Yes, It's Time For Another One of Those Threads

[cosmicfolklore]

I can appreciate them as sculptural, and I really love that they show us slices of the whole briar, which not many people get to see. But, as far as what types of unusual scuptural pipes that I would rather have, my own tastes would go towards the less minimalist pipes, and more towards things that show some skills in carving, such as...

or, some of the inventiveness and creativity of Nate King...

But, none of these are really meant to be every day smokers. I would rather just display them to be appreciated while I smoked, just like one of the many prints and sculptures that I have displayed in my smoking room.

If they wanted them to be smokers, they should have designed them with a neck brace or support straps for the shoulders. ::
But, to each their own.

 

[npod]

I have one! I LOVE it. Granted, mine is a Castello Fiammata, and a treasure in my collection. But these briar block pipes did sell very (very) well at the show this weekend. Luiga Viprata is doing lots of them lately, along with Savinelli, et al.
Keep in mind, these pipes have a specific niche. Not recommend as a first pipe (or tenth or twentieth pipe in a colleciton). But, they are not gimmicks (at least the top quality ones versus that Neerup crap, IMHO). They are primarily artistic and meant to show the burl from plateau to center. Ashtrays are also made in a similar way. Yet, they are secondarily fantastic smokers. I get 3-4 hours out of mine and I smoke only McClelland Smyrna or Drama Reserve in it. The walls are super thick and it allows the smoke to develop in ways that no other pipe can. I break it out when I'm binge watching YouTube or watching LOTR, etc. Hard to find the time to smoke these Godzilla pipes, but it's nirvana when you can. BTW, avoid flakes in these, as if that needs to be said.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

When the carver for Ser Jacapo came to visit the Briary last month, he brought several of these "half briar" plateau types of pipes with him. Skip kind of nudged me in the ribs when he was showing them off, both of us thinking he was never going to be able to sell anything like that... but, all of them sold before the carver left that day. Ha ha! You never can tell...

 

[Chasing Embers]

Who made that one?

 

[npod]

all of them sold before the carver left that day. Ha ha! You never can tell...

I spoke with Marco this weekend (U.S. Castello distributor), he said they are selling well. I got mine a long time ago, before they became popular.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Duane...

This Nautilus pipe is made by two pipemakers. The desing(sic) is made by Croatian pipemaker Marinko Neralić (Mpipes), and a finish is made by Swiss pipemaker Yves Backstoner.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/221902575057?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

 

[Chasing Embers]

Thanks Michael. Love a well executed nautilus.

 

[seacaptain]

my own tastes would go towards the less minimalist pipes, and more towards things that show some skills in carving,

Exactly. That's really my beef with these. I honestly think I could make one myself, especially something like that turd block in the first pic, and I have zero pipe carving skills.

 

[mikestanley]

To my taste, it’s the wood that is removed that makes the pipe. Anything left that doesn’t belong detracts from the pipe’s lines. I see a lot of extra wood in many of those.

Mike S.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

There, I fixed it. ::

 

[mso489]

This is just my mind game, but I see these as arising from an appreciation of those gorgeous blocks of briar. I think pipe carvers get a little tired of hewing them into the twenty-five basic shapes, a few standard freehands, and restrained ventures into avant guard versions. These just follow the lead of these big dramatic blocks and lets the grain and gnarly plateau glow, and let the smoker make the best of it. Do I visualize myself reaching for these as favorite smokers? Nope. I'll go back to my Savinelli apple and my Nording signature, etc. But I appreciate the visual aspect of these admirable hulks of nature and appreciate the sentiment.

 

[crashthegrey]

Sometimes the block just won't make a good traditional pipe shape, sometimes an odd shaped block is being turned into something profitable. Once in awhile, one of these odd pipes has an amazing grain right there so you stop what you are doing and let it shine. And sometimes I feel like someone just got lazy.

 

[philobeddoe]

These large freehand style of pipes have been largely out of favor for quite some time, but were once very prominent. Pipe makers such as Preben Holm, Ben Wade and Karl Erik amongst many others made them by the truckload in the 1970’s, I’m glad they’re coming back into vogue. The more variety in design the better.

 

[seacaptain]

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if someone does this someday, just stain an outline if a pipe on a block, and then try to sell it for $500.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

$500 would be cheap. Those things tend to go up into the almost $1000 range or above.

 

[crashthegrey]

Staining the outline of a pipe could be artistically interesting in how it is handled from different angles.

 

[bnichols23]

@philo, agreed, but I freely admit it's most likely because of my liking for them in general. I find myself looking at estates much more than new pipes, not because I'm cheap (I am; see sig.), but because I like the esthetics more.
@seacaptain? "turd block" -- Dang, you're cold. Right too. }
Sorry, sig change didn't take effect quickly enough -- Oh, well, here it is.
"Cheap is good. Free is better."

 

[slowroll]

Well, I've made a few pipes and it definitely ain't my style. I like all the variations on standards, especially Danish variations like Pibe Dan's, Jarl, Kriswiill and some Stanwells. Don't like testicular live edge manga ray pipes. But I'm a certified curmudgeon.

 

[noquarter]

Grain looks tight, nice contrast stain,blast looks interesting.I like it. 70% of my pipes are Custom-bilts so maybe i have a thing for these "ugly"clunky pipes.

And if I'll ever buy a freehand, i might as well go full retard freehand.

 

[seacaptain]

i might as well go full retard freehand.