Starting life as a small, independent producer of briar pipes in Bavaria, Germany back in 1945 under the direction of German pipemaker Robert Paderholz, the firm changed ownership to Robert's son, Michael, in 1984. Michael soon developed the first automated facilities for filter production, and shortly thereafter began using the meerschaum imported for bowl inlays from Tanzania — which had provided the inspiration for the name, White Elephant — as an alternative to the still common activated charcoal.