Reichert (Axel Reichert)

Reichert is the name of the one-man workshop German pipe maker Axel Reichert runs in the town of Merzig, in the state of Saarland. Merzig is a small settlement in Germany's southwestern corner, right by the border with Luxembourg. Listed in trade directories as "Axel Reichert Pfeifenmanufaktur," the workshop's production dates back to 1998 and consists of pieces made start to finish by a single hand, no two alike.

Low annual output is less a deliberate choice than a consequence of the working arrangement itself: Reichert kept up pipe making for a long time outside the hours of his main job.

Background of the Workshop

By the maker's own promotional text, the starting point for taking up this work was the wish to own a pipe of his own design. He first got to know other pipe makers, then took part in workshop sessions; one name mentioned from this training period is Rainer Barbi. Information on this relationship rests only on Reichert's own account and is not backed by an independent record.