ROSTIAK (Joseph Rimbaud)

ROSTIAK is a one-man pipe workshop based in the village of Les Crozets in the Jura region of eastern France. The name behind the brand is Joseph Rimbaud, known in the community as "Jojo Rostiak." Rimbaud trained technically in machine design, first came to pipes as a user, and later turned that interest into a profession.

The pipes he produces stand apart for their light bodies, shaped according to the piece of wood at hand rather than repeating classic French molds.

The Path to Mastery

During his technical studies Rimbaud had already taught himself to carve pipes, making his first attempts with easily available woods such as boxwood, for himself and his friends. To take the craft seriously, he moved to the Jura in 2002. The region is the historic center of French pipe making around Saint-Claude; the large workshops still operate there. According to records, Rimbaud began working in the assembly department of the Chacom factory in 2003, took charge of that department two years later, and left the factory in 2006.

The real gain of the factory years was the relationship he built with master pipe maker Pierre Morel. During the period when he earned his living as a carpenter, Rimbaud spent his evenings and weekends at Morel's bench and learned the finer points of the craft this way; he considers Morel his only teacher in the field. It is said that the "Rostiak" nickname that took hold in the community also came from Morel. Production was suspended for a long stretch during the years family life took precedence; the emergence of the name as an independent brand dates to 2016.