Schulte’s / Max Schulte XL Smooth Canadian Estate Briar Pipe, American Estates

Description

Schulte’s was an American pipe tobacconist, located in New Jersey in the second half of the 20th century. Like many pipe stores, Schulte’s sold house brand pipes, but unlike most pipe stores, many of these house brand pipes were made by the store’s owner, Max Schulte. Similarly to a few other American pipe tobacconists, like Boswell’s, Schulte himself would divide his time between sales and both restoring and making pipes, establishing himself as one of America’s first great post-war artisans and a seminal figure in American hand-turned pipes. In addition to this, Max Schulte passed on the tricks of the trade to his son and nephew, Barry and Howard Schulte, as well as to his friend, Jack H. Weinberger. Weinberger notably had apprentices of his own, including Mark Tinsky and Curt Rollar. Tinsky in turn has passed on his knowledge to then-up and coming artisans, such as Trever Talbert, Clark Layton, Rad Davis, and others. In other words, Schulte’s marks the beginnings of a highly significant lineage in American handmade pipes.

In the case of this pipe from Schulte’s, it is one of the largest and finest I’ve yet seen, taking the form of an exceptionally tall and lengthy straight grain Canadian rendition. It’s pipes like these that make you realize why Jack Weinberger spent so much of his free time in the Schulte’s workshop, just watching Max do his thing.

The condition is very good. Minor rim charring and finish fading.

Details:

Length: 7.2″ / 182.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 2.03″ / 51.56mm

Weight: 1.7oz / 50g