Directory of Slovenian Pipe Brands

Directory of Slovenian Pipe Brands brings together, in alphabetical order, pipe names originating in Slovenia. The country falls outside the large European centers associated with mass-production tradition; on the other hand, its proximity to the Austrian border has made it easy for workshops in the north to come into direct contact with the Central European handmade pipe scene. In the records available to us, Slovenia is represented by a single maker's name, and the entry below is kept strictly to verifiable facts.

Brands

• Lobnik — the name of Gregor Lobnik's pipe-making work, begun in 2003. Lobnik's bench is located in Kamnica, near Maribor; the master's principal occupation is landscape conservation, and pipe carving has remained a pursuit alongside this profession. He learned his craft directly at the bench of Austrian maker Peter Matzhold, through the friendship he built with him just across the border. This connection can be traced on both sides of the work: in the internal mechanics, Matzhold's solutions; in the outward form, classically proportioned, restrained silhouettes and carefully chosen grain patterns. Within a year of starting out, he reached the top ten in the 2004 Pipes and Tobaccos carving competition. As a matter of principle he objects to quality grading, and so does not use a grade stamp on his pipes.