Why did you choose pipemaking as a profession?
From the age of 15, I was interested in pipes as an object; I smoked, collected, and restored pipes. This passion combined with my fascination for precise manual professions, such as watchmaking or jewellery, led me to pursue the craft,
Is your craft linked to Poland in any way?
There are very few craftsmen who make pipes in Poland. The city of Przemyśl has a long tradition of making pipes, and to this day there are several factories and small workshops, but this is an exception in our country. So it’s quite hard to say that my craft is connected to the country I live in.
©Wojtek Pastuch
How do you express traditions and innovations in your work?
The pipe is a very traditional item, artisanal craft pipes have been made in almost exactly the same way since the 1950s. Innovation for me is primarily the search for new forms, as well as the use of modern materials (carbon fibre, coloured titanium, polymer-stabilized materials).
How would you describe your craft?
In Polish, there is a very apt term for this type of profession "artistic craftsmanship" (or rzemiosło artystyczne). It means creating utilitarian items, giving them an additional aesthetic value. I love to design new pipes and the processing phase gives me satisfaction too.