article

Büttner, a tobacco pipe from an alternative material

Büttner, een rookmachine van een alternatief materiaal

By Don Duco

Abstract: This article describes the desire for pipe designers to create pipes from alternative materials in order to get more comfort and hygiene for the smoker. The designer Fritz Büttner from Dantzig designed a pipe in 1928 using four materials: bakelite, vulcanite together with ceramic and stone. The result was meant to be the ultimate dry smoker with a maximum of comfort and hygiene. The pipe came on market in a large version. Later, a smaller version was designed, not having the highly porous bowl interior.

Soon many other pipe makers offered look alikes, sometimes using the same materials, other examples produced from different materials. Altogether, the copies did not support the success of the original, moreover they were just cheap and not comfortable. When in 1947 the Skippy pipe became available, the Büttner design soon lost its esteem.

Sorry we do not have an English text of this article available. See for the full text the Dutch version of our website.

© Don Duco, Pijpenkabinet Foundation, Amsterdam - Holland, 2002.

Illustrations

1. Büttner pipe, on the bottom of the bowl in relief the inscription BUTTNER PIPE PATENT, produced for the English market. The detachable bakelite ring is plain.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 8569

2. Büttner pipe in its original case, inside the inscription of the pipe shop A. VERNAILLEN in Bruxelles and the text of a gold medal received at the exhibition in Bruxelles.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 14.079

3. Small Büttner pipe, at the base marked PIPE BUTTNER BREVETEE, produced for the French speaking market. On the top side of the stem the intaglio BUTTNER.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 15.549

4. Small Büttner pipe with eight sided bowl, on the tige in reliëf the mark BÜTTNER PIPE PATENT left and on the right GERMANY. Two versions exist, with and without glazed bowl opening.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 626ab

5. Pipe in the genre Büttner but produced by another maker, on the base of the bowl in reliëf GRAND PIPE, the ceramic bowl insert is fixed to the ring.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk. 2433

6. The so-called Dera Pfeife made in bakelite with a detachable bowl in porcelain showing a broad glazed rim.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk. 14.017

7. The large Büttner pipe produced in aluminium and marked on the end of the stem with the text DE VOORDE PATENT.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk. 7822

8. Pipe in the style of Büttner made out of bakelite and not marked, bowl insert in ceramic, the stem-end with a small metal ferrule.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 12.768

9. Wooden pipe of a low quality softwood with ceramic bowl insert in the style of Büttner. On the stem in silver lettering SPORT.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 15.203

10. Skippy-pipe with six sided plastic bowl, the ceramic inner part is attached with a cork ring. The Hague/Gouda, Royal Goedewaagen, 1948-1960.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 11.093a-i
1a. Side view of a Büttner pipe, the bakelite detachable ring is plain.
1b. Bottom side of the Büttner pipe with mark BUTTNER PIPE PATENT for the English market.
2a. Case in red leather in closed position.
2b. Case containing a Büttner pipe in open position with the advertisement of the pipe shop A. VERNAILLEN in Bruxelles, also mentioning the gold medal of the exhibitoin in Bruxelles.
2c. Detail of the texts in the leather case of the Büttner pipe.
2d. The Büttner pipe out of its case.
2e. Bottom of the Büttner pipe showing the text in relief.
3a. Side view of the small Büttner clearly showing its glazed rim.
3b. Bottom of the small Büttner marked PIPE BUTTNER BREVETEE, meant for Belgium and France customers.
3c. The small Büttner seen from the top, on the stem marked in intaglio BUTTNER.
5a. Side view of a pipe in the style of Büttner but from another make.
4a. Small Büttner with eight sided bowl, on the stem marked in relief with BÜTTNER PIPE PATENT left and right GERMANY. Two types exist, this one without glazed rim of the inner bowl.
5b. Top view of a pipe in the style of Büttner, the ceramic bowl is fixed in the bakelite bowl ring.
7a. The large Büttner styled pipe in aluminium marked on the stem.
4b. Detail of the small Büttner with eight sided bowl.
5c. Bottom side of the pipe in the style of Büttner with in relief GRAND PIPE. 7b. Stem of the large Büttner styled pipe with intaglio mark DE VOORDE PIPE.
8c. Top view of a pipe in the style of Büttner showing an explicit bowl rim with glazed top.
4c. Side view of the small Büttner with eight sided bowl, here the version with the glazed rim.
4d. Detail of the small Büttner, on the stem in relief BÜTTNER PIPE PATENT left and right GERMANY. 6a. Side view of the Dera Pfeife with a bakelite bowl and insert in porcelain showing a glazed rim.
7c. The De Voorde pipe showing the inner bowls above its base.
9a. Wooden pipe with ceramic bowl insert in the style of Büttner.
6b. Top view of the Dera Pfeife with porcelain bowl and shiningly glazed rim.
9b. Close up of the wooden pipe with ceramic bowl interior styled as the Büttner.
4e. The small Büttner with eight sided bowl, the bowl rim and inner bowl taken from the base.
8a. Pipe in style of Büttner made out of bakelite and not marked, including bowl insert and ferrule around the stem end.
6c. Bottom of the Dera Pfeife with in relief the inscription DERA PFEIFE.
9c. Top view of a pipe in the style of Büttner with glazed bowl rim.
8b. Side view of the pipe in the style of Büttner not having a manufacturers name or mark.

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