Oldenkott

Oldenkott
Compilation, courtesy Doug Valitchka
Existence 1740 — today
Location Rees (Lower Rhine), Germany
Notable Employees
  • Henricus Oldenkott, founder of Henric's Oldenkott senior & Comp., Rees
  • Hermannus Oldenkott, 1730-1792, founder of Herm's Oldenkott & Söhne, Ahaus
  • August Kersten
  • Fritz Weller

The company was founded in 1760 in Amsterdam as Hermann Oldenkott, and in 1819, a subsidiary in Ahaus (Germany). There were likely other factories as well, as in 1838 August Kersten from Rees (Germany) bought the factories from Heinric Oldenkott in Elten (Germany) and Weesp (Holland), although it is not clear whether these were part of the original Oldenkott company. The German company increased rapidly and became one of the largest German tobacco companies. In 1929 the factories from Hermann Oldenkott in Ahaus and Neuss (Germany) were bought by the German Oldenkott company. The German company produced pipes starting in 1932. In 1972 the German company was bought by the Dutch company Niemeijer. Tobacco production ceased in 1974 and only pipes were made afterward. In 1987 the German pipe company was bought by the Kersten family again, but closed in 1992.

The pipes were machine made and in general of mediocre quality.[1] The most important pipes of Oldenkott were the so called "Porsche Design" pipes. [2] The bowl was turned like the motor block of a racing car and was lacquered with a silver-grey color. Today these special pipes are very rare and expensive.

In spite of the apparent quality of both Oldenkott and VAUEN pipes, they are known as good smokers.

Oldenkott is an early 20th century German brand by Henry Oldenkott. His factory in Hallen closed in April 1982, with some of the workder moving to VAUEN. Oldenkott made pipes with and without filters. It was in this company that Porsche pipes were produced.[3]

In 2012 the rights to the word and figurative mark Henric’s Oldenkott Senior & Comp. were acquired by Alexander Strähnz, Cologne, with the aim of resuming pipe production, initially on a small scale. [4]

At the Intertabak trade fair, he made contact with a company from Italy, which is now supposed to bring the Oldenkott pipes back to life. Therefore, the appearance will be based on the pipes from Rees. Overall, they are getting a little smaller, the shank more elegant and narrow. The premium quality models also receive a red and white dot as a mark, which used to be a mark of the Oldenkott pipes. [5]

As part of the exhibition on the 175th anniversary of the tobacco and cigar factory Oldenkott, which took place in the Koenraad-Bosman-Museum, the pipes were offered in three different versions: sandblasted, dark polished or light stained. [6]

Gallery

Models & Shapes

Models (qualities): Aristocrat, Atlantic, Buckingham, Cadillac, Calumet, Champion, Commodore, Corona, Derby, Diamant, Diplomat, Dorado, Eminent, Empire, Entertainer, Excellent, Excelsior, Kensington, Konsul, Luxus, Maxim, Monopol, Oldex, Oxford, Patras, Prima, Privat, Red & Black, Roxy, Royal, Rubin, Saphir, Shag, Skagerrak, Smaragd, Special, Standard, Studio, Supra, Toscana, Tower, Tradition, Turbo.

Wholesaler: Ermuri, Maxim

A 1973 catalog is divided in several chapters and shows shapes for certain "qualities" (models):

Chapter Filter Qualities Shapes
Special Supra Atlantic, Champion, Commodore, Corsar, Derby Luxe, Entertainer,
Forever, Oxford, Piccadilly, Supra Para, Toscana, Tradition
03, 04, 05, 09, 010, 11, 13, 14, 19, 24,
50, 52, 53, 54, 57, 58, 59, 63, 66, 69, 77, 78, 79, 84, 86, 87,
118, 130, 131, 132, 133,
813, 814, 822, 823, 866, 888,
67, 824
Exclusiv Supra Rubin 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317
Exclusiv Nicofry Nicofry (w/ ring), Nicofry K (w/ ring), Nicofry K smooth: 513, 514, 515, 516, 517, 518, 519, 520, 521, 522, 523, 524
sandblasted: 531, 532, 533, 534, 535, 536, 537, 538, 539, 540, 541, 542
Exclusiv Supra Eminent, Excellent, Excelsior, Skagerrak 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 606, 607, 608, 609, 610, 611, 612, 613, 614, 615, 616
Exclusiv (Car pipe) Supra Calumet, Cavalier 701, 702, 703, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708
Fair Play Supra Fair Play 1, Fair Play 2 smooth: 870, 871
sandblasted: 870
Exclusiv Privat no information about shape numbers

An (incomplete) list of Oldenkott models and their shape numbers:

  • Oldenkott: 502[7][8], 505[7], 506[7], 509[7], 518[7]
  • Oldenkott Aristocrat: 204
  • Oldenkott Atlantic: 77, 78, 87, 132, 521[8], 524[8]
  • Oldenkott Bruyere Prima:[9]
  • Oldenkott Buckingham: 13, 23, 210
  • Oldenkott Cadillac:
  • Oldenkott Calumet: 04
  • Oldenkott Champion: 010
  • Oldenkott Commodore: 14, 50[8], 78
  • Oldenkott Corona: 58, 59, 79[10]
  • Oldenkott Derby:[11] 00, 13[12], 16[12][10], 25, 78[13], 707, 710, 888, 908
  • Oldenkott Diamant: 307, 312[8]
  • Oldenkott Diplomat: 13
  • Oldenkott Dorado: 40[8], 408, 254[7], 570[7]
  • Oldenkott Egra:
  • Oldenkott Eminent:[14] 601, 606, 608
  • Oldenkott Empire:
  • Oldenkott Entertainer: 10
  • Oldenkott Ermuri:[14][15] 25
  • Oldenkott Excellent:[14]
  • Oldenkott Excelsior:[14] 303
  • Oldenkott Kensington: 28
  • Oldenkott Konsul: 21, 888
  • Oldenkott Luxus:
  • Oldenkott Maxim:[14]
  • Oldenkott Monopol: 103
  • Oldenkott Oldex:
  • Oldenkott Oxford: 14, 24, 59, 133
  • Oldenkott Patras: 62
  • Oldenkott Prima:
  • Oldenkott Privat: 13, 57, 73[8]
  • Oldenkott Red & Black:
  • Oldenkott Roxy:
  • Oldenkott Royal: 503[7], 505[7], 509[7], 512[7], 806[7][8]
  • Oldenkott Rubin: 12, 23, 204, 301, 316, 312
  • Oldenkott Saphir: 210, 312, 315
  • Oldenkott Shag:[16]
  • Oldenkott Skagerrak: 533, 534[8], 536
  • Oldenkott Smaragd: 208
  • Oldenkott Special: 13[8], 21
  • Oldenkott Standard:
  • Oldenkott Studio: 11, 18, 610, 655
  • Oldenkott Superior:
  • Oldenkott Supra: 57, 118, 139
  • Oldenkott Toscana: 132, 133, 210, 823
  • Oldenkott Tower:
  • Oldenkott Tradition: 15, 52, 53
  • Oldenkott Turbo: 204[8]

Sub-Brands

You can find the stamps Eminent and Excelsior as sub-brands or seconds. Oldenkott also used to produce pipes for whole sale company Terella which were stamped as Maxim.

Eminent

Excellent

Excelsior

Maxim

The Maxim brand was produced for whole sale company Terella in Hamburg. Terella delivers the Wolsdorff tobaconnist's chain throughout Germany. These pipes were made by Oldenkott and later on by Design Berlin.

The Maxim label was (and is, but in smaller numbers) made for the wholesale company Terella in Hamburg. It is particularly (but not exclusively) responsible for delivering to Wolsdorff branches throughout Germany. These pipes were produced for a long time by the Oldenkott company, and stocks from this production were still available long after Oldenkott closed the doors. Today these pipes are preferably made by DB (Design Berlin). In Wolsdorffler circles these pipes do not have the best reputation. Somehow there is something attached to these pipes that is associated with "far too poor quality for far too much money".[17]

To further elaborate on the companies mentioned: Oldenkott was the second most important pipe maker in Germany (after VAUEN) till it closed down in 1992. Their pipes enjoyed - and still enjoy - a very good reputation among pipe smokers. Having a chance today of getting one of them from the old supplies, it is recommended to take the chance.[18]

The other company mentioned, Design Berlin, is still around and they also have a good reputation.

Michelle Visconti

This brand has been registered on June 23rd, 1981 and was deleted on August 26th, 2002.[19]

Oldex

References

  1. This is entirely wrong as can be seen from the images of freehand pipes below.
  2. This statement seems to be a misconception. According to pipephil Porsche Design pipes were crafted by Elbert Gubbels & Sons, whereas Oldenkott created a Turbo series which probably has influenced the Porsche Design.
  3. Pipes – Artisans and Trademarks, by José Manuel Lopes, ISBN: 978-9725891537
  4. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldenkott_(Unternehmen)
  5. RP Online – Die Rückkehr der Oldenkott-Pfeifen; https://rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/emmerich/die-rueckkehr-der-oldenkott-pfeifen_aid-16127285
  6. RP Online – Mit Oldenkott-Pfeifen ist Rees in aller Munde; https://rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/emmerich/mit-oldenkott-pfeifen-ist-rees-in-aller-munde_aid-14530093
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 Nicofry
  8. 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 Has to be verified.
  9. Oldenkott Bruyere Prima are probably from the 1950s.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Grand
  11. stamped "Derby" or "Derby by Oldenkott"
  12. 12.0 12.1 Luxe
  13. Progress
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 not always w/ Oldenkott stamp
  15. made for Ermuri
  16. I've seen several Oldenkott Shag pipes but none of them had a shape number.
  17. translation of: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/de.alt.fan.tabak/_OxdwICyPbQ/Oh9nwIdh-MgJ – Christian Probst Jan 22 2003
  18. Unfortunately, the source of this recommendation is only in German, from a pipe smoking newsgroup's web site: http://www.daft.de/pfeifen/oldenkott/
  19. https://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/marke/register/1019343/DE