Ian Walker and My Unfortunate Loss

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This weekend I managed to get down to The Briary's annual event for a little while. Ian Walker of Northern Briars was there. Usually at these things there are moments when I would get to ask questions and talk to the pipemakers, but Ian was having such a hard time hearing... whether it was his ears or our accents...

But, anyways, it was an honor to be in the same room with the guy... I guess. I am just not much of the star-struck type.

briary2.jpg


I picked up a new Northern Briars pipe. I think he called it a bent brandy, but I think every pipemaker just wings it on these pipe style names.

briary3.jpg

I did get to hang with David (shaintiques) and Vorhees, and I understand that Vorhees placed in the slow smoke contest. But, I had to get out of there and sign papers on my daughters new car. So, I didn't get to stay for the whole event.

briary1.jpg

Then later that evening, after signing all of those papers in blood, I stepped out of the dealership to smoke my new pipe, and dag-nabbit if the thing didn't slip out of my hand and shatter like fucking glass in the curb. I have never seen a pipe go into so many pieces.

Que Será, Será, easy come, easy go... and all that. Hey, at least now I have a replacement stem for one of my other Northern Briars, ha ha.

 
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Reactions: Briar Lee and FLDRD

jazz

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 17, 2014
813
65
UK
Better the break up now, rather than when your love is rooted. Terrible shame though.

 
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Reactions: Briar Lee
Jan 28, 2018
12,940
134,282
66
Sarasota, FL
Michael, that's awful. Being very hard wood, I can see how a briar could also be brittle enough to break if dropped. That was a beautiful pipe as well. Sorry for the loss.

 
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rdavid

Part of the Furniture Now
Jun 30, 2018
648
9
Milton, FL
Damn, I'm sorry I missed that event...
Super sorry about your pipe. I've never thought one would explode like glass when dropped. Guess I need to start being a little more careful.

 
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jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,494
26,846
Carmel Valley, CA
Whoa. What a day! Damn! Sorry for your loss.
I've been pretty lucky. Out of the six or so pipes that have hit hard surfaces, the tenon snapped off the stem, and only one took a chip out of the stem where the mortise lies.

 

haparnold

Lifer
Aug 9, 2018
1,561
2,389
Colorado Springs, CO
Ouch! RIP, Cosmic's pipe.
I've only had one catastrophic drop: it was my favorite pipe at the time, and I dropped it while I was trying to move my pipe rack. The stem broke at the tenon, and my beloved pipe went into the trash can.

 

verporchting

Lifer
Dec 30, 2018
2,873
8,917
That really sucks. Glad you at least got a picture of it before it perished. Small comfort, but ....

 
I was really wanting one of his fat squat bulldogs, but he sold out of those and his billiards in the first ten minutes. And, I was there at opening, just not fast enough, I guess. Ha ha. The problem with his pipes being so cheap, is that the better pipes sell out quickly wherever they are posted. Then, all I have are the styles that I'm not crazy about left or the smooth ones.

The bowl remained intact, just the stummel side of the stem fragmented. I never drop my pipes, so it was a shock. But... I'll eventually get the one I want. :puffy:

 

ron123

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 28, 2015
541
984
Park Ridge, IL
fat squat bulldogs
I don't know if this one checks all the boxes for you...
I dropped a smooth on some blacktop once. Didn't break, but dinged it up, and looked kinda like it got sprayed by a mini shotgun...wasn't a higher end pipe, but it still stung. You had to be really bummed...sorry to hear that

 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
9,601
14,661
My condolences. That's a real bummer.
People often worry about meers breaking if they were to drop them on a hard surface...apparently briars aren't necessarily less fragile.

 
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