Detectives and Pipes – Part 2: The Danish Pipe Maker Poul Winsløw

As we saw not only in Part 1 of our series “Detectives and Pipes” but also in a review of typical detective clichés, detective characters cultivate the enjoyment of pipe smoking not only in literature and film but also in real life – at least some of the private investigators at Kurtz Detective Agency Bremen. Among fictional pipe-smoking detectives, Sherlock Holmes is probably the most famous, but even Inspector Maigret is always described with a pipe, and in modern times, many book covers of Jacques Berndorf’s Eifel crime novels feature the favourite accessory of his murder-solving protagonist Siggi Baumeister.

 

While the pipe-smoking investigator in fiction is often portrayed as light-footed and elegant, the production of a pipe is in reality a very long and painstaking process. Fewer and fewer people master this craft, and Kurtz Detective Agency Bremen would like to draw special attention to one of them here: Poul Winsløw.

Winsløw’s Beginnings as a Pupil of Preben Holm

The stronghold of pipe smoking has long been, not England, but Denmark, so it is no surprise that the most famous pipe makers come from this small country north of Schleswig-Holstein – including Poul Winsløw. Born in 1951, he initially trained as a chemigraph, a now-extinct profession in the printing industry. Even as a teenager, Winsløw had a great passion for pipes, and at 17 he decided to leave his apprenticeship and become a pupil of one of the best and most renowned pipe makers of his time, Preben Holm. There he learned the craft from the ground up.

 

As he himself says, he “must have done quite well” in his work, because after a short time the apprentice was allowed to give the pipes more and more of his own touch and ideas, rather than just sweeping the floor and performing minor tasks. Preben Holm held his new pupil in high regard, and Winsløw quickly rose to become the chief assistant. Even when Winsløw was called up for military service, Holm offered to continue paying one-third of his salary during this period to ensure he would return – which Winsløw gladly did, later even taking responsibility for the entire production. Unfortunately, Holm, Winsløw’s friend and mentor, became seriously ill some time later and had to close his pipe workshop in 1985.

Popularity Boost as Live Pipe Maker for Stanwell

Suddenly unemployed, Winsløw seized the opportunity to become self-employed. His small workshop in his home in Hvidovre, a suburb of Copenhagen, ran well, but as our detectives from Bremen know, it is always difficult to establish oneself in a business. Help came from Stanwell, still Denmark’s largest pipe and tobacco manufacturer. The company took Winsløw to trade fairs, where he finished pipes live in front of an audience – an attraction then as now, and a good opportunity to make contacts. Although he was not allowed to sell his own pipes during these events for Stanwell, he nevertheless established himself over time as a top-quality pipe maker who repeatedly adds his own touch and a good dose of individuality to his creations. He still cannot resist “spicing up” otherwise rather classic-looking pipes with coloured inlays or metal elements, often silver or acrylic. Critics have thus described his pipes as being made for snobs or eccentric collectors with a taste for quirky design, as the extra work and effort is reflected in correspondingly high prices, usually several hundred euros.

 

In truth, however, Poul Winsløw is a pipe maker out of passion, and as such would never consider reserving his pipes for a small, exclusive circle. For a long time, “more classic” pipes with a subtler look and lower price range have also been part of his repertoire. These pipes, sold under the label “Crown”, now make up the majority of the roughly 7,000 pipes that leave his workshop annually – which is still located in small Hvidovre. This is an impressive number for a pipe maker who still works by hand; nevertheless, each classic Poul Winsløw pipe remains a unique piece. He is assisted by a small number of employees, allowing him at least a little leisure time and enabling him to indulge his interest in colours and patterns in another field – as besides being a pipe maker, Winsløw is now also a passionate painter.

Many Private Detectives Are Pipe Enthusiasts

So whether the keen pipe enthusiast is enjoying a smoke as a private detective in Bremen after a successful surveillance or in private, without having spent the day on private investigations or cases of corporate fraud: it is a pleasant feeling to hold a piece of traditional craftsmanship in one’s hand. Of course, it does not have to be a pipe by Poul Winsløw – but it will always remain something very special!

Author: Gerrit Koehler

 

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