Von Erck (Lee von Erck)

Von Erck is the handmade pipe brand Lee von Erck runs single-handedly out of his workshop in Negaunee Township, in a wooded area near Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The brand takes its name directly from its maker, and is also found in records as "von Erck's Classics."

A Craftsman Who Came to the Trade Late

Von Erck is not a maker who went straight into pipe-making. By his own account, after his military service he worked as a ski instructor and ice hockey coach, and spent a period breeding dogs. Having smoked a pipe since his youth, he first turned to repair work, and production followed from there. Records state he began making pipes regularly in the late 1980s. He first showed his products at fairs and dealers in the Midwest, and in later years took part in fairs in Europe and Asia; his pipes are known to have reached Denmark, Italy, Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan.

Oil Curing and Surface Work

The most talked-about part of the brand is the oil-based curing method applied to briar. Von Erck does not disclose the composition of the oil mixture, which aims to draw out tannins and resinous residue from the root. For this reason the order of production is unusual: after the bowl and shank are drilled, shaped, and polished, the pipe is set aside for a long curing and drying process, and only after this stage is finished is the mouthpiece specially carved for it.

The maker uses plateau briar, and says the shape is largely left to the direction of the grain in the block; this attitude explains why the catalog leans toward large-chambered, freeform pieces. In surface treatments, along with smooth polish, sandblasting and partial rustication take up a broad place; the deep-pored sandblast surface is called "morel" at the workshop. According to information compiled by Pipephil, annual production has stayed at the level of 150-250 pieces.

Stamps and Grading

Every pipe is stamped with its own serial number at the end of the process. The first two digits of the number are the year reversed, the last three give the sequence within that year; for example, pipe no. 20010 is the tenth piece of 2002. Quality grades are shown with letters: AAA is the top tier, and according to the maker's own records only three examples have ever been made at this level; AA goes to pieces with no visible flaw to the naked eye, A to the bulk of production. Grade C is not offered for sale, while the letter R marks pipes reworked after having already been considered finished. Additionally, the stamp "MINE" indicates that piece was, for a time, the maker's own pipe.

The stamping system also records the briar's source. According to the list the maker has published, TVC indicates Greek briar brought in in 1970, ALG Algerian briar, CORS a block reported to be of Corsican origin, and PM material obtained from Peter Matzhold. Pipes without any mark are from Greek briar brought in in 1997. The abbreviations TSPTC, GKCPC, and MAPS, used for club orders, are added by the same logic.

Recognition

Von Erck received the Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club's annual honorary "Doctor of Pipes" title in 2013; the other recipient that same year was Rex Poggenpohl. He teaches at pipe-making seminars held at the Chicago pipe show, and also hosts short-term students at his workshop.