The manufacture of figural pipes took place in a similar way to that of all other clay pipes. Firm, pliable clay was placed in a brass mold and the clay took the shape of the mold as a result of squeezing a hole in the stem and bowl. As two-piece molds were not adequate for pipes with a three dimensional design, French companies used three-piece and even four-piece molds. All the parts interlock meticulously and were a piece of fine art metalwork in themselves.

The ornate designs on the bowls made this part of these pipes heavier than the bowls on smooth pipes. After all, more clay was used for decorating with faces, hats or busts. Pipes made from one piece, where the bowl and the stem were pressed at once, were rather fragile. When the pipe bowls became even larger and designs more free, the balance was jeopardized. This resulted in the new invention of a pipe bowl with a short thick stem, ending in a firm collar, into which a separate stem of cherry wood was fitted. These so-called stub-stemmed pipes were significantly less fragile and gave the pipe designer more freedom. Stub-stemmed pipes were usually not only larger and more elaborate but also more fancy and often had accents in multi-colored enamel paint.

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