Wojtek Pastuch
Wojtek Pastuch (b. 1988; pronounced “Voitec Pastooh”) is a Polish artisan based in Katowice and the craftsman behind W. Pastuch Pipes.
Biography
Pastuch began smoking a pipe at the age of 15. Growing up in both Poland and Italy, Pastuch’s enthusiasm for the hobby led to him frequenting Polish and Italian pipe clubs, including the online forum Fumare la Pipa (FLP) and Pierwsza Krakowska Loża Fajki (PKLF) in Krakow. After moving to Katowice, Pastuch joined its local Slaski Klub Fajki, where he remains a committed member to this day.
After nearly a decade of smoking, collecting, and restoring pipes, it seemed only natural to Pastuch that he should learn the finer details of how to make them. Thus, in 2011, Pastuch began making pipes.
In terms of the basics of working with machine and hand tools, Pastuch was an autodidact. The foundations of his craft were developed through various books and online media. Further education came from spending time with some of Europe’s most acclaimed pipe-makers, in whose workshops Pastuch received invaluable technical instruction. His first teacher in this regard was Italy’s Domenico “Mimmo” Romeo, a singularly renowned pipe-maker and one of the world’s foremost briar cutters. Pastuch’s second teacher was the similarly renowned pipe-maker Tom Eltang, a central, defining figure in post-war Danish pipe design. Pastuch’s early career was marked by numerous stays with Mimmo and Eltang and, even today, Pastuch regards the two as inseparable links in the lineage and traditions to which his pipes belong.
On the other hand, one crucial lesson that Pastuch credits Mimmo as having taught him is of the importance of individuality in one’s work. When his career was in its infancy, Pastuch spent many years seeking out and absorbing the countless shapes and styles of others, just as anyone does when they immerse themselves in a craft or art. After a point, Pastuch made a conscious decision to resist this impulse. His goals became the pursuit of creating something different, and in turn something distinctly and recognisably his.
Of course, uniqueness in itself is not a virtue. Like any good pipe-maker, Pastuch knows that the grain of the briar he uses is an active participant in the guise it should ultimately take, and he strives to ensure that the result is also elegant and harmonious. He finds inspiration in various crafts, such as watchmaking and jewellery, and in the arts, such as sculpture, though it should be noted that, in Polish language and culture, this division is far less rigid. The notion of rzemiosło artystyczne, or "artistic craftsmanship," represents a straddling of the craft/art divide. As Pastuch explains, this pursuit belongs to the artisan, a professional engaged in "creating utilitarian items" with "an additional aesthetic value."[1]
With that said, it is "nature" that Pastuch regards as the "greatest artist of them all," and which is suitably represented in his work. Flowers, shells, horns, and marine life recur as motifs throughout his portfolio, alongside re-interpretations of more familiar figures within the Anglo-American and Scandinavian schools.
As far as design preferences go, Pastuch is in some senses quite relaxed and mercurial, putting a greater emphasis on attentiveness and precision in the manufacturing process. Regarding form, he is firmly committed to an idea of pipes as an object of aesthetic enjoyment, which he strives towards in his own work, but he also considers that “any shape can be beautiful if it’s made with enough care.” Regarding function, he is more exact, adhering to strict requirements for internal construction (including the size and positioning of the draft hole), and ease of cleaning.
Pastuch’s work has been carried by a number of vendors, including SmokingPipes, Smokers’ Haven, The Danish Pipe Shop, and Al Pascia. He is also a visiting Mastri at Italy’s Accademia della Pipa.
Stamping
W. Pastuch pipes are stamped with the W. Pastuch nomenclature in a circle, along with a four-digit code representing the year of manufacture (digits one and two) and the pipe's serial number within that year (digits three and four). W. Pastuch pipes are dated in relation to the establishment of the make in 2011, meaning the code "1013" would indicate that the pipe was manufactured in 2021 (2011+10) and was the 13th pipe manufactured in that year.
Gallery
Contact Information
Wojtek Pastuch http://www.pastuchpipes.pl kontakt@pastuchpipes.pl https://www.instagram.com/wpastuch/ https://www.facebook.com/p/WPastuch-pipes-100057090384322/
- ↑ See Homo Faber, 2023.
References
Homo Faber. (2023). Wojtek Pastuch: Pipemaker. Homo Faber. https://www.homofaber.com/en/discover/wojtek-pastuch-pipemaking-poland