Pierre Voisin, Pipier

Pipe smokers flock to Pierre Voisin’s shop in Paris’s 10th arrondissement, not just to buy one or two of his handmade briar pipes but also to get advice about the best way to fill the bowl and tamp tobacco. Voisin knows his stuff: a fifth generation pipe maker, he learned his trade in the family shop, A La Pipe du Nord, and was ready to take over the reins when his father retired, at age 80, in 2007. In addition to dealing personally with his customers and selling a variety of brands, including Dunhill, Stanwell and meerschaum pipes from Turkey, Voisin each year handcrafts between 100 and 150 standard briar pipes and some 20 to 30 custom-made ones for particular clients. Prices range between €70 for a standard model up to €300 for a special order. Voisin also restores and repairs pipes and sells related accessories—tobacco pouches, pipe stands, special ashtrays and more. He says the no-smoking laws have helped, not hurt, his business, bringing in a new clientele of young people who want to learn how to smoke a pipe, which, he proudly proclaims, is not a vice but an “art de vivre”.

21 blvd Magenta, 10th, 01.42.08.23.47. website

Originally published in the December 2009 issue of France Today