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[[Image:KarlErik.jpg|left]][[Image:Otten_40.jpg|thumb|right]][[Image:KE_06.jpg|thumb|right]]
[[Image:KarlErik.jpg|left]]
<font size="4"><span style="color: red">Under construction!</span>
<font size="4"><span style="color: red">Under construction!</span>


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He began smoking a pipe when he was 14 and upon leaving school he started an apprenticeship in the craft as a lithographer at the age of 16. While working as an apprentice he began hand carving pipes as a hobby. Many were given as gifts to his more senior colleagues. Upon completion of his apprenticeship he moved to Nairobi, Kenya to work as a lithographer during the 1962 war. While in that war torn country, he was unable to procure pipes for himself. In the face of such a predicament, he chose to continue to make pipes for his own use rather than go without.
He began smoking a pipe when he was 14 and upon leaving school he started an apprenticeship in the craft as a lithographer at the age of 16. While working as an apprentice he began hand carving pipes as a hobby. Many were given as gifts to his more senior colleagues. Upon completion of his apprenticeship he moved to Nairobi, Kenya to work as a lithographer during the 1962 war. While in that war torn country, he was unable to procure pipes for himself. In the face of such a predicament, he chose to continue to make pipes for his own use rather than go without.


[[Image:KE5.jpg|right]]
Returning to Denmark after three years he couldn't find a well paid occupation in his job, and so he began making a few pipes on the side to boost his income choosing his prenames "Karl Erik" - logo "KE" - for his label. When he managed to find some major Copenhagen pipe stores willing to sell his pieces his reputation grew little by little and he was finally able to purchase more and better machinery and began working full time as a pipe maker.




[[Image:Otten_40.jpg|thumb|right]][[Image:KE_06.jpg|thumb|right]][[Image:KE_01.jpg|thumb|right]]
[[Image:KE_01a.jpg|thumb|right]]
<font size="3">The manufacture era</font>


[[Image:KE5.jpg|left]]
Growing demand for his pipes made it necessary to look for a larger workshop and hiring first co-workers around 1967/68. A most important step ahead in his career was the contract with [[Wally Frank Ltd.]] of NYC who were in search of attractive, well made but affordable Danish freehands and fancy pipes fitting to their vast offer of low end or midrange pieces but with a stress on quality.
Returning to Denmark after three years he couldn't find a well paid occupation in his job, and so he began making a few pipes on the side to boost his income choosing his prenames "Karl Erik" - logo "KE" - for his label. His reputation grew little by little and he was finally able to purchase machinery and begin working full time as a pipe maker. He began his career making pipes for various labels in Denmark and the United States. Often he would make the higher grade pipes for a well known brand that was known for their low end or midrange pieces such as [[Wally Frank Ltd.]] of NYC. While doing this he administered a factory of up to fifteen craftsmen, each of them specialising in certain steps of the production. Namely '''Bent Nielsen''' (see [[Benner]]) and '''Peder Christian Jeppesen''' (see [[Neerup]]) later became respectable pipemakers on their own.


Brands produced by Karl Erik Ottendahl:
"Attractive, well made but affordable Danish freehands and fancy pipes" - this was exactly what Karl Erik offered! So to say that's the kernel of his lifelong philosophy as a pipemaker! And indeed, Karl Erik always did it his way and always somewhat differently as others.
 
As one of the few notable Danes Karl Erik Ottendahl dedicated himself to the needs of the normal pipe smoker with a normal income. In the end he was one of the last of this tier. He never made any pretence of the fact that his "hand mades" were prefabricated to a large extent on automated machines and only the last steps of fine-shaping and finishing were carefully made by hand. But he never employed a copy milling, so many KE pipes may look very similar but not two are identic. As well the bulk of the stems was supplied by [[Stanwell]] in a close-to-finished state. Stanwell also did the the sand blasting for KE to a large extent.
 
All in all he was much more successful with this peculiar manner of fabrication than many of the low-output artisans who populate the pipemakers' Olympus but hardly know how to pay the electricity bill. Always keeping a watchful eye on quality his career developed fine and he was frequently making pipes for various labels in Denmark and the United States. While doing this he administered a manufacture employing up to fifteen craftsmen, each of them specialising in certain steps of the production. Namely '''Bent Nielsen''' (see [[Benner]]) and '''Peder Christian Jeppesen''' (see [[Neerup]]) later became respectable pipemakers on their own.
 
 
Brands produced by Karl Erik Ottendahl (afak):
* '''Champ of Denmark''' ¹
* '''Champ of Denmark''' ¹
* '''Jobey Dansk''' (For [[Weber Pipe Co.]]. The pipes were illustrated in the cataloges of [http://pipepages.com/jobeypage.htm The Tinderbox] from 1970's - 80's.) ²
* '''Jobey Dansk''' (For [[Weber Pipe Co.]]. The pipes were illustrated in the cataloges of [http://pipepages.com/jobeypage.htm The Tinderbox] from 1970's - 80's.) ²
* '''Knute''' (Also known as "Knute of Denmark"; more a second with frequent rustications)
* '''Knute''' (Also known as "Knute of Denmark"; more a second with frequent rustications)
* '''Larsen & Stigart''' ¹ (Once a famous Copenhagen pipe shop, now almost forgotten. They even managed to supply [[Dunhill]] with wild danish fancy pipes.)  
* '''Larsen & Stigart''' (Copenhagen pipe shop.) ¹
* '''Shelburne''' ¹
* '''Shelburne''' ¹
* '''Sven Egholm''' (A second brand.)
* '''Sven Egholm''' (A second brand.)
* '''Wenhall''' (For Wenhall Pipes, New York) ³
* '''Wenhall''' (For Wenhall Pipes, New York) ³
'''Grading and the II S problem:'''
KE's old grading used numbers ascending from 4 to 1. The entirely hand made one of a kind pieces were stamped "Ekstravagant". Quite simple.
<gallery>
Image:IIS_01g.jpg|II S
Image:IIS_01i.jpg|
Image:KE_2SM.jpg|Variation 2 SM
Image:KE_.jpg|
</gallery>


KE discontinued all exports to the United States in 1987 due to waning sales and attempts of his business partners to screw down prices.
KE discontinued all exports to the United States in 1987 due to waning sales and attempts of his business partners to screw down prices.
<font size="3">Back to the roots</font>


During this period he did make of some of his own handmade pipes, but he felt that the responsibility of managing the factory did not give him the freedom he wished he had.
During this period he did make of some of his own handmade pipes, but he felt that the responsibility of managing the factory did not give him the freedom he wished he had.
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