BriarTour 2013 - Holland

BriarTour 2013: Al Pascià Explores the Legacy of the Gubbels Factory in Holland

Following the success of our previous German-Danish road trip, the 2013 BriarTour marked another unforgettable milestone in Al Pascià’s Moments archive. This journey took us deep into the Netherlands to cross the threshold of a true titan in European pipe manufacturing: the historic Gubbels factory, established in 1870 and globally renowned for producing the famous Big Ben and Hilson pipes.

This travelogue provides a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of their Dutch facility. We gained full access to the production floors, capturing the mesmerizing balance between heritage machinery and high-precision modern manufacturing. The tour documents every step of the industrial process—from the initial shaping of the raw briar blocks to the exact engineering of the internal airflow and the final polishing stages.

Walking through a factory with over a century of continuous history underscores the evolution of contemporary pipe design. Explore our archival coverage of this Dutch journey and share Al Pascià’s dedication to understanding the engineering and craftsmanship that define the world's most reliable smoking instruments.