Stanwell pipes

[romaso]

I'm pretty sure Stanwell is owned by STG, which also owns Pipesandcigars.com
I collect the 63 shape, and have some of the old Danish ones, but the newer Italian made ones are fine and a good value. I miss the old shape 126, only have one of those.

 

[kcghost]

Stanwell's offer a nice smoke at an affordable price.

 

[OzPiper]

If you’re looking for a factory made pipe your choice is between Peterson, Savinelli, Stanwell and French brands eg Chacom, Ropp or Genod et al

I love the Pete shapes.
However the contentious issues are the QC esp with their lower lines, the P-lip,
bowl coating and whether they pass a cleaner.

Savinelli makes good pipes.
There is a very good spread of prices from their Rossi line to their upper echelon offerings.
I’m probably in the minority here when I say that styling is a weak point - compared to Peterson and Stanwell

Stanwell offer very well-made pipes. You rarely come across one with an obvious QC issue.
Their design (for me) is a standout - who doesn’t like Danish design ?
The Stanwell lines often have great looking grain. If they were made by an artisan, the asking price would be several times higher.

Then there are the French made pipes. These generally fly under the radar but they offer great value.
They are generally very well made.
But some of their newer lines have gone the route of colourful stems and bowls veering towards gimmickry in an attempt to stand out.
The classic models I like very much

Stanwell just ticks the most boxes for me

 

[woodsroad]

I think the Stanwells being made now are good pipes for smoking, but I am beyond just good pipes now, with over 100 pipes in my collection. I will peruse the estates for the old ones occasionally, looking for Eltang, Ivarsson, Chonowitsch’s designs.

Historically, Stanwells made in Denmark were rivals to Dunhills, creating some of the best pipe designers in the world… allowing them to hone their skills and creativity. They established the Danish aesthetic for pipe designs.

But, they chose profits over art, when they moved their production to Italy. This is good for people who want affordability and function. But, not so great for those who are looking for that historical connection or aesthetic.

You were good up until “they chose profits over art”. The Borup, DK Stanwell factory was very expensive to operate, and when margins began to thin beyond viability, the company chose to sell the operation and IP to STG. STG, seeking to keep the brand (and it’s investment) alive, chose to close the fabled Borup, DK Stanwell factory and move production to lower-cost facilities in Italy.

Although I bemoan the loss of the Stanwell system of operation that gave so many fantastic designers opportunities to have their work mass-produced with great skill and ctaft by seasoned artisans, the economics no longer supported it.

The Italian Stanwells are, in my opinion, second to none. Though they lack that certain je ne sais quoi that came from the unique expression of Danish Design and culture that enveloped all aspects of the old Stanwell operation, you can’t smoke such elusively ubiquitous esoterica. The Italian STG “Stanwells” keep the old designs alive, ensuring that future pipesmokers can enjoy the exquisite form and function that made the brand famous, but was almost lost to the vagaries of the ever-changing landscape of world economics.

 

[Chris from Cigarworld]

Well,
i have worked several years for Stanwell.
At the time as they had still the manufacury in Borup, Denmark, and right to the transition to moving to secondary producers in Italy.
I was involved in many decisions relating finishes, new collections, reintroduce old collections, new shapes and so on. The Stanwell Revival Series was my idea.
I worked as Sales Rep for north Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg.
So my views are might not very representative for a "normal pipesmoker".
Once, Stanwell was the best pipebrand in the world. Especially for the Price- performance point of view. It had the most creative output, made wonderful quality pipes and was by far the No.1 Brand in Europe.
But all this is long gone by.
It all went wrong as the Scandinavian Tobacco Group as a owner became a listed stock company. All long term decisions became irrelevant, only short to middle term actions where taken.

The closing of the factory in Borup was only the first wrong step. The second wrong step was to move the production to the cheapest (not the best) maker in italy. Unregarding the financial status of the company making Stanwells then.
Many, many Quality problems where a result of this.
The third wrong decision was to give the lead to people who have little idea about the topic at all.
Heavily varnished pipes with bubbles on the surface when smoked where a visible result.
The last and wrong step was the complete retreat from the european market in 2021.

So, yes, Stanwell is a Danish Brand.
And yes, they are still made. Somewhere in Europe. Maybe in Italy, but that is unclear.
It's very sure not "the big ones".
But they are not sold in Europe anymore, but only in the US.
They do not sell any Stanwell Pipes to European dealers anymore, even not if they are shipped from the US. Don't ask me why.
So all the new pipes you find in our shop or in other european shops are old stocks.

If i where you, i would look out for the Stanwell still made in Denmark.
I hope that helps.

 

[OzPiper]

@Chris from Cigarworld
Thank you for your input.
I bought my first Stanwell in the 1970s.
As a fan of Stanwell pipes (from their Danish era) your insight is much appreciated

Thankfully The Danish Pipe Shop is a good source of Stanwells.
As does another seller of estate pipes I buy from in Denmark.
Italian retailer, LePipe.it (another sponsor) also carries new Stanwells.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

So, going back to the old argument about whether brand matters, when the only thing left of a brand is the logo on the pipe, is it still even a Stanwell?

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

So, going back to the old argument about whether brand matters, when the only thing left of a brand is the logo on the pipe, is it still even a Stanwell?

Sounds better than “The White Spot”! Which sounds better than the black spot in Treasure Island.

At least it’s confirmed my cheap little estate is a “real” Stanwell and not some back alley bastard.

 

[Chris from Cigarworld]

Sounds better than “The White Spot”! Which sounds better than the black spot in Treasure Island.

At least it’s confirmed my cheap little estate is a “real” Stanwell and not some back alley bastard.

The big Difference is that Dunhill -"The White Spot" still operates an own production facility, and the people in charge really have a profund knowledge about pipes and a lot of passion.

 

[AvgKsHunter]

picked up what I think was a heck of a deal on P&C’s International Pipe Day special. I’ve been looking at picking up a Stanwell and for 80 bucks got a feather weight 242 Stanwell, two tobaccos, and 3 accessories. There were a lot of options to choose from in all categories. If they had offered a poker Stanwell I probably would have chose that option, as I want to add one to my collection, but the 242 is an attractive shape as well so am looking forward to getting it.

 

[AroEnglish]

Well,
i have worked several years for Stanwell.
At the time as they had still the manufacury in Borup, Denmark, and right to the transition to moving to secondary producers in Italy.
I was involved in many decisions relating finishes, new collections, reintroduce old collections, new shapes and so on. The Stanwell Revival Series was my idea.
I worked as Sales Rep for north Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg.
So my views are might not very representative for a "normal pipesmoker".
Once, Stanwell was the best pipebrand in the world. Especially for the Price- performance point of view. It had the most creative output, made wonderful quality pipes and was by far the No.1 Brand in Europe.
But all this is long gone by.
It all went wrong as the Scandinavian Tobacco Group as a owner became a listed stock company. All long term decisions became irrelevant, only short to middle term actions where taken.

The closing of the factory in Borup was only the first wrong step. The second wrong step was to move the production to the cheapest (not the best) maker in italy. Unregarding the financial status of the company making Stanwells then.
Many, many Quality problems where a result of this.
The third wrong decision was to give the lead to people who have little idea about the topic at all.
Heavily varnished pipes with bubbles on the surface when smoked where a visible result.
The last and wrong step was the complete retreat from the european market in 2021.

So, yes, Stanwell is a Danish Brand.
And yes, they are still made. Somewhere in Europe. Maybe in Italy, but that is unclear.
It's very sure not "the big ones".
But they are not sold in Europe anymore, but only in the US.
They do not sell any Stanwell Pipes to European dealers anymore, even not if they are shipped from the US. Don't ask me why.
So all the new pipes you find in our shop or in other european shops are old stocks.

If i where you, i would look out for the Stanwell still made in Denmark.
I hope that helps.

I didn't know about the revival series until this post. I’ve been hoping that they would re-release the 01 shape eventually (pic from STANWELL 01 - Very Keen on Pipes - https://vkpipes.com/pipeline/stanwell-01/).

Sad to hear that they went for the cheapest factory.

 

[ADKPiper]

For me the head scratcher is why they aren't carried by smoking pipes or cup o joes.
I buy most of my new pipes there.
Being that they are such an old and respected brand I find it odd that they aren't sold more widely,

 

[cosmicfolklore]

For me the head scratcher is why they aren't carried by smoking pipes or cup o joes.

I do not even begin to think I know what goes on at SP, but IMO, as mentioned above, these are Stanwells in the logo on the pipe only. They are NOT Stanwells. The one used-to-be-a-sponsor website they are lumped in with a bunch of other low end pipes.

I know, I know... guys love these low end pipes, and yes, they may be good smokers. But, how well a pipe smokes is only a part of what makes a pipe better, when history and aesthetics are concerned. Sort of like someone buying the name Barling and labelling new pipes with their old logos does not make them Barlings.

 

[ADKPiper]

I half speculated that perhaps the "lifetime warranty" that they advertise might come with some baggage to the retailer. Who knows?
Both sell "non-premium" brands.
I wouldn't think that the quality would be below some of those.

 

[Alejo R.]

Like many others I haven't tried the Stanwells from Italy and I wouldn't hesitate to but I wish they would release some of their retired shapes as POYs. I think this would create good buzz for them.

Also like you mentioned I don't see many (or really any) of the big online stores carrying them. Where are people getting their Stanwells these days?

B&Ms across Europe. Especially in Germany it's biggest market.

 

[jpberg]

WARHORSE IN A STANNY!

Sorry, too soon?

 

[Alejo R.]

The anecdote that I like the most about Stanwell is that in the late 80s or early 90s they conditioned a Kombi and filled it with unfinished pipes. With that Kombi they sent Tom Eltang on a tour to Germany and he stopped at tobacco shops and there were shows where you could buy a pipe and ask him to finish it to your liking.

 

[Alejo R.]

I'm pretty sure Stanwell is owned by STG, which also owns Pipesandcigars.com
I collect the 63 shape, and have some of the old Danish ones, but the newer Italian made ones are fine and a good value. I miss the old shape 126, only have one of those.

My first was a 63m

 

[OzPiper]

The roll-call of famous Danish pipemakers who worked with or were associated with Stanwell is without parallel, in so far factory pipes go.
Stanwell's closest rival, but a much, much smaller operation, was W.O.Larsen. Which was a shop rather than a factory.

 

[K.E. Powell]

I've Stanwells in both its Danish and Italian incarnations, and both are excellent and offer a lot of bang for the buck. I get why old heads will staunchly defend the Danish pipes, because they are truly excellent and are slowly but surely becoming collectible, to say nothing of the history of them. For the value, they are tough to beat and remarkably consistent in quality for a factory brand. I think much of the ire that the Italian pipes get is because Stanwells are so closely associated with Danish design, that to outsource them to Italian factories is seen as a kind of sacrilege. Many won't even try them.