he's also smart by not overpricing his pipes. Too many young carvers charge too much too soon; they haven't proven themselves yet. But by charging a nominal fee, I think he'll get his pipes out there and start building a following.
I completely agree. It's astounding how many people are out there doing decent work - and they are new to pipe carving - but when you pick up their pipes off a table it's like WHOA STICKER SHOCK. Like where are these people coming from? They have no following, and they are trying to build their following on one principle: if I price my pipes out-of-this-world, people will perceive them as quality. And a guy like George Lewis, whose dad is very well-established, could be doing that - - but he isn't. He's doing it the smart way.
There are so many carvers who are doing amazing work for much less than the standard boutique rate - and I mean people who have been around for a while who are doing great work. Then, on the other hand, there are folks who show up at shows with pipes that are right off the workbench for 300 clams - and they haven't sold a single pipe! It is a hazardous business because, truthfully, many people have fallen by the wayside - "what happened to so-and-so??" "Oh they're not making pipes anymore."
It's nice to see a young carver who has lots of room to grow, who isn't charging an arm and a leg because they have good business sense to go with their growing talent.