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Pipe maker underground near Rockefeller Center NYC

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fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
8 or 9 years ago while exploring the various walkways and connections underground near Rockefeller Center I had found a pipe maker. He appeared to sell mostly his own creations. I don't remember him having any other brands available. Anyway I had bought a pipe from him for my brother. I went back a year or 2 ago looking for him and couldn't find him.
Does anyone know of him and what happened to him?
Thanks

Fitzy

 
chops

chops

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 26, 2011
223
0
Lower Hudson Valley, NY
No, I didn't know there was a pipe maker there. I work right near there so would love to visit a pipe shop. If anyone hears about this guy or knows of another actual pipe shop in NYC let us know.

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
I went to meet a friend for lunch under there one day and we wandered around walking after we ate and stumbled upon this guy. He was not in that main concourse section but down one of the hallways that connects to the surrounding buildings. For the life of me I could never find him again. I was pretty sure was right around the corner from the McDonald's under the Time Life building.
I thought his pipes were well made and very reasonable.

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
No idea. I don't even know the name of his business. I tried googling for his business but no luck.

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
Lestrout it's certainly possible and it's also possible he sells his pipes through a website or maybe other retailers. The problem is I have no idea of his name or his business name. It's been a long time. I had one of his business cards but can't find it. I was hoping to find a pipe smoker from NYC that may know who he is/was. I'll have to ask around if I make it to the next NY pipe club meeting(that would be my first meeting and I'm definitely looking to go as I just recently found out about them).
In fact if he's still around he might be a club member even.

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
Thanks for the idea Roth. I thought about asking my brother but I don't think I'd get the info I'm looking for. He might not even know which pipe it is. I'll have to take a look at the pipe if I ever visit him. Assuming he still has it.

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
So I figured out it was Ed Burak of Connoisseur pipes.
I have learned he has since retired and closed down his shop.

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
I happened to be browsing/searching older forum posts on here and found a couple on Ed Burak and it gave a description of his location that matched the location info I knew. Then I knew I had the right guy. In one of those posts is also where I found out that he retired. I was hoping maybe he just moved as I wanted to buy a couple of his pipes but unfortunately that's not the case. I have seen a couple of his estate pipes on smokingpipes but they are too expensive.
This was the post that I found:

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/connoisseur-pipes-ed-burak
This is one of the pipes of his I found on smokingpipes.com

http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/united-states/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=100459

 
fnord

fnord

Lifer
Dec 28, 2011
2,746
8
Topeka, KS
Fitzy:
Every now and again a Burak will show up on the Bay. He's obviously well known in pipe circles and his burners must be wonderful smokers because the hammer down price always outstrips my budget.
One of these days.....
Fnord

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
Yeah I'm hoping to maybe steal my brother's pipe as I clearly can't afford one on ebay. lol
The one thing I noticed about Burak's pipes is that they really have little to no finish on them but look beautiful. I wonder if that more natural finish affects how they smoke.

 
tbradsim1

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,099
11,051
Southwest Louisiana
Just a heads up, he never carved a pipe, I have one and it has a natural finish smokes good but nowhere worth some of the money some people are asking for IMHO. The old cajun

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
Yes my understanding is that he just designed them. I do have to say thought that when I met him he presented himself as the actual carver of the pipes. I've heard similar stories along those same lines. Could just be how he presented himself.
Yes what they are selling them for now online is nothing like the price I paid several years ago. I thought at the time that they were very reasonably priced.

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
Wow sounds like he is quite the pipe designer.
I wish I had bought more than just the one pipe.

 
jpberg

jpberg

Lifer
Aug 30, 2011
2,952
6,689
Rob Denholtz is the keeper of all things Burak these days, I think he's in California now. You could probably google him to get in touch, if you were so inclined.
The few encounters I had with Ed were like a meeting of the argumentative opinionated pricks of America, and he and I were the only two that showed up. Kinda humorous, looking back.

 
jpberg

jpberg

Lifer
Aug 30, 2011
2,952
6,689
Well shut my mouth, just saw the Burak post below - I guess Rob's a member here.

 
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