Artisan Pipes Group 5 or Larger (TONS of photos)

In a prior thread, Cigrmaster lamented the seeming lack of larger size pipes available from artisan pipe carvers. Though that definitely SEEMS the case, I did a quick check of my collection and came up with these group 5 size or larger artisan pipes (oh, and though it was a nice day out today, I didn't expend much effort on photography today. I just set 'em up and clicked the shutter).
Thomas James (at least a group 6 size)


Sam Learned (another group 6+)


Ron Fairchild


Quad City Pipes (Andy Petersen)


Old Nellie (Joe Nelson) Dublin


Old Nellie (Joe Nelson) Panel-Dog


Michael Parks


American (Mark Tinsky)


Larry Roush


Jaden Hew-Len


Jack Howell


J.Allen (Jeff Gracik)


Dr. Bob (bowl size is HUGE)


Chris Askwith


Charles Cole


Bruce Weaver


Brian Ruthenberg


Andrew Marks


Abe Herbaugh (I'm going to do another post just about this pipe... there's been a kind of 'Before and After' with this one.)


So YES, Harris, you CAN find larger sized artisan pipes.

Ghost, the beach chair pipe rest belonged to a friend's late father. This friend said he remembers it next to his dad's chair for as long as he can remember, so it may be 40 years old or so. And no, it's not for sale.
Garyovich, Old Nellie pipes are made by Joe Nelson of Wisconsin. Joe is also a guitar maker, so he's EXTREMELY detail oriented. He's been attending pipe shows for probably the last 5 years and his work has REALLY become well-respected. Check out his web site: oldnelliepipes.com
Cigrmaster, though there are definite differences among them (from the high profile button of Jack Howell, to the nearly non-existent buttons of Larry Roush and Dr. Bob) they're all much more comfortable than your average factory-made stem. Probably the most comfortable stems of the pipes shown above are the Old Nellie Panel-Dog, the Brian Ruthenberg and the J.Allen.
Do the Michael Parks and Larry Roush smoke "better" than the rest (given their higher price point)? Hmmm, hard to say. I guess it depends on how one defines "smoke better". They all have wide open draws, comfortable stems, well aged briar and exact engineering, so beyond that it's a matter of aesthetics and availability. I know that both Roush and Parks pipes cost a bit more because they just don't make very many.
Of the pipes shown above, my favorites are probably the Old Nellie Panel-Dog, the Charles Cole, and the J.Allen. And the Quad Cities. And the Ruthenberg...

That's a tough question, photoman.
I could come up with a Top Ten or a Favorite Five. But to pick just ONE?!
Though it changes regularly, I'd say my current favorite pipe maker is Grant Batson out of Nashville. Like Joe Nelson, he's a guitar maker, too and blends solid engineering with unique shapes.


Hmm, that one's probably a group 5, too. Should have included it with the rest.

http://www.gbatsonpipes.com/index.html