At the auction site Tradera on the Internet are some interesting things to discover. Among many other things, there usually are a few hundred pipes and other things related to pipe-smoking. However, as you have to do on a flea market, you have to sort among all the junk, and about 90% can undoubtedly be attributed to the category. But if you take the time to search you will sometimes find.

Interesting pipes
On one occasion last year when I visited Tradera, I saw some pipes that caught my interest. The pipes were new and in very elegant shapes. From what I could judge from the pictures, they were also very well made. It was also told that they were Handmade from an own work-shop “Leopold”.  Shortly thereafter, I heard that a friend had bought some of those pipes and when I saw them, I understood that my first impression was correct – the pipes were extremely well-made. So I made bids on some of them and managed to win a few. These purchases led to my first contact with the pipemaker Heinrich Leopold Jensen. After some contacts via email, we decided to meet in Copenhagen in connection with last year’s DM.

Retirement made him a pipemaker
Heinrich Jensen lives in Silkeborg in Jutland and started making pipes in 1990. From the beginning it was a hobby and his pipes were mainly sold locally. However, his pipes were very much appreciated and in 2008, when Heinrich could retire from his job in the industry, he had more time for his former hobby. At that time he also had the good fortune to meet the pipemaker Erik Nielsen in Vejle. Erik saw that Heinrich had a talent for the profession and willingly became Heinrich’s mentor and assisted him with many good advice and tips.
Heinrich’s pipes are stamped Leopold, nothing else. Most pipes have a stem of ebonite, but in some cases it may also be made from acrylic.

International breakthrough
Until this year, Leopold’s pipes have been sold primarily at shows in Denmark and on the Internet. Quite a few of them have found new owners here in Sweden. Actually there are some collectors in our club who are real “fans” and have large collections of Heinrich’s pipes.
At the Danish Championship this year, Heinrich had an exhibition that attracted many visitors. One of them was a Russian purchaser. He bought a number of Heinrich’s pipes, and this was probably the beginning of an internationally breakthrough. So we here in Sweden, who in the current situation can buy Leopold’s pipes relatively cheap, have to look up. Probably the prices will rise. But that is both Leopold and his pipes Worth.

Jan Andersson