Goussard Pipes (Charl Goussard)

Goussard Pipes is a contemporary signature South African pipe master Charl Goussard carries on single-handedly at his bench in Cape Town. Pipemaking in South Africa is not as established a craft as in Europe or North America; for this reason Goussard is counted among the few names representing the country within the international collector circle.

Founding the Bench

Goussard's interest in pipes began during his university years, and after making his first pipe the pursuit became a lasting one. The bench's founding is dated, according to records, to 2007. Again according to the same account, because sourcing briar blocks was initially expensive, the maker worked with whatever local species he could get his hands on, trying woods such as wild olive, guava, and African blackwood. This early period also lays the groundwork for the material variety that later became the workshop's distinguishing trait.

Pipemaking has not been Goussard's sole source of income. It is reported that his day job runs alongside the bench, and production is correspondingly limited in number. The workshop's current working pace has not been confirmed by independent sources.

Approach to Shape and Materials

Goussard's work, with its measured volumes and unbroken flowing lines, sits close to the Danish school. The maker cites, in his own words, Tom Eltang and Poul Rasmussen among his sources of inspiration. This kinship reads most clearly in his freehand interpretations, which follow the grain of the wood rather than a mold, and in his softened variations on classic shapes.

Most of the bowls are briar work. On the stem and ornamentation side, amber, acrylic, and horn are used; bamboo shank also comes through the bench. As a regional option, the tree known in Afrikaans as "waboom" — protea nitida — has been worked. This species is counted among the details that tie the workshop to its geography.

Assessment

The maker states that he gives priority to the unseen side of the pipe — the precision of the airway, the bowl base, and the stem channel. The trade's general view likewise holds that Goussard's strength lies not in showy ornamentation but in measured shape and clean internal work. Since part of his work has entered circulation through retailers outside South Africa, the signature has also become recognized abroad.