Real name: Jesper Walther Larsen
Age: 38
Location: Denmark
Years as a pipe smoker: 1
How I got into pipe making:
My grandfather used to make pipes years ago. During camping trips, he'd sit outside in the sun with a block of briar and a pocket knife. When he passed away, I inherited three undrilled blocks. After contemplating them for a couple of years, I decided to seek help drilling them. Luckily, I found a local pipe maker just 150 meters from my home at the time, who assisted with the drilling process. I began shaping the briar with my knife, following in my grandfather's footsteps. Initially, I used the knife in my Leatherman tool, spending around 60 hours whittling and sanding by hand to complete the first pipe. For the second pipe, I "upgraded" to a Buck knife also inherited from my grandfather, which significantly reduced the crafting time. By the time I started on the third pipe, I had upgraded my knife again, this time to a whittling knife from Mora Knives, reducing both crafting time and the number of blisters on my hands. Over time, I've invested in high-tech tools like a small belt sander and a drill press, along with a fair amount of MacGyvering to make my setup work. I primarily use rasps, files, sandpaper, and the whittling knife to shape my pipes.
Other interesting facts:
I'm passionate about fishing and tying flies, and I've found that fishing and pipe smoking complement each other perfectly.