About mid-summer last year, KC Pipe Club President, Carl Staudenmyer noticed an older meerschaum pipe in a leather case on eBay that said it had the case markings of "Butera" and "1". Carl is a big Butera fan and really likes his meerschaums. Having never seen a Butera meerschaum that had a carved bowl Carl suspected something was amiss, but went ahead and bid on it anyway and won the pipe.
[/url][/img]
Next is a photo of the case to give you an idea of how magnificent it is.
[/url][/img]
He receives the pipe and proceeds to call Mike. Mike asks him several questions and then says "Carl, that is the first meerschaum pipe I ever carved". I believe he said he carved that over 20 years ago. He made Carl promise that if he ever wanted to get rid of that pipe he (Mike) wanted first crack at getting it. Carl agreed.
Fast forward to the Chicago Show. Carl phones Mike and told him he want to see him on Friday evening. Mike says okay. It ends up that Carl, Mike, Steve Leaders, and I decide to go out for pizza rather than fight our way through the mob at the CPCC buffet. So we eat pizza, had a good time with the waitress "from the old country", and adjourned back to my room at the Pheasant Run Resort.
Carl tells mike that he wanted to see him to give him something. He pulls out the Butera Meerschaum and says "I want you to have this". Mike couldn't get a hold of that pipe fast enough. He offered to pay Carl a fair price for the pipe but Carl said, "No, it is a gift". And then Carl told him he had one other thing to give him. He reaches in to a big bag and pulls out a Lifetime Appreciation Award from the Greater Kansas City Pipe Club.
[/url][/img]
To say Mike was stunned is to understate the point. He expressed his gratitude profusely. The award was done by club member and Master Penman Mike Sull. It expresses appreciation from the KC Pipe Club to Mike for all that he has done over the years to support and grow the hobby as well as his ceaseless efforts to help American pipe carvers. Below is a larger photo of the award.
[/url][/img]
Next is a photo of the case to give you an idea of how magnificent it is.
He receives the pipe and proceeds to call Mike. Mike asks him several questions and then says "Carl, that is the first meerschaum pipe I ever carved". I believe he said he carved that over 20 years ago. He made Carl promise that if he ever wanted to get rid of that pipe he (Mike) wanted first crack at getting it. Carl agreed.
Fast forward to the Chicago Show. Carl phones Mike and told him he want to see him on Friday evening. Mike says okay. It ends up that Carl, Mike, Steve Leaders, and I decide to go out for pizza rather than fight our way through the mob at the CPCC buffet. So we eat pizza, had a good time with the waitress "from the old country", and adjourned back to my room at the Pheasant Run Resort.
Carl tells mike that he wanted to see him to give him something. He pulls out the Butera Meerschaum and says "I want you to have this". Mike couldn't get a hold of that pipe fast enough. He offered to pay Carl a fair price for the pipe but Carl said, "No, it is a gift". And then Carl told him he had one other thing to give him. He reaches in to a big bag and pulls out a Lifetime Appreciation Award from the Greater Kansas City Pipe Club.
To say Mike was stunned is to understate the point. He expressed his gratitude profusely. The award was done by club member and Master Penman Mike Sull. It expresses appreciation from the KC Pipe Club to Mike for all that he has done over the years to support and grow the hobby as well as his ceaseless efforts to help American pipe carvers. Below is a larger photo of the award.
