JÜRGEN MORITZ
J.M., Summer 2004
Jürgen Moritz is really a pipe enthusiast. He he has already fallen in love with the beauties from Briar as a "young guy" . For that reason, years ago, he accept a side-job during his studies of Social Sciences in a well sorted pipe shop. During this time, he had the opportunity to look at so many beautiful masterpieces and over the years he also has built up a stately pipe collection.
From this long enduring experience, one can certify him that he knows how a pipe shoud be made or, even better, how a pipe should not be made. Of course, many pipe enthusiasts would like to try himself with a creation of their own. Jürgen has realized this idea in due silence and shown 2004 only few acquaintances his pipes until summer, an understandable restraint which he, however, wouldn't have needed. Although he didn't have any lathe at that time yet, his pipes were always very cleanly and meticulously worn.
Jürgen has walked along an unusual way for a "newcomer". He did not make, how sometimes to observe, relatively robust pipes of simpler forms but ventured on relatively complicated style elements and very heavily practicable shapes.
There is no doubt, the pipes of Jürgen showing only quite extremely few loans with shapes of other pipe makers. My personal opinion is, Jürgen makes pipes having never be seen before ! Something like that earns the highest respect because it isn't easy to develop concepts of one's own and to stand stringent at the "mainstream" past if the collectors are asking for "Blowfishes" or "Pickaxes".
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J.L. and Jürgen Moritz, 2005
Of course Jürgen has developed considerably in the meantime. The finish of his pipes is of professional quality and underlines the grain perfectly. For a "newcomer" in the scene he has remarkably beautiful Briar and also pieces of briar big enough to realize his ideas.
It is also the very good processing of the stems (Ebonit, Cumberland, normal drilling) to lift out in every case. All the stems are worked out very carefully, have a flat, pleasant bite and are well adapted to the shape of the shank. The pipes partly of stately size, partly virtually filigree, are fantastically in the hand. The smoking qualities have to be described as good-natured. I never had problems with all of my Moritz pipes. Jürgen likes to use decorating woods and bamboo in the meantime, too.
Recently, Jürgen could fulfill himself the dream of a larger and much brighter workshop. The additional motivation he get from this new place is reflected by his successes which he had at the this year's (2007) show in Chicago!
The pipes are stamped: "J. Moritz - handmade"; there is no grading until now.
Additional pipe pictures by Jürgen Moritz and Willi Albrecht, with kind permission
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