Kurt Balleby Hansen (*1950) started to make stems for the pipemaker Kai Nielsen, but after work he often stayed long in the workshop to learn how to make pipes. The first pipes were sold anywhere a customer could be found—in bars, pubs and working-places, and for very little money. The turning point came in 1992, when his pipes made a great success in Germany. Today Kurt is making about 100 pipes a year, sold in several countries.