If ever there was a pipe maker who made a blitz career, it would have to be Cornelius Mänz. Still a textile designer and a painter in 2001 when he tried to sell his very first pipes on eBay, only two years later Mänz was a fulltime carver whose work was collected by European connoisseurs and praised by prestigious colleagues like Rainer Barbi or Tom Eltang.

Today Cornelius Mänz is considered to be one of the very best high grade pipe makers in the world. He combines a recognizable elegant style with a perfectionist technical execution and a flawless finish. But what really makes him stand out is the incomparable comfort of his bits.

By Erwin Van Hove