Jobert (Johan Slabbert)

Jobert is the name of the pipe workshop that Johan Slabbert ran alone in the Goodwood suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. The brand name is derived from the leading syllables of the maker's first and last name, and appears in this same form in the stamp on the shank.

The maker's name appears in sources both as Johan and Johann; the more common spelling, Johan, is used here. Slabbert does not come from an apprenticeship tradition; he taught himself pipe making.

The Maker's Path

Slabbert's move into pipes is an extension of the woodworking he carried on after retiring in 1992: carving, turning, and restoring old furniture had, over the years, accustomed him to hand tools and hard woods. According to sources, the workshop's starting point is October 2000; no independent record comparable to a trade registry exists for this date. In the years that followed, connections he built online carried Slabbert beyond a local pursuit; the maker became a member of pipe clubs in Stuttgart, Buenos Aires, and Brazil.

He shared the workshop for a time with Leon du Preez, who also worked in Goodwood. It is reported that Slabbert gave up pipe making after du Preez's death and never again picked up his tools. The maker is said to have passed away in 2016; the date frequently given, 22 May 2016, rests on a single source and has not been confirmed by an independent record. His tools are known to have passed to his grandson, Wesley Slabbert; there is no information on whether production has continued in his hands.