Tsuge: Difference between revisions

Kyoichiro finally opened his own workshop, Tsuge Pipe Company Limited in 1936 after the harsh apprenticeship and goth married to his wife Tamae in the same year. However, shortly after Kyoichiro started a business, World War II broke out and he was sent to the war. At the request of the government, his factory manufactured wooden gunstockes utilizing the production equipment.

[[File:TsugeVisit OppenheimerPipes PipeDan Savinelli.jpg|thumb|Tsuge visits Oppenheimer Pipes (UK), Pipe Dan (Denmark), and Savinelli (Italy)]][[File:Tsuge Son CulturalFigures.jpg|thumb|left|Tsuge and oldest son, and Cultural figure]][[File:TsugePipes.jpg}thumb|Tsuge Pipes]][[File:KyoichiroTsugeBriar.jpg|thumb|left|Tsuge with Briar]]Kyoichiro attempted to restart the cigarette holder business whenm the war ended in 1945. As ivory, which was under control of GHQ, was almost unobtainable then, he procured cherry wood in Tohoku as an alternative. When he started manufacturing cigarette holders, pipes started to sell in large amount thanks to the release of pipe tobacco by the US army and the media report of General Douglas MacArthur landing at Atsugi Airport with a corn cob pipe in his mouth.<br>

In response to the boom of pipes, TSUGE had to put increasing efforts in making pipes arther than cigarette holder. The compayny hired craftsmen who made umbrella handles and started to mass produce billiard and bent billiard pipes using cherry wood to meet the rapidly growing market demand. The company developed to become one of the most cutting edge companies in Japan, having 120 craftsmen at its peak.

When imported briar became available in the 1950's, TSUGE started making briar pipes. Kyoichiro requested an ivory carver to engrave traditional Japanese motifs such as Mr. Fuji, three monkeys, Toshogu, and Geisha on pipe bowls. The pipes were sold to the US soldiers as souvenirs at the Imperial Hotel and Yokohama officers club, and at the shops like PX and USO. In the 1960's a demand of pipes for soldiers increased due to the aggravation of the Vietnam War and a large amount of cherry wood pipes made in Japan were exported to Saigon.

Upon returning to Japan, they immediately started working on freehand pipes. At first, the pipes were exported to the US and earned a good reputation. Then Tsuge received an offer from Germany that led to a success in Europe. When freehand pipes and series pipes started to be sold at famous smoking goods shops in Germany and Switzerland, people said, "Japa has sent us cars and motorcycles, and now pipes, too!"