Kharitonov: a Contemporary Artisan Signature From Moscow

Kharitonov is the name Moscow-based maker Andrey Kharitonov carries on his handmade pipes. Kharitonov, who began working briar in 2019, turned this pursuit into a full-time occupation within two years; today he is counted among the most closely watched names in contemporary handmade production in Russia. What makes his pipes recognizable is the combination of textures carved into the bowl with dark-toned contrast staining.

A Long Preparation for Pipes

Records indicate he was born in Moscow in 1961 and spent his whole life in the city. His acquaintance with the pipe reaches back to his twentieth birthday, in 1981: that day he received a pipe carved from cherry wood as a gift from his brother, and for the following decades he was rarely without a pipe. During this long period of smoking he also took up repair work; he fitted new stems in place of broken ones and reinforced cracked shanks, working on worn stummels. Following the path his brother had opened, he also tried his hand at carving his own pipes from cherry wood. The real turning point came in 2019, when he noticed a shop in Moscow selling Italian briar; that same year, with blocks he acquired, he made his first pipes from briar.