I have been looking at the German pipe maker, Axel Glasner's work for 2 or 3 years now, but my timing was always a bit off. I never had money at the right time. Also, I had never actually seen one of his pipes. Just photos on the internet. I had been told by folks whose opinion I trust, that his pipes were very good, but that's not the same as holding it in your hands. I think this slowed me down when I thought of purchasing one. But recently the stars were properly aligned and Axel posted this beautiful pipe on
his website. I had a little money so I emailed Axel and found him very easy to work with in spite of my lack of German. The pipe arrived and I was amazed to see that it was even more beautiful than the photos had led me to believe. The craftsmanship is first rate. The transition from briar shank to bit is incredibly smooth - almost unnoticeable by touch. It's smoking qualities are top notch. It's one of those rare pipes that smoke to the bottom of the bowl using one or maybe two matches. I'm very impressed. I'm pretty sure the stars will align themselves in proper order again in the near future. -T
