The last Czech incense smoker workshop
Incense smokers
Incense smokers
from the Ore Mountains
In a small workshop in Nová Ves v Horách, in the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge), traditional wooden incense smokers are made one by one. We turn the individual parts, sand them by hand, then paint them and assemble them into finished figures.
Browse incense smokers
Craftsmanship in every detailturning, sanding, painting
From the Ore Mountainsmade in Nová Ves v Horách
Made of wooda natural material that lasts for generations
Safely to your doordispatched within 3 days by PPL
Popular Products
Choose one to suit the person it’s for
Incense smokers by profession
For a beekeeper dad, a miner grandad or a friend who loves hunting.
Sometimes the best present is the one people recognise themselves in at first glance.
Pick the figure that reminds you of someone.
From a block of wood to a finished figure
Every incense smoker has a character of its own
Each one is made in our workshop in Nová Ves v Horách, where the wood is worked, and the parts are stained, varnished, painted by hand and assembled into a finished figure. It is the hand finishing that gives every smoker its small differences and an expression all of its own.
1
Working the wood
We cut the wood and turn it into shape on the lathe. Shavings fly and the sweeping waits until evening.
2
Turned parts
Body, legs, arms, hat. Every part is still bare wood, waiting for its colour.
3
Staining, varnishing and painting
The parts are stained and varnished, and the face and details are painted by hand. There is no painting over.
4
Assembly
We put the parts together and add the beard, tools and accessories to suit the trade.
5
The finished smoker
Pop in an incense cone and it is ready. All that is left is the move to your home.
Each one is a little different. Those small differences are how you recognise handmade work.
Choose your incense smoker
A craft that has endured
The story of our workshop
Wooden toys have been made on this spot since 1889. Over that time the people, the names and the world around us have all changed, but production in Nová Ves v Horách carries on.
Today we continue this tradition as a small Czech family business. We do not want to preserve it merely as a memory. We want the craft to be truly alive here for generations to come.
The workshop is open to visitors too. Alongside the production, you will find a permanent exhibition of toys from the Ore Mountains.
1889toy making begins here
1994NBW is founded
todaya Czech family business
From our workshop
What we make
most popular
Incense smokers
Traditional wooden figures that come to life with smoke.
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Smoking stoves
Small wooden scenes with fragrant smoke rising from them.
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Games and accessories
Tivoli and other pieces from our workshop.
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Unscripted, just the way things are here
Take a peek inside our workshop
Forty seconds from an ordinary day in Nová Ves v Horách. From planks on the saw, past the lathe and the brush, all the way to the shelves in our shop.
- workshop
- lathe
- painting
- drying
- shop
Come and visit
Exhibition and school trips in Nová Ves v Horách
runs until the end of2026
exhibition
Wooden Gems of the Ore Mountains
The toy industry of the Ore Mountains, two countries and two paths. The exhibition traces the history of wooden toy making in both the Czech and the German parts of the Ore Mountains: the stories of the craftsmen, traditional techniques and toys that have delighted children and adults for generations.
- Opening hoursMonday to Friday, 8:00 to 13:00
- Groups at weekendsby prior arrangement
- WhereNová Ves v Horách 180, in the NBW exhibition
A school trip where nobody sits still
Children look round the exhibition of old wooden toys and, above all, get to play. Touch screens offer games about toys from the Ore Mountains, and at the end each child makes their own figure to take home.
- 1Exhibition and play
- 2Touch-screen games
- 3Their own figure to keep
Show us yours
Where does yours live?
On a windowsill, next to the nativity scene, on a shelf, or perhaps still on Grandma’s dresser?
Send us a photo of your incense smoker and feel free to add a few words about how it came to you.
Because a smoker’s story does not end the moment it leaves our workshop. That is really where it begins.
on Pavel’s shelf
Jiřina’s fireplace
“We had our first smoker at home when I was a child, and later I started collecting them: first the German ones and then our Czech ones from the Ore Mountains, which won my heart at first sight. Christmas at our place is not real Christmas without the chubby little men.”
A video Jakub made with his father: Rád se usmívám aneb Krušnohorský vánoční kuřáček. It plays from YouTube.
From the people our smokers have moved in with
What people say about us
“Today I added another beautiful piece from NBW to my collection. Quality products, a pleasant atmosphere, and at the moment there is also an interesting exhibition to visit about the traditional making of incense smokers in the Ore Mountains.”
Petra Macherová
“I cannot imagine Christmas without you. I can spot the best presents just by the box.”
Pavel Nemazal
“Beautiful products, amazing detail, I am thrilled. I had to try the incense cones straight away.”
Jiřina Oulíková
“Today we visited the shop and the museum. It was wonderful. Balm for the soul. We will definitely come again before Christmas.”
Naděžda MihThese reviews come from Google and Facebook, where our customers and shop visitors wrote them. We do not further verify their authenticity.
Frequently asked questions
What is an incense smoker?
An incense smoker is a hollow wooden figure with a lit incense cone inside. The smoke rises and comes out through a hole in the mouth, so the figure looks as if it is smoking a pipe. In German they are called Räuchermännchen. They come from the Ore Mountains, the earliest records date from 1830, and they traditionally depict trades, such as the miner, the chimney sweep or the gamekeeper.
Are incense smokers still made in the Czech Republic?
Yes, but only in one place. NBW in Nová Ves v Horách is the last Czech maker of incense smokers and nutcrackers from the Ore Mountains. There has been a workshop on this site since 1889. The rest of the production has moved to the Saxon side of the Ore Mountains, mainly to Seiffen and Olbernhau.
How do you use an incense smoker?
The figure comes apart into two pieces. A lit incense cone is placed on the metal plate in the lower piece, the upper piece goes back on and the smoke starts to rise from the mouth. Keep the figure on a non-flammable surface and never leave it unattended. It is not a toy for children, it is a decoration for adults.
What are incense smokers made of?
Wood, most often lime, beech and pine. Every piece is turned, hand-carved, sanded and painted. That is why two pieces of the same figure are always slightly different.
How long does one incense cone burn?
A standard size burns for about ten minutes, larger cones for fifteen to thirty minutes. Incense cones are sold separately, and size M is the one that fits the figure. Indian incense cones tend to be wider and burn hotter, so they are not suitable for an incense smoker.
How long does delivery take?
We dispatch orders within 3 days, shipped by PPL within the Czech Republic and to Slovakia. Delivery to Germany and other countries is possible by arrangement. Shipping is free on orders over 5,000 CZK. You can pay in advance by bank transfer, or collect your order in person from our shop in Nová Ves v Horách. For Christmas, we recommend ordering by 15 December. Custom orders for companies, municipalities and clubs are made by arrangement, and we will tell you the delivery date in advance.