Detectives and Pipes – Part 1: Introduction by the Kurtz Detective Agency Duisburg

A Typical Detective Stereotype Since Sherlock Holmes: The Pipe

Pipe smoking is arguably the most original form of smoking; the oldest tobacco pipes ever discovered were found among Egyptian mummies – grave goods from nearly four thousand years ago. Although pipe smokers have become rarer in recent decades due to the widespread rise of cigarettes, they still exist: connoisseurs, thinkers, calm and independent spirits. Today, the pipe smoker is associated with many attributes – rarely negative ones. And of course, it is above all the profession of the private detective that, since Sherlock Holmes, has been closely linked with pipe smoking – just as much as with a magnifying glass and deerstalker hat. Our detectives at Kurtz Detective Agency Duisburg regularly note this with amusement. The question “And do you also smoke a pipe?” is part of almost every conversation and usually follows directly after “And what do you do for a living?” As is often the case, there is a grain of truth behind stereotypes. It is indeed true that some of our private investigators are passionate pipe smokers. Patrick Kurtz himself, owner of our detective offices in Duisburg, has smoked a pipe since the age of 14 and owns more than twenty pipes.

 

Much has changed since the days of the Bow Street Runners and Eugène François Vidocq, pioneers of modern detective work. Today, cutting-edge technology, IT forensics and commercial investigations shape the daily routine of our detectives in Duisburg. Yet the association between private investigators and the pipe remains remarkably strong. Reason enough to take a closer look at the background of pipe smoking and examine why detective work and the pipe are still so closely intertwined.

Pipe Smoking During Surveillance? A No-Go!

There is one cliché we should dispense with straight away: even if some of our detectives are enthusiastic pipe smokers, the pipe has no place in fieldwork! One might think it would be no problem: your own car, for example, is one of the few places where you can legally smoke undisturbed, and carrying out a lengthy surveillance of a subject from the car would certainly be more pleasant for some of our Duisburg private investigators when accompanied by a pleasantly aromatic pipe. The problem, however, is quite prosaic, because two things are essential to provide a flawless and promising surveillance for the client:

 

First, of course, is the requirement for as inconspicuous an appearance as possible: during a surveillance, for example when there is suspicion of sick-leave fraud, it is important that the deployed investigator remain unobtrusive so that the subject does not realise they are being watched. An inconspicuous appearance is therefore imperative — and given how rare pipe smokers have become, these two requirements are difficult to reconcile. Second, smoking a pipe intermittently always requires a certain amount of attention: you often have to handle it with your hands, the tobacco needs to be packed, occasionally re-lit, and ultimately pipe smoking places one in a relaxed state that may reduce the necessary readiness to react during surveillance — after all, our private investigators in Duisburg must be able to react instantaneously when relevant situations arise, to take a quick photograph or to follow the subject. A pipe would be more of a hindrance in such circumstances.

Pipe Smoking in the Detective Office? By All Means!

Quite a different picture emerges, however, in the solitude of the detective office: pipe smoking is said to create an atmosphere of calm and relaxation that favours thought and, naturally, creativity. Our investigators can fully confirm this! Detective work is not merely routine fieldwork and does not take place exclusively on the street. Where loose threads must be tied together and relationships established, calm and relaxation are appropriate — and the pipe is ideally suited to that purpose. Thus it happens that one or two private detectives, at least among our investigators at Kurtz Detective Agency Duisburg, do not want to forgo the contemplative pleasure of pipe smoking.

Detective Smoking a Pipe and Typing an Investigation Report on a Typewriter; Private Detective Duisburg, Private Detective Agency Duisburg, Detective Duisburg

The tobacco pipe in the detective office: no longer the rule, but by no means an exception.

Preview of Part 2 of the Series “Detectives and the Pipe”: The Danish Pipe-Maker Poul Winsløw

High-quality pipes are made in time-consuming handcraft, and many pipe-makers are genuine artists. One need only look at the different pipe types, shapes and colours, the materials used and the various functional designs to appreciate the meticulous work involved, sometimes featuring delicate inlays and great attention to detail. Some pipe-makers are genuine icons of their craft, extremely talented masters of their art. One of them is Poul Winsløw, a name that may mean little to those who have rarely encountered pipes — reason enough for Kurtz Business Detective Duisburg to pay tribute in Part 2 of our series “Detectives and the Pipe” to a true master of the pipe-making craft!

Author: Gerrit Koehler

 

Kurtz Investigations Duisburg

Auf dem Damm 112

47137 Duisburg

Tel.: +49 203 3196 0052

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-duisburg.de

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-duisburg.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-duisburg

Tags: Detective, Detective Agency, Duisburg, Private Detective, Detective Office, Investigator, Private Investigator, Sherlock Holmes, Private Detective Agency, Commercial Detective Agency, Ruhr Area, Pipe, Tobacco Pipe, Pipe Smoking, Pipe-and-Detective, IT Forensics, Detective Stereotypes, Vidocq, Bow Street Runners, Surveillance, Vehicle Surveillance, Sick-Leave Frau