportions and elegant feel. Great smokers as well.
Garbe makes a great pipe. I have 4, with 2 in rotation at the moment. Very comfortable bits and excellent smokers.
One of the big Garbe Billiard I purchased from Marty, Comfortable to clench and a smoking machine.
Bradley, that is one big freaking pipe, it looks great on you.
I have my eye on a Garbe but so far can't pull the trigger. I don't need any more freaking pipes, but damn I want another.
I have my eye on a Garbe but so far can't pull the trigger. I don't need any more freaking pipes, but damn I want another.
Harris, if I could have stretched into a Garbe, I would have. Forget about needing it and hope for the love you will have smoking it? Cheapest I've seen that I wanted was about $750.00. There was no way.
Salt, I have seen one of his pipes in my price range but I just don't love it. It is a good deal from the research I have done.
I'd go $1200.00-$1500.00, new, for Brad's Garbe, in another life of course. Marty Pulvers said that a Garbe he owns smoked so well that on a trip to Europe he bought another new at retail, brought it home but hasn't smoked it for fear that it wouldn't hold up to the one he already owned. He also says that though he's had many, many fine pieces go through his hands, he's never had a problem selling them, and that most of his pipe collection are modest billiards.
I certainly understand that if you don't feel the love, why spend big money, especially when you already have plenty of pipes you do love.
I'd smoke it.
I certainly understand that if you don't feel the love, why spend big money, especially when you already have plenty of pipes you do love.
I'd smoke it.
I just looked at the Garbe I was considering and noticed that the inside of the bowl looks like it was unevenly reamed which is why the price is where it is at. For the price of that Garbe, I could buy a brand new Alden or similar type pipe.
Garbe is a master in my opinion.
Great find and well worth whatever you put up for that pipe.
Refined engineering and sublime in the simplicity.
One you will keep for years I’ll bet.
Great find and well worth whatever you put up for that pipe.
Refined engineering and sublime in the simplicity.
One you will keep for years I’ll bet.
From Pipedia:
"As early as 1967 Ingo Garbe began to make pipes professionally and therewith he is the first German freehand pipemaker. In 1972 he fell in love with the rural solitariness of the Danish Baltic Sea island Laeso and in consequence he settled down there.
Garbe hates the term "design" - his pipes are classical. "For me a form is classical", he once wrote, "if it has gradually developed over long periods to serve it's purpose of use at it's best. If it is valid, almost valid for ever; it hardly can be improved furthermore and, most of all, it doesn't need any change!"
In consequence some pipe dabsters call him a "die-hard", a "maverick", a "loner" ... Fact is that Ingo Garbe exclusively offers pipes with smooth surfaces and categorically refuses any other finishing techniques like blasts or rustications. He never uses any other materials for ornamenting elements nor does he use trendy colored stains. He simply doesn't follow any trend of "pipe fashion". Maybe, this can actually be called a certain kind of stolidity and it probably hinders that his name is listed among the all-time greatest pipemakers ever.
Garbe's craftsmanship is absolutely impeccable; his engineering is perfect. Pure understatement - it takes no dots, no stars or whatever to recognise a Garbe. A Garbe is recognized by connoisseurs by the perfect smoothness of the surfaces, the wonderful elegant curve of shank and stem and the ultimate comfort of it's bit. "My pipes are works of art that furthermore have the advantage, that one can smoke them" he said once when being awarded the gold medal for fine craftsmanship on at he Munich Crafts Fair."
I'm sure Mr Alden makes a fine pipe, but I have to wonder if he's not just the current favorite son of this board. I once criticized a minor thing on a pipe from a similar son on another board and was roundly trounced by one of his fanatic adherents who there dwelt. But I don't see this pipemaker so continuously praised as I once did.
Returning to Harris' last comment about the price comparison between Alden and Garbe, knowing that Alden's support may dwindle, what one gets from owning a Garbe is. . .Garbe. You get his superb craftsmanship across decades of work, and you get a recluse/artisan who lives on the island Laeso. Undoubtedly Garbe has the greater cachet. Though I'm sure I would be very happy with an Alden, I feel I would be ecstatic with a Garbe. But as I no longer smoke and owned neither, I probably have no idea of what I'm talking about!
"As early as 1967 Ingo Garbe began to make pipes professionally and therewith he is the first German freehand pipemaker. In 1972 he fell in love with the rural solitariness of the Danish Baltic Sea island Laeso and in consequence he settled down there.
Garbe hates the term "design" - his pipes are classical. "For me a form is classical", he once wrote, "if it has gradually developed over long periods to serve it's purpose of use at it's best. If it is valid, almost valid for ever; it hardly can be improved furthermore and, most of all, it doesn't need any change!"
In consequence some pipe dabsters call him a "die-hard", a "maverick", a "loner" ... Fact is that Ingo Garbe exclusively offers pipes with smooth surfaces and categorically refuses any other finishing techniques like blasts or rustications. He never uses any other materials for ornamenting elements nor does he use trendy colored stains. He simply doesn't follow any trend of "pipe fashion". Maybe, this can actually be called a certain kind of stolidity and it probably hinders that his name is listed among the all-time greatest pipemakers ever.
Garbe's craftsmanship is absolutely impeccable; his engineering is perfect. Pure understatement - it takes no dots, no stars or whatever to recognise a Garbe. A Garbe is recognized by connoisseurs by the perfect smoothness of the surfaces, the wonderful elegant curve of shank and stem and the ultimate comfort of it's bit. "My pipes are works of art that furthermore have the advantage, that one can smoke them" he said once when being awarded the gold medal for fine craftsmanship on at he Munich Crafts Fair."
I'm sure Mr Alden makes a fine pipe, but I have to wonder if he's not just the current favorite son of this board. I once criticized a minor thing on a pipe from a similar son on another board and was roundly trounced by one of his fanatic adherents who there dwelt. But I don't see this pipemaker so continuously praised as I once did.
Returning to Harris' last comment about the price comparison between Alden and Garbe, knowing that Alden's support may dwindle, what one gets from owning a Garbe is. . .Garbe. You get his superb craftsmanship across decades of work, and you get a recluse/artisan who lives on the island Laeso. Undoubtedly Garbe has the greater cachet. Though I'm sure I would be very happy with an Alden, I feel I would be ecstatic with a Garbe. But as I no longer smoke and owned neither, I probably have no idea of what I'm talking about!
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