My workshop
The journey of a Kroiss pipe
Idea & Shaping
My workshop is divided into five areas. The journey of a pipe begins with an idea and a sketch on the desk. The rough shape is then cut out on the band saw and then goes either to the lathe or directly to the grinding wheels.
Drilling
Sometimes I drill the holes for the tobacco chamber, smoke channel and tenon before I work out the shape of the pipe. However, occasionally I follow the Danish method where I shape the pipe first and drill the holes later. I often choose a suitable decorative material at this stage. I then cut the required length of ebonite from a rough rod and drill it on the lathe to fit the roughly shaped pipe.
Detail work
After these steps, it's back to the grinding station, where I continue to work on the shape with increasingly fine grinding wheels. Occasionally, another step in the sandblasting booth follows. After that, I return to the desk in the garage to do the finishing work, such as meticulous sanding, filing, and finishing the mouthpiece. The pickling and oiling of the pipe is also done at the finishing desk.
Finishing
The penultimate station is the polishing station. This is where the pipe bowl and mouthpiece are polished to a high gloss. After polishing, I return to my desk in the garage one last time to apply a freshly prepared smoking paste. Only when I am completely satisfied with the result do I add my AK stamp. This stamp symbolizes my care and precision craftsmanship and expresses my wish that the new owner will have a lot of fun with the pipe.