East Coast Bias: Part 2
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Kevin Godbee - Jun 28, 2012
- 12 min read
Pipe Crafter Kurt Huhn Goes Formal
Tom Spithaler
In last month’s review we looked at the first of two pieces that Rhode Island craftsman Kurt Huhn made and submitted to be scrutinized under my malevolent elucidation (insert your best evil laugh here). But seriously, looking closely at the Chubby Billiard he sent (see previous review), and seeing the fine craftsmanship applied in what is essentially a theme on a classic pipe, I was not sure what to expect from the other sample, a squat Brandy.
Well, Brandy, she’s a fine Girl. What a good wife she would be… I digress, and must apologize for the uncalled for Looking Glass song reference. That being said, it does remind me a bit of the past. My past.
As a freelance journalist and photographer for the local newspapers in my late teens, I remember the first photo I ever had published. That picture of the flaming Chrysler K-Car paid me $30.00 and made the front page of the local paper, with no by-line. As a reward, my photography mentor, the husband of my again Journalism instructor in High School, invited me to his home and presented me with a fine glass of peach brandy – in the proper glass of course. It just so happened that he was a pipe smoker as well from the hills of West ‘Verginny’ (as he pronounced it in long, drawn-out form) and knew full well how to relax and celebrate. As we sat and sipped, he smoked his pipe. This was not my first exposure to pipe smoking, and sad to say, not my first exposure to brandy either, but it was my first exposure to a proper brandy glass and a brandy shaped pipe.
The Brandy pipe is one that comes with an inherently defined character of sophistication. Just to make sure we are all on the same sheet of music with regards to the term sophistication, I want to add that the Webster’s definition not only includes the understanding of worldly wisdom combined with self-confidence and refinement, but also advanced technical development and complexity. This Squat Brandy from Mr. Huhn encompasses all of those characterizations and more.
The pipe of course is delivered in an excellent quality sock. The black sock has the feel of velvety leather and has the same texture both inside and out. I get frustrated some times when a pipe is delivered with a sock that it just barely fits in. We’ve all had them, where you have to hold the pipe at just the right angle to get it to fit in, and then quickly pull the drawstring before it pokes out again. Not so with this sock. It is different dimensionally than the sock used to deliver the Chubby Billiard we looked at last month, a testament that it is surely hand sewn for this particular pipe size. It is ample for the job, and with the slightness of the Brandy, it fits easily and comfortably giving the pipe a hug of comforting safety due to one of such class.
Once removed from the sock, the shape of the Brandy immediately becomes apparent. But even more so, the German ebonite stem is what really grabs your attention. Flashy contours, high luster, and the olive wood shank cap really set this pipe off as a well mastered package, both from an engineering and esthetic standpoint.
Let’s talk about engineering. There is engineering that plays into visual value of course. Shapes are engineered on paper, on the side of a briar block, and in the heads of the craftsman. There is an idea in the creative gray-cells of the artisan as the block is cut and begins to be sanded and formed. This is of course the first thing that the potential buyer, or collector/critic has as far as feedback from which to judge the work. If all a person is going to do is buy a pipe and set it on the shelf, or add it to a collection, this may be all that need be considered. However, if the pipe being purchased is to be used as the smoking implement for which it was intended, the engineering inside is of far greater importance.
The shank to stem fit is absolutely perfect. In all of the reviews I have written thus far, I have never used the word perfect to describe anything engineered, but only regarding the abstract or subjective. When dealing with an absolute, like the fit of a mortise, I have been reluctant to do so. Once the word ‘perfect’ is used, the cat, as they say, is out of the bag. All others must be judged against this as the new standard – and nothing can be better. What’s better than perfect after all?
I remember well as a bight-eyed 11 year old sitting in front of our small color TV in 1976, watching the Montreal Olympic games. With a sister that participated in the sport we all loved watching gymnastics. That year, Nadia Comaneci earned the first perfect "10" score in modern Olympic history. We were astonished. No one had ever seen that before, and the equipment was not even set up to allow a "10" to be displayed; instead it simply flashed a ‘1.0’ on the board. She went on to earn six more in those games and the world was stunned.
Here’s the rub. Perfect doesn’t just mean ‘only’ or hold any exclusivity. Since the Montreal Olympics there have been over 50 more perfect scores awarded showing that perfection cannot be bettered, but that it can be equaled. This stem fit is perfect. Utterly perfect.
Slipping through the first half of the mortise which is olive wood probably helps it settle in as nicely as it does when it bottoms out on the briar shank. The tenon is secured gently and yet tightly, and the stem turns and removes with ease. I’ve had the pipe for nearly 5 months now, so any imperfection in the stem or shank, or changes in the briar itself would have certainly showed itself. It hasn’t. I’m fairly certain that Kurt Huhn would not like me comparing him to a fourteen year old Romanian gymnast, but I hope he will appreciate the sentiment of the perfect score.
The stem itself is highly polished and shaped with the required elegance befitting a Brandy pipe. The 5/32" inch draft hole is drilled dead-center which mates with precision to the draft hole in the shank. The tenon is backed by a shoulder profile that mates to a recessed area on the olive wood extension, which in turn flares into the beautiful ring that follows. Artfully accomplished, this shoulder and recess are to me anchor points to the precision with which the finished engineering on this Brandy was accomplished. By adding that shoulder, the crafter is simply adding another dimension that must be cut perfectly in order for both parts to mate properly. Aesthetics and function blend flawlessly here, as the airflow is consistent and unencumbered by poorly fitted joints.
The bowl, with the home-recipe interior coating is about a tenth shy of ¾ inch and very nearly 1.5 inches deep. The draft hole appears as a blend right onto the tapered bottom of the bowl and is seen from the top down simply as a small crescent. Barely noticeable to the eye without close inspection, this will allow the smoker to draw from the very bottom of the bowl and enjoy every last bit of their favorite blend.
Five and one quarter inches long in its over-all length, the stummel measures a somewhat stubby 3.25". The bowl height is just under the 2" mark and in doing so creates a proportionate blend to the Brandy shape. The finish is dark and professionally done. It holds a higher level of gloss than what we saw in the Chubby Billiard we reviewed last month, but this to be expected in a pipe that it to hold such sophistication.
A Brandy pipe to a smoking man is akin to a Gucci handbag to a society lady. It is an accessory that comes with an inherent style and elegance. In and of itself, it speaks to those who see it a theme, and represents a prestige that should in turn be exhibited by its owner, and in the proper circumstances and environment. This pipe, as an accessory, fits the bill required by its namesake. It is elegant in shape.
In the modern vernacular, it adds ‘bling’ to the smoker. The pipe’s curves flow easily, and without interruption. I read famous pipecrafter Bruce Weaver’s criteria for determining whether or not a pipe is uniformly constructed in its outward appearance. He said,
"Let your eye flow all along the pipe…if your eye stops, the flow has been interrupted."
This pipe, handily passes the flow test in my opinion, and the opinion of Mr. Weaver (’cause I asked him!).
The rustication is a blast that is in large part where my ‘East Coast bias’ comes from. I freely admit that my biases are just that, bias, and solely formed of my own opinion. As I stated in Part one of this two part review, the west coast has its earned reputation for being liberal, open to aversions to the socially accepted ‘norms’ and etc. Whereas the east coast (often referred to as the ‘right’ coast) has a reputation for conservatism, history, and a lifestyle lived a little more slowly with quite a bit more attention and respect given to, in the words of Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof, "TRADITION!"
That explained, I feel as though all the works of Kurt Huhn that I have seen, used and own, pay great respect to the traditions of pipe making. Kurt takes old-school styling and applies his own personality in a way that while not overtly distinctive or individualistic, is yet reflective of the time, care and little bit of self that goes into each one. It is clear collecting and smoking his pipes, especially this Brandy, that he loves what he does, and is not a pipe carver to get rich and famous, but to pass on a little bit of pleasure, satisfaction and grace into each pipe he sells.
I filled the bowl with great anticipation for the inaugural smoke with a G.L. Pease blend called Jack Knife. This ready-rubbed blend was a very pleasant smoke, and the Huhn Brandy was a pleasure to hold. The natural shape of the Brandy bodes well to the relaxed smoker. It sits comfortably in the hand, and allows the naturally relaxed mitt to have a firm purchase on the pipe. This Huhn Brandy is a fair sitter as well, with a slight list to the starboard and sinking a bit to the stern.
With the second bowl later on that day, the Brandy really came alive. Filled with Sutliff Private Stock Navigator blend provided for this review by The Tinder Box Tacoma’s owner and fellow pipe connoisseur Jeff Packer, Kurt’s craftsmanship became reality. The stem is soft, gentle and smooth to the smoker mouth (an under emphasized quality I believe), shines like a midnight sun, and the gently rounded button is enough to let you know that you have it in your mouth, without it felling like a horses bit. This provides some muscle memory to the lips, but no aggravation.
A smooth, cool draw was enjoyed and this three-pack bowl burned consistently for nearly 20 minutes and never had to be relit. I understand this is in part due to the tobacco blend of choice, but it is certainly a testament to the engineering of the pipe itself as well.
This is (I have to admit) the forth pipe that I now own from Kurt Huhn. I have come to know and respect him as a person, a father, a family man, a business man, and as a pipe crafter – in each case a man of honor, integrity and deserved pride. I know nothing that Kurt takes more pride in than his wife, children and family as a whole. I write this review as a review of a hand carved briar Brandy pipe skillfully crafted by one whom I’d consider a rather unknown commodity in the domestic pipe crafting business. I cannot however do that without reflecting on the ‘man’ Kurt Huhn as well. I own four of his pieces not because there are none better made in the world, because both he and I know that to pretend this to be true would be a disservice to so many who have come to be known as the premier crafters in the world, past and present. Rather, I own four pipes made by Kurt Huhn because I know the man, and I know what went into each and every one of them; a little bit of himself.
What I recall most about that celebratory smoke and first ever glass of brandy with my photography mentor so many years ago was not my new-found success, but simply how happy we both were at that moment. He was happy to see a student of his find his first level of success in the field that he had trained me in. I was happy because I was with him, gleaning and growing – and he looked so satisfied with life. My mentor has since passed, but that memory lives on.
Joy comes in so many shapes and sizes. For some the joy in that moment would have been in the brandy. For others in the pipe or the tobacco. For me it is a little J.R.R. Tolkien-like; my joy was in the fellowship. Joy is a package that comes from a collected satisfaction of body, mind, and most importantly spirit. That day I had it all, and that little brandy pipe played a role. If only it had been as nice as the one Kurt Huhn made for this review…
Tom Spithaler is an Award Winning PSEA writer and member of the American Press Association who has cut his professional teeth in the outdoor and firearms media. Tom currently operates Born Again Briar, a small pipe sale and restoration business, blogs at www.briarmeditations.blogspot.com, and operates Spithaler Media Services, a dba of Paraklete Consulting Services, LLC. A husband of 20 years and father of three, Tom currently resides in Bonney Lake, WA. Contact: tom@bornagainbriar.com. |
Written by Kevin Godbee
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Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 634! Our featured interview on tonight’s show is with Warren Ertle. Warren is an extremely accomplished musician with a PhD in music. He started early as a percussionist in sixth grade. Later his grandmother got him a cheap Casio keyboard which he taught himself to play. He started playing in blues bands in high school, and has been a pianist with jazz big bands for years. Even though he was already a professional musician, he took his first real piano lesson when he enrolled in college with his studies in classical music. He is of course a pipe smoker. At the top of the show we will have an Ask the Tobacco Blender segment with Jeremy Reeves. Jeremy is the Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl, which is one of the most popular boutique pipe tobacco companies in the USA.
Soon now, supposedly, our neighborhoods will shift from grinning pumpkins, skeletons in various assortments, and zombies dashing about to pretty reindeer, angels, and flashing lights illuminating homes with sparkling stars and laughing, scurrying Santas. But, lest we forget, there is the turkey season, fancy pie aromas wafting from kitchens, and a national pardon of a big Tom Turkey. Remember, now, that only one of these holiday personalities is a pipe smoker. And that is the hefty, bearded fellow in a bright red suit sitting in a sleigh with a herd of deer hitched up and ready to streak across the globe, bringing tidings of joy and many presents. Ok, the scene is set for the next couple of months, right? So, before we get too far off the beaten path, let’s just take a deep breath of fresh autumn air, shall we? Ahh. That’s better, isn’t it? What’s got the Pundit in a snit is not all the Halloween spooks who came a-jostling for candy. Or the wild turkeys gobbling in the backwoods or all the fuss and feathers over the big one—Christmas. No, it is that we might need to take note of all the little things that mean so much to us. Like a good sunrise (seriously, Pundit has not gone all Pollyanna.) Mayhaps we need to appreciate more of what we have than what we have not. Or something like that. Like, a good pipe in the morning with coffee as the dawn brings us coolish weather now that we have flipped the calendar to autumn. But it also brings beautiful leaves that have become a spectacle of technicolor in the wind. It is the little things. The rereading of an enjoyable book and finding something you did not see or learn in the first go-round. Or a stunning phrase you commit to memory with the re-read, while smoking that favorite pipe. And you notice a superior puff that just seems to be different. It’s in the air and the seasons of meaningful little things. It’s aromatic! Or perhaps it is that sense of satisfaction knowing and appreciating you made it to another day. With the world in a kind of rinse-and-repeat history, reminiscent of a Shakespearean play, it is perhaps a good moment to remember some of Pipedom’s philosophers whose cogent thoughts brought light to clear a path in the mists of confusion and confounding opinions. Ok. No gloom and doom. Just some down-home thoughts. Think of times in the past when history was running off the rails. It took our pipe-smoking thinkers (the mind workers of the world) to speak of better pathways to more light. Think for a moment, with a pipe in hand, these wizards of the world and word: Albert Einstein, J. R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edwin Hubble, Bertrand Russell, C. S. Lewis, and Jean-Paul Sartre. All learned and enlightened. They offered wisdom instead of storms of meaningless roads to nowhere. All while smoking their pipes! Maybe especially with the help of their pipes in the art of thinking and philosophy. Recall the words of Mr. E=MC2 when he said, “I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs.” Amen and amen! Dealing with world-rattling events takes a calm and objective view of things, to the Pundit’s way of summing it up. You just don’t go messing around with quantum physics without a calm and objective approach, methinks. Or as the extraordinary physicist Robert Oppenheimer said after he and a team in the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos Labs developed a way to split atoms into bombs during World War II. “I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds,” said Oppenheimer referring to the development of the first nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. It must be pointed out that Oppenheimer was more of a cigarette smoker than a pipe smoker. Nonetheless, pipes were part of his personality. Now, if you have read some of the great authors of the past and present, their pipes were always nearby. Reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle can be a three-pipe problem at times. S. Lewis and Jean-Paul Sartre require time with your pipes to reflect on the existential problems and solutions these authors provide in learned novels and other narratives. Or take Edwin Hubble and Bertrand Russell, philosophers of another world. Pipes are required for reading. The quantum lode of ideas Pundit is attempting to sort out is that our pipes are relaxing and stimulate our thoughts and creativity. Especially in these last months of the year. Many times Pundit has had that light bulb flick on while smoking my beloved pipes. And friends in Pipedom, it ain’t easy to turn on the lights in Pundit’s rock pit head. Now it’s time for a quote from a Pipe Smoker of the Past. Shelby Foote was born Nov. 17, 1916, in Greenville, Miss., and died June 27, 2005, in Memphis, Tenn. A fact is not a truth until you love it—Shelby Foote. A parting thought: It is said that famed Southern author William Faulkner carried a packed pipe in a coat pocket wherever he went. That’s one effective way to deal with workday conflicts and confusion. A calm and objective judgment in our everyday human affairs, as the quantum man said.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 633. Our featured guest tonight is Jon David Cole. JD is the Owner/Tobacconist at The Country Squire in Jackson, MS, and the accompanying online store. We’ll have JD and Brian talking about what’s new at the store and in the business in general. At the top of the show, Brian will discuss tobacco growing, what happens to the leaf, and provide updated information on where tobacco is being gown today. Tobacco production originated in the United States and we were once the #1 producer. It’s quite different now.
Well there’s nothing like a touch of the plague to usher in the changing season. Leaving the airport just when the first advertisements for all things pumpkin spice began to appear—lattes, muffins, shampoos, trash bags, and myriad other concoctions—so, too, my ability to breathe freely disappeared. The unfortunate side effect of losing one’s sense of taste and smell for weeks is the utter inability to enjoy tobacco. Not that I consider myself an expert on anything but my own tastes, but be forewarned that this review was made with mildly impugned sensory equipment. Just when a comforting pipe was most needed, its comfort was denied. Be that as it may, the road to recovery found me limping along on one lung this past month, trying to wrest the particulars of two blends on offer from Sutliff: the latest 175th Anniversary blend, Silver Quarter, as well as their spooky seasonal Maple Shadows II. Silver Quarter is a new style on offer from Sutliff, their first coin-cut blend. Naturally a Virginia-Perique, it is enhanced with a traditional core of black Cavendish. In the tin it holds much promise, with a lightly bready and very woody, if ever-so-slightly sour, aroma. After some time acclimating to air, the bouquet softens further and offers hints of the burley with some chocolaty notes wafting through the more dominant dry grassy aspect. The tin art is of a coin-style bas-relief bust, presumably of a founding Sutliff brother, à la The Old Boss On the reverse of the tin we find the blend’s description: Reflecting on Sutliffs 175 years of tobacco excellence, we came across a brand that embodies true value, SILVER QUARTER. This name pays homage to Sutliffs roots, the legacy of two brothers who popularized pipe smoking in the burgeoning mining society of San Francisco. We celebrate this heritage with a coin cut composed of the finest African Virginias, complemented by a core of Perique and Black Cavendish. The tin notes are, forgive the pun, on the nose for a good VaPer blend: mild tart sweetness peeking out from behind dried hay and slight chocolate undertones, with a lightly tannic finish of weathered oak. It is always a joy to prepare a coin cut, my preference being to put a few in my palm and vigorously warm my hands together to fully break them apart. These well-formed discs pack and light easily, and smoke with little prodding to the end of the bowl. For technical points it scores well—it smokes light, and it’s easy to tend the ember. While it gets sharp after a few quick bowls, pacing should be heeded to easily smoke down to the heel without inviting bite. Of the flavor, though, I am left a bit wanting. There are tart and high notes aplenty, but very little of the lemony citrus I would anticipate, as well as scant midtones; they tend more toward the red wine-vinegary and sour. The flavors are muted, also, lacking the sweetness and piquancy of other marques—the small measure of Perique tickles the nose now and again with peppery hints, and there is a smidge of a deeper sweetness to be found in the Cavendish from puff to puff, but overall it lacks some dynamism. The Virginias, to my palate, come off a bit on the dry side, and here they dominate the blend. The aftertaste and mouthfeel are neutral, again evincing more of the dry, woody, tartly tannic end of the spectrum. The blend has plenty of polish, but not enough depth or richness (*yet) to make it a standout. Here, comparisons are inevitable: Luxury Bullseye Flake has more sweetness, both from its Virginia as well as its Cavendish, and a better finish; Davidoff is similar but with a pronounced umami that is absent here; as for Escudo, I haven’t had any fresh tins lately so it would be unfair to compare. While it rates as a solid, fairly mild smoke, particularly to lovers of the genre, it does not surprise with any exceptional flavors. To be fair, all the boxes have been checked for the blend to benefit from some real aging, and it would be worth checking in on this after a couple of years sealed away. I’ve set half my tin aside to sample again in a month or two, in case I’m merely suffering from the lingering effects of parosmia, and will amend this review in that case. Maple Shadows II, on the other hand, made up for the weeks of sniffling and sneezing I’d endured. Offered in a full 8 ounce tin with delightfully spooky Halloween art, it’s (hopefully) enough to last through the season. Somehow I had missed this last year, so it’s a real pleasure to get some in my candy bucket this year. As the chilling winds of autumn draw eerie prattle from contorted, deciduous limbs, we find ourselves possessed by the spirit of the season. 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With a sweet coffee or tea to accompany, the aftertaste of the maple is reinvigorated on the palate […]
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 632. Our featured guest on tonight’s show is the host of the Pipe & Tamper Podcast, Mike Murphy. Brian and Mike will have an extended chat revolving around the days before, during and after the Las Vegas International Pipe Show. We will hear about their travels to the show and the anxiety of Hurricane Milton bearing down on Florida at the same time while running a show and not knowing if your house is going to be there when you get home. In the end, the show went great and our homes survived, although many others in Florida were not so lucky. We’ll have clips from the show, and shoutouts to other podcasts and vlogs that were broadcasting from the pipe show.
Vegas Baby The show started out strong on the 14th floor hospitality suites hosted by the Vegas Pipe Show and Smoking Pipes as well as room hopping to carvers, estate sellers, and vendors to pre-game for the festivities. If you’re interested in what that looks like I’ll refer you to last years pipe show round up. I circled with Brian Levine to get the totals in comparison to last year: This year’s show numbers: 108 Exhibitor tables, 445 attendees, 3,250 Raffle Tickets, 100ish dinners, 172 Rooms in the Hotel. Last year, by comparison, 107 exhibitor tables, 425 attendees, 2,200 raffle tickets, 104 dinners, and 175 rooms on Friday and Saturday nights. We were at capacity, basically, when it came to vendor tables and the dinner, so there is no physical room for growth at this point except for attendees. That said, we filled that smoking lounge to the brim. New Carvers Spotlight Garret Woo (Pipes by Woo) How long have you been carving? Garret: I’ve been carving since 2021, and I’m guessing your next question is probably how’d you get started carving? James: Yes. Garret: In 2021 I took a break from my full time job – that included machining and assembly work and I thought maybe it was time I made something that I would like and I started looking at youtube and Instagram and putting together my shop. I did struggle on the stems to start and there was a lot of failure at the beginning. James: How many pipes have you made so far? Garret: I number my pipes, so I just finished up 186. James: What is your favorite shape you’ve been making? Garret: I really dig Canadians and pipes with longer shanks and lovat Canadian blends. I like to play with different shapes of stems on the longer shanked pipes. The billiard would be my go-to shape but I want to learn more techniques on freehanded shapes. I like to put brass and copper adornments on my pipes with my machining background it helps. James: What is the craziest thing you’ve seen at this show? Garret: The first thing that comes to mind is the table over there with C-Pipes with the shapes and the size and petiteness and the intricate details they did. You can check out what Garret is working on by going to his Instagram. Stefan Cashwell James: how long have you been carving? Stefan: about 3 years. James: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at the show? Stefan: The Adam Davidson pipe with the clear shape and the bamboo—I don’t know if it’s 3D printed or what, but it’s amazing. James: What’s your favorite shape to do? Stefan: That’s a tough question. I think they’re all the same shape, but what’s fascinating is that Dublin, volcano, and blowfish are all the same depending on how you turn them. Playing with that, with all its variations, is a lot of fun. My favorite accent to use is also horn; it’s finicky, but it’s a great accent on pipes. You can check out Stefan’s work on his Instagram. Science: Meet Pipes I chatted with Chris from the San Diego Pipe Club; he started off doing stem replacements for estate pipes but also improved the airflow. James: How are you doing 3d printing? What is the thought process? Chris: It’s a 3D-printed pipe with a briar insert. The design is a calabash meets a Peterson system meets a metal Falcon/Kirsten radiator style. It is a bottom draft smoking bowl like a radiator like those metal pipes. The inside chamber is a calabash. The stummel and accent rings in the stems are all 3d printed. The insert is briar, olive wood, or I have the potential to use meerschaum as well. This idea came about through the San Diego Pipe Club, wanting to see if we could 3D print a pipe and being curious about the technology; I have a printer and design ability, so here we are. James: What’s the type of plastic you’re using? Chris: It’s all PLA plastic, a renewable potato starch plastic that is food-safe. The stummels are printed with a plastic that has wood in it 40% wood fiber, bamboo, rosewood, ebony, redwood, and walnut are the woods I’m printing. For the accent rings I just got a new material that I’m printing that has 40% copper, so its real metal that you can sand, and polish the same as wood filament. The stems are 3d printed as well. The concept is renewable and cheap from a production standpoint, with the ability to make a very high quality smoking pipe based on the experience. By combining the calabash system pipe and bottom draft hole and using 3d simulations to see airflow, I can see where I’m having eddies and ripples in my current, and see where my moisture and all the particles are dropping back out from a vapor to a liquid. Most people who have tried these say the stems are clean, and they don’t even have to run a pipe cleaner afterward because everything collects at the bottom. Chris has also been experimenting with color-changing plastics so you can see the hotspots. Chris said he was able to use this to slow down his cadence, which, of course, could mean you could get a slow-smoke training pipe to teach yourself to perform better. If you’re interested in learning more or want to check one out, you can contact him on Instagram: Copper Beard Pipe Works The Negative Space The show was buzzing about one specific pipe, which had everyone guessing how it was made. I chatted with Adam Davidson briefly about it. James: How did this idea come to fruition? Adam Davidson: Smokingpipes.com had an expo back in August open to all of the makers they carry. The theme was to make a pipe utilizing bamboo. Given that the last time we had the expo I made a smooth Almond with three bamboo shanks, […]
That’s a heck of a lot of good things to say about a beautiful pipe. I enjoyed reading this very much. The pipe looks amazing, but the stamp looks to be off-kilter. So much work put into the pipe only for the stamps to be in all different directions? Doesn’t seem right. I hope it’s just the photo, or my eyes.
Spartan – glad you liked the review. I enjoyed writing it very much. Pipes aside, getting to meet such fine people in this industry is inspiring in and of itself. What an open and friendly community the pipe industry is. From carvers to consumers and everyone in between, I have yet to meet someone that I have not learned something from. To be honest with you, I had not noticed the roll-stamp markings. I took the pipe out of my bad earlier this week. I’ll look at it when I get home and hopefully remember to get back to you. The second line does look a little ‘akilter’, but I know that roll-stamping can be a real bear. In any case, thanks for your comments, and I’m glad you enjoyed the piece.
That pipe has a lot of really nice details. As for the stamp, I believe it’s the picture and the glare makes it appear off-kilter. Not the actual positioning of the stamp. Thanks for the review, I enjoyed reading it very much and look forward to your next one. Cheers.
Thanks jharvard. I really like this Brandy. Trouble is, I’m fighting whether or not to add this into my personal use collection, or to stable it as trading stock. It is an amazing pipe, but when I saw a picture of me smoking it, it just seems a little bit small for my ‘manly’ figure! Not sure what to do. I have three other pipes from Kurt, and they are determinate regular rotation pipes now.
I really enjoyed the way you weaved the narrative of your history with, and affection for, this shape with a review of the pipe that evokes those memories. Once again, a magnificent set of photos to enhance the article and make the whole piece come alive. The extra effort you put into this piece is appreciated very much. I hope there is more to come.
cortezattic, you are too kind and I am humbled. Glad that a little bit of my past that made me smile, has done the same for you.
Yes, there is more to come. The next review, we’ll be looking at a really cool tomato from JSEC Handmade Pipes. Following that, I’ll be introducing a new pipecrafter from Austria to consumers here in the States. Stay tuned!
Kurt Huhn, helping a fellow pipe maker or finding out information for a guy buying a lathe; doing this or that, The endurance,patience, the man. WOW!