Stanwell Pipe Revival 162

• Annual production approximately 115,000 pipes
• Classic Danish style pipe shapes
• Origin of the wood Greece, Morocco
• Mouthpiece material acrylic, rubber
• Recognition sign “S” with silver, brass or white crown
• Silver decoration , bamboo, horn
• Smooth surfaces (in brown, red, black), sandblasted

At the end of the 1940s Poul Nielsen adopted the English name Stanwell with the aim of expanding the market since fine briar pipes were mainly of British origin at the time. However, he could not foresee that his company would gain international prestige and fame precisely for the Danish style.

Closely linked to the history of the Stanwell house is the name of Sixten lvarsson, a brilliant designer who contributed significantly to the worldwide fame of the Danish pipe and who remained faithful to Stanwell and its founder Poul “Stanwell” Nielsen for almost forty years. The company still includes some Ivarsson models in its program today.

The company was founded in 1942 in Kyringe, the Netherlands, when Denmark was occupied by the National Socialists. At first it was a sawmill where wooden clogs were made, but shortly after production was extended to square-shaped beech pipes. Starting from 1948, when the collaboration with Sixten Ivarsson began, the pipes were produced in briar.

The prestige and volume of production continued to increase and, in particularly profitable periods, more than 250,000 examples were produced per year. Since 1965 the modern Stanwell factory has been located in a former dairy in Borup, south of Copenhagen.

In addition to the collaboration with Sixten Ivarsson, the good reputation of the house has certainly been contributed to by that with other renowned Danish pipe artists, who still continue to design various models on its behalf. Accordingly, the current product range includes pipes designed by Bang (Ulf Noltensmeier/Per Hansen), Jess Chonowitsch, Tom Eltang, Poul llsted, Anne Julie and Poul Winsløw.

After the death of Poul “Stanwell” Nielsen in 1982 the company was purchased by the Rothman group, whose director is Jens Lillelund, who had already collaborated with the company's founder. An element that distinguishes Stanwell is, among other things, the long collaboration with most of the thirty employees.

Furthermore, it is true that the pipe heads are necessarily produced on the copier milling machine, but all the other processing phases are carried out manually. Even the brand consisting of an "S" surmounted by a crown is inlaid on each mouthpiece in silver, brass or white depending on the quality of the pipe. Approximately two-thirds of those working in production are women, which is worth mentioning considering the small number of women who typically carry out this activity.

The Stanwell catalog includes approximately eighty different models proposed in numerous variations: smooth, sandblasted, with different decorative rings, in multiple colours, with or without filter... in total there are more than 400 different pipes.

On average, six are added each year and those that do not establish themselves among smokers are eliminated from the program. Although in the past Stanwell did not particularly appreciate pipes with filters because the latter was detrimental to the design, they represent one of the most important product groups – especially on the German market – and in the meantime this company even offers 9 mm filters .

It also produces the cheaper “Danske Club” and “Royal Danish” series and, having also developed an excellent sandblasting technique, most artists freehand Danes entrusted Stanwell with the pipes to be subjected to this treatment.

One thing is certain: without the Stanwell house, the Danish pipe would not have achieved the international prestige it enjoys today.

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