Wolfgang Becker

Wolfgang Becker (b. 1952) is a German pipe maker based in Duisburg. He never apprenticed at any workshop, learning the craft through his own experiments. He made his first handmade pipes in 1987, and it was not until the mid-1990s that he began selling his work professionally. Today, with an output that still doesn't exceed a few dozen a year, he is counted among the most frequently cited names of Germany's contemporary makers.

Wespe and Approach to Form

The first design that comes to mind with Becker is the "Wespe"; taking its name from the wasp, this shape is known for a roundish, often slightly asymmetrical chamber, a distinctly raised transition, and a shank that flares outward. By the maker's own account, the first Wespe left the bench in 1988 or 1989; he doesn't remember the exact year himself. His having reinterpreted the same shape for decades has turned Wespe from a single model into a family.

In his overall design language, the soft transitions and openness to asymmetry of the Danish School are pronounced. This orientation is no accident: an article on Lars Ivarsson that he read in a pipe club magazine, followed by the chance to examine Ivarsson pipes up close in Cologne, was the actual factor that set Becker at the bench.