This week the sad news reached me that fellow pipe-smoker and Dutch/Belgian Pijprokersforum member Huub Hendrikx passed away. I have had the privilege of meeting and speaking with Huub a number of times at pijprokersforum meetings, in addition to occasional contact through the forum of course. Almost no one there knew more about tobacco pipes than Huub, a walking encyclopedia. And also a real and true gentleman, very friendly, very generous. He was for example a great help to me when I wrote my “Vintage Dunhill tobacco made in… Germany!?” blogpost because of his pipe-smoking connections in Germany.

Huub started pipe-smoking at the early age of 22, inspired by his grandfather, a passionate pipe smoker. It was he who gave Huub his first pipe, a Stanwell shape #89 (designed by the late Sixten Ivarsson), and tobacco, which was Albion Mixture. His grandfather was a true latakia lover, he smoked all the well known English blends like Balkan Sobranie and John Cotton’s. But Huub didn’t like it, he discovered he was more of a Virginia, VaPer person. The only blend containing the dark leaf he ever smoked was Davidoff Royalty.

From the moment Huub got a computer the pipe smoking hobby transitioned to a pipe smoking passion. Since that time he could buy pipes and pipe tobacco from all over the world. He came into touch with pipe makers, resulting in such nice contacts that he even visited them, under the condition that the distance could be covered by car. He had his pipes handmade, telling what he wanted for the mouthpieces, colours and shapes. Huub was a man of details and that was also evident in his pipes. He preferred really short ones which he always showed off on the forum. Those kind of pipes are now called “Huubjes” on the pijprokersforum.

I would like to extend my condolences to his family and friends. Rest in peace Huub, maybe some clouds I see in the sky are now made by you.