Benjamin Westerheide

Benjamin Westerheide (Vest-uhr-Hy-duh) is a part time pipe maker from Germany.  Inspired by the Danish School, he has been heavily influenced by contemporary German carvers as well.  Benjamin credits Joao Reis, Poul Ilsted, Nanna Ivarsson, Rainer Barbi, Cornelius Manz, and S. Bang as a major influences in his work, "I love curved shanks and nice harmonic lines."  An apt description for his current aesthetic. We were immediately impressed with his detail oriented shaping and stem work, which many carvers find the most challenging aspects of pipe making. Benjamin obviously has innate talent that lends him to create dynamic and visually appealing shapes.

All of Benjamin's hand crafted pipes are stamped with his initials B. W. and are almost exclusively made with just briar and stem material, though on occasion you may find a piece of box wood or horn adorning the shank.  One of Benjamin's personal pipe making tenets is if the shape is good, the finish well done, and the color is right, it doesn't need other materials.

Mostly a Virginia/Perique fan, he occasionally has an affection for Latakia blends. Benjamin has been trained as a plumber, but is currently studying law at the University of Bielefeld. Given his love for form and function it was inevitable that he would find a medium in the briar. We're happy he did.

Every Benjamin Westerheide pipe is completely hand made with the utmost precision and the greatest care.  He has described his art as a place to put a small piece of himself and his experiences.  We are proud to add his stunning work to our repertoire.