Singapore-based Taiwanese tech entrepreneur David Yu – a real gentleman and a truly loyal friend – frequents Indonesia for work. This neighboring country with more than 18,000 islands harbors many serious pipe makers and smokers. David knows quite a few of them.
When German pipe maker Peter Hemmer visited with us recently, a special viewing of a selection of Peter’s latest hand carved masterpieces was arranged exclusively for friends. Peter’s pipes are par excellence and to compliment the exceptional event, I invited David to display some pipes he has painstakingly carried over to Singapore from Indonesia:
These pipes were not only made by hand with the best material known for smoking pipes, ie, briar, but what makes them so exquisite is that the talented Indonesian pipe makers have also deployed gifts of nature unique to their country to craft some truly extraordinary pipes. Pipes with the most unusual shapes are made of palm and other rare and local wood; in addition, many incorporate special Indonesian bamboo specifically harvested for that purpose.
The conventional may find these pipes “different” or “interesting” and some may even question the bold avant-garde shapes but it’s not my place to criticize if some pipe smokers and collectors want to remain old-fashioned uncles all their lives and stick to the usual.
Enjoy the pictures below, courtesy of collector extraordinaire Bodo Falkenried:
Several other world-renowned pipe makers – whose names are sure to cause reactions – are scheduled to visit with us in the near future in a program I have put together and as always, invitations to these exclusive viewings are private events only for friends and collectors of impeccable taste. The amazing fact about friends and relatives is that while I cannot choose my relatives, I am free to choose my friends!
Ain’t life great?!