Who makes P&C's inexpensive "Viking" brand?

[SBC]

My kids gave me one a couple years ago, so I love it for that.
It seems comparable to other factory pipes in the $60-70 range. Nothing wrong with it.
I don't see it sold by anybody but P&C. Is it a seconds line from a more well known maker, which P&C gets branded this way for them? Just curious whether anybody knew.

 

[markus]

See link below, not much info, but a little.

Viking Briar Pipes - https://www.uktobacco.com/pipes/viking-pipes.html

 

[irishearl]

I have 1, a Copenhagen apple. Love the look of it and it's a good smoker.

 

[mso489]

According to the markus' link, Viking is made by a Danish pipe maker, which might be Nording or Stanwell or someone else. Those are just two of the large Danish factory pipe makers. The sourcing of house pipes and sub-brands is often hush-hush. I think this is because the major brand maker doesn't want the lower priced item to seem to compete with their main name brand, the way many pipe shops try to sell any made-in-England pipe as a Dunhill second, which they are not. On the other hand, Iwan Ries makes a point of stating the sourcing of their house pipes; right now it is Genod, and before that it has been Savinelli, Edwards Benton line, maybe others, and much earlier it was again Genod. Both Stanwell and Nording make high quality low-priced pipes under their own names as well. The econo-line Eriksen from Nording from the early 2000's is a very good pipe.

It is also possible, since Stanwell moved their production to Italy, the sourcing on Vikings may now be in Italy or France. I think Nording farms out some of his pipe production outside Denmark.

 

[SBC]

Yes, my theory for several reasons has been Stanwell seconds.

 

[OzPiper]

I had one a few years ago which I gifted to a friend who wanted to get back to pipes.

I understood that Viking was a Bjarne second line.

 

[SBC]

I had one a few years ago which I gifted to a friend who wanted to get back to pipes.

I understood that Viking was a Bjarne second line.

It was a seconds line that Bjarne Nielsen distributed, but I'm not clear on whether he made them himself -- maybe he did -- but he had irons in many Danish fires, IIUC.
When he passed away, somebody bought the brand. Nobody seems to know who, but several clues have me thinking it was Stanwell, in which case the current pipes are actually made by Barontini.

When I lived in PA, I was a member of the CI "Pipe Guild" (headquarters of P&C). I wish I were still there, because I'm pretty sure that I could get an answer out of somebody. They seem to be the US distributors for this.

Not that it matters. I was just curious.

 

[romaso]

Just my guess, but I suspect Viking is now owned by STG (which owns P&C) and are made in Italy. I have some of the old ones made in Denmark by Bjarne. It seems STG has been buying up brands when available at a bargain.