Out of the blue.
After work on a swampy hot day,
mailbox,
one envelope of several 1930's Punch magazines,
and a mailing tube.
Noticing the tube was addressed to me sent thoughts flashing,
what is this?
The return addy was from Wayne Teipen.
Hmmm...
May have accidentally sent to the wrong address?
I wasn't expecting anything.
Popping open the end,
pulling something out,
unwrapping bubble pop,
and now holding a black velvet bag with an object which felt familar,
pull the drawstring,
peek inside,
grasp the end and withdraw,
and,
my breath is taken,
in jaw dropping awe,
a staggering silence,
slight confusion,
at this point I feel dizzy and my head is spinning --- what I'm seeing is of utmost delight, a thing I had long desired, and now holding it, in the flesh, was like a flash of lightning, ZAP!
This is what the object was:
I kept looking at it,
holding it.
About a Grp. 4 size and very light at 40g
I was afraid to get too carried away, if there was a mistake I didn't want to risk messing it up somehow.
I emailed Wayne and told him how an unexpected pipe had arrived:
"Yeah, I wanted to surprise you."
YOWZA!
:!:
He did surprise me and what an absolutely wonderful surprise!
Out of the clear blue sky like a thunderclap lightningbolt!
ZAP!
He also explained how this was a prototype and how it came out better than he had expected.
Indeed,
it came out very well.
I wrote back:
making them so precisely on the mark of a near perfection,
thin bit so comfortable, and how the All_Briar Blast had a subtle fishtail which I love,
and how most monoblock All-Briars had an orific bit, a simple round hole airway, due to difficulties of drilling.
You see, at this point I thought that the pipe was an all-one-piece monoblock All-Briar, a type of pipe which has caught my fancy, originating in France I think and the tradition carried on in England, but the form died out by the 20's or 30's it seems and they're quite scarce to come across.
Wayne was so skillful in blasting the shank, keeping the proper alignment, making a seamless fit, that I mistakenly thought it was all one piece!
It wasn't until I wrote back and asked if he minded if I start a thread about it, and he included some photos, including one with the stem off, that I realized what he had actually achieved, and I was in even more complete awe from this realization.
I've never seen anything like it and I'd say it's a new form, at least as far as finishing goes, I haven't seen the shanks of an All-Briar so nicely blasted, along with a very fine fade to smooth bite zone --- it really is stunning!
Look at how the smooth parts totally pop, and I love the diagonal sweep of grain on the end bit!
I was embarrassed that I didn't think the stem came off,
I tried a slight twist but it seemed so snug as to be all one piece.
I'm so excited that I'm up late,
I can't sleep,
I'm still spinning dizzy with delight!
Wayne told me that it was a gift,
and I was staggered,
like wha?
YOWZA!
Truly a tremendous gift which has rocked my world,
a very special pipe, unique and oh so beautiful,
and today is better than Christmas!
And I feel totally blessed.
And I am deeply thankful for such an astounding surprise,
my heartfelt thanks to you Wayne,
you zapped my brain with a massive lightning strike and filled my soul full to the brim,
joyous singing and bells ringing,
I am in humble gratitude.
THANK YOU!
I'll take some additional pics when time permits,
as this beauty needs all the angles,
and ramble more about what a great technical execution of pipemaking it is!
:
:
After work on a swampy hot day,
mailbox,
one envelope of several 1930's Punch magazines,
and a mailing tube.
Noticing the tube was addressed to me sent thoughts flashing,
what is this?
The return addy was from Wayne Teipen.
Hmmm...
May have accidentally sent to the wrong address?
I wasn't expecting anything.
Popping open the end,
pulling something out,
unwrapping bubble pop,
and now holding a black velvet bag with an object which felt familar,
pull the drawstring,
peek inside,
grasp the end and withdraw,
and,
my breath is taken,
in jaw dropping awe,
a staggering silence,
slight confusion,
at this point I feel dizzy and my head is spinning --- what I'm seeing is of utmost delight, a thing I had long desired, and now holding it, in the flesh, was like a flash of lightning, ZAP!
This is what the object was:
I kept looking at it,
holding it.
About a Grp. 4 size and very light at 40g
I was afraid to get too carried away, if there was a mistake I didn't want to risk messing it up somehow.
I emailed Wayne and told him how an unexpected pipe had arrived:
He wrote back,
"Yeah, I wanted to surprise you."
YOWZA!
:!:
He did surprise me and what an absolutely wonderful surprise!
Out of the clear blue sky like a thunderclap lightningbolt!
ZAP!
He also explained how this was a prototype and how it came out better than he had expected.
Indeed,
it came out very well.
I wrote back:
And rambled on about how he is supreme with the briar stems,
making them so precisely on the mark of a near perfection,
thin bit so comfortable, and how the All_Briar Blast had a subtle fishtail which I love,
and how most monoblock All-Briars had an orific bit, a simple round hole airway, due to difficulties of drilling.
You see, at this point I thought that the pipe was an all-one-piece monoblock All-Briar, a type of pipe which has caught my fancy, originating in France I think and the tradition carried on in England, but the form died out by the 20's or 30's it seems and they're quite scarce to come across.
Wayne was so skillful in blasting the shank, keeping the proper alignment, making a seamless fit, that I mistakenly thought it was all one piece!
It wasn't until I wrote back and asked if he minded if I start a thread about it, and he included some photos, including one with the stem off, that I realized what he had actually achieved, and I was in even more complete awe from this realization.
I've never seen anything like it and I'd say it's a new form, at least as far as finishing goes, I haven't seen the shanks of an All-Briar so nicely blasted, along with a very fine fade to smooth bite zone --- it really is stunning!
Look at how the smooth parts totally pop, and I love the diagonal sweep of grain on the end bit!
I was embarrassed that I didn't think the stem came off,
I tried a slight twist but it seemed so snug as to be all one piece.
I'm so excited that I'm up late,
I can't sleep,
I'm still spinning dizzy with delight!
Wayne told me that it was a gift,
and I was staggered,
like wha?
YOWZA!
Truly a tremendous gift which has rocked my world,
a very special pipe, unique and oh so beautiful,
and today is better than Christmas!
And I feel totally blessed.
And I am deeply thankful for such an astounding surprise,
my heartfelt thanks to you Wayne,
you zapped my brain with a massive lightning strike and filled my soul full to the brim,
joyous singing and bells ringing,
I am in humble gratitude.
THANK YOU!
I'll take some additional pics when time permits,
as this beauty needs all the angles,
and ramble more about what a great technical execution of pipemaking it is!
:
:
