JHW Pipes: Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search
no edit summary
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 3: Line 3:
Probably he looked for some waste of time and made friends with pipemaker [[Max Schulte]] in Maplewood, NJ. As Schulte’s son Howard reported, Weinberger often sat in his father’s workshop for hours and hours, enjoying his pipe and a mug of coffee and simply watching. This was JHW’s "training" to become a pipemaker! Thus he may be called an “eyedidact” rather than an autodidact.
Probably he looked for some waste of time and made friends with pipemaker [[Max Schulte]] in Maplewood, NJ. As Schulte’s son Howard reported, Weinberger often sat in his father’s workshop for hours and hours, enjoying his pipe and a mug of coffee and simply watching. This was JHW’s "training" to become a pipemaker! Thus he may be called an “eyedidact” rather than an autodidact.


He furnished a workshop in the cellar of his house – in fact a chamber measuring 2.50 × 6.00 meters. He bought some tools and some old machines, which partially were converted by himself. Somehow he also found suppliers for ebonite in England and later in Germany and for plateau briar from Greece. Then Weinberger began to make freehands.
[[Image:JHW_41.jpg|thumb|right|]]He furnished a workshop in the cellar of his house – in fact a chamber measuring 2.50 × 6.00 meters. He bought some tools and some old machines, which partially were converted by himself. Somehow he also found suppliers for ebonite in England and later in Germany and for plateau briar from Greece. Then Weinberger began to make freehands.


Two things met thereby: 1. JHW must have been a splendid nature talent, turning out well engineered and finely crafted pipes from his very first attempts and 2. his pipes came out at the right time! The enthusiasm for freehand pipes – perhaps it’s better to say “fancy pipes” - made in Denmark had sloshed the United States years ago. Pipes by [[Poul Hansen]] e.g. scratched the 500 Dollars line around 1970 and the climax of that boom in the 1970's wasn’t reached yet. On the other hand, there were many patriotically reflected pipe smokers in the States, who demanded that "our own carvers" should finally offer such pipes. Thus Weinberger’s pipes and the expectations of many buyers matched perfectly!
Two things met thereby: 1. JHW must have been a splendid nature talent, turning out well engineered and finely crafted pipes from his very first attempts and 2. his pipes came out at the right time! The enthusiasm for freehand pipes – perhaps it’s better to say “fancy pipes” - made in Denmark had sloshed the United States years ago. Pipes by [[Poul Hansen]] e.g. scratched the 500 Dollars line around 1970 and the climax of that boom in the 1970's wasn’t reached yet. On the other hand, there were many patriotically reflected pipe smokers in the States, who demanded that "our own carvers" should finally offer such pipes. Thus Weinberger’s pipes and the expectations of many buyers matched perfectly!
   
   
The first JHW Pipes were enthusiastically welcomed in the tobacco shops of New Jersey. The attorney in retirement became a fulltime pipemaker working 10 to 12 hours a day. Weinberger soon looked for some assistance and hired a lad from the local Highschool in 1971, who wanted to earn a few Dollars. Actually one might forget his name Gary Friedman immediately, because he was lazy and Weinberger fired him after a short while. All the same, Friedman did one thing of merit during his time at JHW’s: he passed on a number of rejected pipes Weinberger gave him as a present to some of his schoolmates who consequently became pipe smokers.
[[Image:JHW_10.jpg|thumb|left|]]The first JHW Pipes were enthusiastically welcomed in the tobacco shops of New Jersey. The attorney in retirement became a fulltime pipemaker working 10 to 12 hours a day. Weinberger soon looked for some assistance and hired a lad from the local Highschool in 1971, who wanted to earn a few Dollars. Actually one might forget his name Gary Friedman immediately, because he was lazy and Weinberger fired him after a short while. All the same, Friedman did one thing of merit during his time at JHW’s: he passed on a number of rejected pipes Weinberger gave him as a present to some of his schoolmates who consequently became pipe smokers.


One of them was [[Curt Rollar]]. When he experienced that Friedman was dismissed, he ran down all the way to Weinberger’s house to apply for the job. He got it! At the beginning his tasks were not too exciting: he cut of the bark from the briar with a knife, did the rough sanding and the polishing. Rollar was industrious and worked with great devotion under Weinberger’s watchful eyes. Rollar was gradually given more liberties and finally he was allowed to make complete pipes. After a very short time Rollar’s pipes achieved an amazingly high level and immediately after graduation from Highschool he was contracted as a fulltime pipemaker.
One of them was [[Curt Rollar]]. When he experienced that Friedman was dismissed, he ran down all the way to Weinberger’s house to apply for the job. He got it! At the beginning his tasks were not too exciting: he cut of the bark from the briar with a knife, did the rough sanding and the polishing. Rollar was industrious and worked with great devotion under Weinberger’s watchful eyes. Rollar was gradually given more liberties and finally he was allowed to make complete pipes. After a very short time Rollar’s pipes achieved an amazingly high level and immediately after graduation from Highschool he was contracted as a fulltime pipemaker.
Line 23: Line 23:
Did we mention Frank Augsberger? Aged 17 he came down from Illinois as an apprentice. His mother had done the necessary negotiations, procured a flat and a car and everything else. The young man didn’t have any time at all, he was impatient and hasty and had the wildest conceptions about pipes. In a blue hour he once made a thing which his colleagues named "The Monster of Loch Ness" and even made JHW shake his head. Deeply frustrated Augsburger went back home after approximately six months. Nevertheless the time spent at JHW’s wasn’t completely wasted, because he became quite a good pipe maker years later.
Did we mention Frank Augsberger? Aged 17 he came down from Illinois as an apprentice. His mother had done the necessary negotiations, procured a flat and a car and everything else. The young man didn’t have any time at all, he was impatient and hasty and had the wildest conceptions about pipes. In a blue hour he once made a thing which his colleagues named "The Monster of Loch Ness" and even made JHW shake his head. Deeply frustrated Augsburger went back home after approximately six months. Nevertheless the time spent at JHW’s wasn’t completely wasted, because he became quite a good pipe maker years later.


Around 1976 JHW Pipes was on the height of its business success. The pipes sold much faster than they could be carved. Rollar was strictly watching over the quality. Weinberger himself however hardly made pipes anymore. And if so, he experimented or created strange pieces he shaped to the form of aeroplanes, toilets and other stuff like that.
[[Image:JHW_11.jpg|thumb|left|]][[Image:JHW_12.jpg|thumb|right|]]Around 1976 JHW Pipes was on the height of its business success. The pipes sold much faster than they could be carved. Rollar was strictly watching over the quality. Weinberger himself however hardly made pipes anymore. And if so, he experimented or created strange pieces he shaped to the form of aeroplanes, toilets and other stuff like that.
   
   
At the end of 1978 Rollar and Tinsky went away founding The American Pipe Company in 1979. A big loss and a deep cut from which JHW Pipes should not recover. Weinberger was too old by now to stick to the work bench the whole day and he had no good course horse in the stable any more. And among the newly hired boys from Highschool was none to wake some hope. Thus the company died slowly and Jack H. Weinberger passed away in 1982.
At the end of 1978 Rollar and Tinsky went away founding The American Pipe Company in 1979. A big loss and a deep cut from which JHW Pipes should not recover. Weinberger was too old by now to stick to the work bench the whole day and he had no good course horse in the stable any more. And among the newly hired boys from Highschool was none to wake some hope. Thus the company died slowly and Jack H. Weinberger passed away in 1982.

Navigation menu