German Pipe Artisan Frank Axmacher

Frank is talented and skills stonemason and sculptor, experienced in design and carver technic that he done it since 1984.

Later, in 2004 he jump into creating a handmade tobacco pipe by his autodidact studies on making pipes, and his experienced of several workshops with Bertram Safferling. 

He also have been work together with the famous carvers Reiner Barbi and Tom Eltang.

As an artisan carver, Frank’s design are unique, both the stummels, shank, and stem design are different from the classic or ordinary shape.

Ones he made pipe with a long shank that the extra shank uses a different materials with the short and tinny shank on the stummel, and then connecting into the straight stem.

Other design there is a stummel with an extra fin, the bowl is apple shape, and a little bit bent on the stem. The other design is the bowl with a thick rim/head of the bowl, then become small on the foot of the bowl.

All of Frank’s pipe are completely handmade from his selected plateaux briar and vulcanite or ebonite rod stock.

For the stem he also uses acrylic to match with his design style. For an additional shank, beside used acrylic, it also another material used like horn, etc. The result are an exotic, unique, and beautiful shape.

The pipe made by Frank looks like an art carver, in every parts; the bowl, shank, stummel, stem, he explore his design idea.  Finally, the products are unique and artistic.  He also made some of standard classic shape like standard billiard with sandblast finishing, freehand style, etc.

Frank Axmacher was born in 1963 and lives in Solingen, Germany.  Solingen known for its long history of knife manufactory, the knife from Solingen not only the best on the iron, but also the shape of artistic knife, including for the hunting knife.

As mentioned above, he has a background as stonemason and sculptor, that means he has a talent in the art and design.  That is he applied on his pipe products.

Before he jump into the pipe carver, he is observe for some idea of what he will doing next, until he discover a Volcano pipe made by Japanese pipe artisans Tokutomi in the internet. It is very impressed to him and he decided he would try to attain it too.

For him it was exciting to think of shaping a totally different medium like briar wood that would accommodate heat.

Finally, he tried to make tobacco pipes, and he got lucky that in his journey he meet with many of the best pipe artisans likes Bertram Safferling, Rainer Barbi and Tom Eltang.

The influence of the expert pipe artisans sometimes it shown at Frank’s pipes, combine with his nature of idea and imagination design. It is unique and beautiful, shining bright finishing, and the esthetic of the pipe itself.

His capability to explore his artistic skill of sculpturing into the pipe shape it makes the pipe likes an art products.

He also success do the same in the classical shape of the pipe, like the billiard pipe, he explore his art in the finishing process.

Frank’s pipe delivered in a beautiful leather bag, and the pipes are stamped with his stylized logo, a custom grading, and dating system.

The first letter in the grading system indicate the objective qualities of the pipe, grain, flaws, finish, etc. the second letter indicates Frank’s own personal subjective judgements of the pipes.

And, the last two digit indicated the year of the pipe being created.

It is recommended to be added on your collection……..

Contact:

Frank Axmacher

c/o Fa. H.-G. Grabowski

Steinackerstr. 14

42859 Remscheid

Germany

Fax: +49-2191-35247

Web: Frank Axmacher

Picture credit: F.Axmacher