EWA Pipe

EWA Pipe is the final name of a family business that ran for four generations in Saint-Claude, the town regarded as France's pipe capital. The workshop's origin goes back to 1860, to the small manufactory founded by Horace Waille; the abbreviation "EWA" only appeared in 1974, when the family firm was reorganized under the name Établissements Waille. The brand is known less for its finished pipes than for the mouthpieces it made for other producers in Saint-Claude.

Four Generations of Waille

After founder Horace Waille, the business passed to his son René Waille; according to the record, his active period ran from 1902 to 1932, and he is said to have specialized in the rough-shaping stage. The third generation, André Waille, obtained the "CAP de pipier," the official professional certificate for pipemaking, in 1926, and ran the workshop until the mid-1970s. This certificate is noted as a rare record in the history of Saint-Claude.

The fourth generation, Michel Waille, joined his father in 1968 (some sources describe him as René's son) and established the EWA name by converting the company into a limited company in 1974. According to the account, Michel Waille won "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" in 2000, one of the highest titles France awards in the craft field; he also served as head of Saint-Claude's Confrérie des Maîtres-Pipiers and of the local pipe club. He died in Saint-Claude in April 2018.