Documentary Review: The Battle of the Briar
-
James Foster - Mar 25, 2025
- 6 min read
Way… way… back in 2023, at the Chicago Pipe Show, Adam Floyd and Nick Masella (Get Piped) showed up with cameras, mics, and a dream to make a new pipe documentary. Their subject was the first of its kind, “Battle of the Briar,” pitting three pipe makers against each other in a one-hour, no-holds-barred competition to see which one could produce the best pipe in a time crunch.
It was in a sense, the first ever “Reality TV Style” Battle of the Briar, which was the brainchild of Jeff Gracik (J Alan Pipes).
Should you watch this documentary? Yes. Ok, review over.
I kid. I kid. Frankly, I’ve put off writing a documentary review about an event I was at as it’s not typically something I write about. In fact, the last movie review I wrote was when I was in high school writing for the newspaper, doing a movie review of the re-released Star Wars movies back in the ’90s. So, without spoiling anything? I mean it was 2 years ago you should know who won… I’ll go into some details about this documentary to give you a better idea of what to expect.
First off, in typical “Get Piped” style Adam and Nick set this documentary up not for the pipe smoker, but more so for the uninitiated. What I mean by that is that they take their time introducing pipes, pipe smoking, what it is, and why people still do it. They’ve made a movie that should draw in the viewer to better understand why we do it, why we find it fascinating, and why a bunch of guys and gals would sit in a room or a smoking lounge and watch three people carve a pipe live. It’s a film that’s crafted to draw in people who are not pipe smokers to try to explain why those of us in this “hobby” travel across the continent or the world to meet, buy, sell, trade, and swap stories. Adam, a consummate storyteller, manages to skirt the basics we all understand with the nuanced enjoyment of smoking a pipe so as not to be off-putting to the die-hard pipe-smoking hobbyist.
It took the Get Piped team these past 2 years to edit, massage, and tease out a story that would keep the viewer interested and engaged till the very end. With a runtime of 55 minutes there was a lot of video to go through and package into a concise documentary that sucks you in to know what happened even if you already knew. What you missed if you were there were the details, the interviews with each of the contestants, the back story, and, of course, Steve Fallon (The Pipe Stud) falling down on the floor. In fact, that happened last year too. You’ll have to watch the video to find out why.
“The whole thing was Jeff’s brainchild. When he first pitched it to me I thought he was crazy. Turns out I was the one who was crazy!” – Steve Fallon
The introduction and setup spend time in the narration crafting the story about the history of pipe smoking and how artisans craft a tool that provides a calming effect or peace to the pipe smoker. The music choice was spot on, from violins and cello and soft synth pads to a driving beat with dissonance as the competition begins with driving violins to advance the film. Music is always an important part of any film or documentary and the Get Piped team took their time finding just the right pieces to craft the build up and excitement. The intro again talks about how peaceful and contemplative pipe smoking is – only to ask the question:
Then, the documentary goes right back to exposition. I think my only criticism of the documentary would be the left turn of not what I was expecting next, and jumping into it as opposed to going back to the explaining.
This intro sets up the deliberate pace of the remainder of the documentary, slowly accelerating through the competition. The judges were Ted Bihlmaier Tab.Pipes, Marty Pulvers from Pulver’s Prior Briars, and Dr. Fred Berger, a prominent pipe collector.
As the Battle of the Briar competition happens, Adam and Nick spend time showing some of the action with faster shaky cam movement and interweave more of the pipe carvers interview in – describing what they were doing at a specific moment helping to craft a better understanding of what you may have thought they consider when making a pipe, especially when making one in a time crunch.
Now if you’re up for spoilers you can roll back a couple years ago in our pipe show archives to read my 2023 Chicago Pipe Show Round Up and see my notes on this right after it happened. I also interviewed Jeff and the Carvers and got some more information, which you might find interesting. But…I’ll leave you with this spoiler here:
The documentary ends with a dedication to Sutliff and the folks that made our community special. Fitting and a sad reminder that not everything is forever.
This documentary gets a 4.9 out of 5 “pipes” from this reviewer. As a pipe person any documentary about pipes should perk up your interest. The key here is to show this to those folks who don’t know anything about the community; something tells me they may enjoy it.
Watch Battle of the Briar Here
Written by James Foster
Recent Posts
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 654. Our featured interview tonight is with Rich Esserman. Rich is one of our regular guests that has been on the show many times, and is returning after a one-year hiatus. Rich has penned innumerous articles about pipes and tobacco for several publications, and he is known for collecting quite large pipes. We’ll get caught up with Rich and see what’s new with him. At the top of the show in our Pipe Parts segment Brian will talk about the “Delayed Gratification Technique” or “DTG” as we call it in the forums.
Way… way… back in 2023, at the Chicago Pipe Show, Adam Floyd and Nick Masella (Get Piped) showed up with cameras, mics, and a dream to make a new pipe documentary. Their subject was the first of its kind, “Battle of the Briar,” pitting three pipe makers against each other in a one-hour, no-holds-barred competition to see which one could produce the best pipe in a time crunch. It was in a sense, the first ever “Reality TV Style” Battle of the Briar, which was the brainchild of Jeff Gracik (J Alan Pipes). Should you watch this documentary? Yes. Ok, review over. I kid. I kid. Frankly, I’ve put off writing a documentary review about an event I was at as it’s not typically something I write about. In fact, the last movie review I wrote was when I was in high school writing for the newspaper, doing a movie review of the re-released Star Wars movies back in the ’90s. So, without spoiling anything? I mean it was 2 years ago you should know who won… I’ll go into some details about this documentary to give you a better idea of what to expect. First off, in typical “Get Piped” style Adam and Nick set this documentary up not for the pipe smoker, but more so for the uninitiated. What I mean by that is that they take their time introducing pipes, pipe smoking, what it is, and why people still do it. They’ve made a movie that should draw in the viewer to better understand why we do it, why we find it fascinating, and why a bunch of guys and gals would sit in a room or a smoking lounge and watch three people carve a pipe live. It’s a film that’s crafted to draw in people who are not pipe smokers to try to explain why those of us in this “hobby” travel across the continent or the world to meet, buy, sell, trade, and swap stories. Adam, a consummate storyteller, manages to skirt the basics we all understand with the nuanced enjoyment of smoking a pipe so as not to be off-putting to the die-hard pipe-smoking hobbyist. It took the Get Piped team these past 2 years to edit, massage, and tease out a story that would keep the viewer interested and engaged till the very end. With a runtime of 55 minutes there was a lot of video to go through and package into a concise documentary that sucks you in to know what happened even if you already knew. What you missed if you were there were the details, the interviews with each of the contestants, the back story, and, of course, Steve Fallon (The Pipe Stud) falling down on the floor. In fact, that happened last year too. You’ll have to watch the video to find out why. “The whole thing was Jeff’s brainchild. When he first pitched it to me I thought he was crazy. Turns out I was the one who was crazy!” – Steve Fallon The introduction and setup spend time in the narration crafting the story about the history of pipe smoking and how artisans craft a tool that provides a calming effect or peace to the pipe smoker. The music choice was spot on, from violins and cello and soft synth pads to a driving beat with dissonance as the competition begins with driving violins to advance the film. Music is always an important part of any film or documentary and the Get Piped team took their time finding just the right pieces to craft the build up and excitement. The intro again talks about how peaceful and contemplative pipe smoking is – only to ask the question: “What if that calm was shattered?” Then, the documentary goes right back to exposition. I think my only criticism of the documentary would be the left turn of not what I was expecting next, and jumping into it as opposed to going back to the explaining. “Artisan pipe making is not just about creating a functional object it’s about bringing a piece of nature to life. Transforming raw wood into a work of art.” The documentary eases into the competition with the setup explaining the battle of the briar through the eyes of the pipe carvers, how they were approached, and what their thoughts were going into the competition. It’s a great take on understanding how they each approached this competition differently. After setting the stage, the film then defines pipe shows, why we attend and what we get out of them: “Enthusiasts that travel far and wide in the name of their beloved hobby.” Then we get into the idea behind the Battle of the Briar, the brainchild of Jeff Gracik (J Alan Pipes). “What if, in the midst of one of the biggest pipe shows in the world, there was a live competition, a challenge to the artisan pipe maker?” “Three artisans, one hour, and a deliberate objective: to craft the finest pipe possible under the pressure of time and competition. When Jeff made the calls, he was extending an invitation to compete. But all 3 of the artisans saw his call not as an invitation, but a summons to rise to the occasion.” This intro sets up the deliberate pace of the remainder of the documentary, slowly accelerating through the competition. The judges were Ted Bihlmaier Tab.Pipes, Marty Pulvers from Pulver’s Prior Briars, and Dr. Fred Berger, a prominent pipe collector. As the Battle of the Briar competition happens, Adam and Nick spend time showing some of the action with faster shaky cam movement and interweave more of the pipe carvers interview in – describing what they were doing at a specific moment helping to craft a better understanding of what you may have thought they consider when making a pipe, especially when making one in a time crunch. Now if you’re up for spoilers you can […]
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 653. Our featured interview tonight is with Simon Bosko from the YouTube Channel London Calling with Simon. He also produces the LCS Briars line of handmade pipes. London Calling has over 9,000 subscribers and over 2,000 videos. In his pipe making, Simon focuses mainly on 9mm filter pipes in both classic shapes and artistic styles. Simon has lived in London his entire life. He bought his first pipe, which was a Butz-Choquin at the Segar and Snuff Parlour in Covent Garden. At the top of the show in our Pipe Parts segment, we will have Brian’s last discussion on the fallout of the STG buyout of Mac Baren and Sutliff with the mass discontinuation of tobaccos.
There has been a lot written about the Lakeland style of tobaccos over the past couple of centuries. Perhaps nothing else in the tobacco world is quite as polarizing, tending to segregate folks into camps of loving it or despising it with uncharacteristic vehemence. This month’s inspection of an American rendition of the Lakeland style will add just a few more words to the volumes that have come before, but in the interest of topicality I’ll avoid the larger debates, histories, and comparisons, limiting our purview to the experience of this blend alone. Though it’s the earliest hint of an impending spring now, I began sampling this tobacco in the fall. At first, it was mild and pleasant, lightly aromatic, and earthy in a very appealing way. However, when winter’s foul weather hit, I moved on to other tastes. Through no particular fault of the tobacco, it just didn’t fit for my tastes at the time—as is often the case, and, I’m sure, an experience shared with the vast majority of pipe smokers out there. But now the world is thawing, and the faintest scent of the re-emergence of all things growing is in the air. Unscrewing the jar of Catawba River once again, I am treated to a soft and slightly sweet aroma perfectly concomitant with the weather and my mood. “McCranie’s Catawba River is a lakeland style aromatic tobacco. Notes of honey and berries give the blend an outstanding aroma. Comprised of cavendish, burley, and a dash of perique. A singular mixture sure to entice every aromatic smoker.” The first thing to note is an appreciation for the McCranie’s Choice Reserve blends being offered in full 2-ounce glass jars, as it’s the surest way to keep them properly intact when shelved for longish periods—I naturally have a predilection to hopscotch around between a dozen or so open blends at any given time before finishing the tins, and this saves me the trouble (which I admittedly rarely do anymore) of transferring them to a truly airtight container for safe keeping. It also affords a gander at the leaf before opening; in Catawba River’s case a nicely balanced mottle of dark and mahogany brown interspersed with the occasional raw umber-toned leaf. The first thing to note when opening the tin is the rush of rich aromas: milk chocolate and cherry predominate, with a defined floral tilt; sweet fringes of honey and melon; even hints of a complex background note of root beer or sarsaparilla, likely the telltale sign of Perique in the mix. It’s not a cloying sweetness, and is rather transparently layered atop the earthy and acrid tobacco smell. It is a fine balance, and the leaf is as soft and supple as the aroma. If one is expecting or searching for it, yes, there is the intimation of a baby-powderish vanillin tone, but in all respects it functions as any other Cavendish-forward aromatic blend. In the bowl, Catawba River certainly has an amenably lazy flow to it, much like the river itself flowing through McCranie’s hometown in North Carolina. As noted from the bouquet, the added aromatics are layered rather transparently over the tobacco, accentuating rather than masking or overpowering the natural taste from coming through. Allowed a short drying time, it lights easily and releases the aromas and flavors in warm tones, rich and substantial. The tenor of the Cavendish predominates, with an excellent pillowy mouthfeel to the smoke and a smoothness on the palate. The floral sweetness translates directly from the aromas, and adds the woody, earthy notes of the tobaccos perfectly—the soil, oak, and leather of good tobacco is the star here. Perique, then, is the guest star: in turns offering its deep stewed-fruit aspect and then evincing a spiciness that tickles the nose, always fluttering in the background with wavering spice. Floral notes remain in the range of tuberose and rosehips and honeysuckle, with sweet clover honey lining the edges. Retronasal olfaction is equally as smooth, and the room note is reported as “sweet and homey”. Puffing through to the heel requires a relight or two, owing more to a faltering of attention span that the properties of the leaf. But how “Lakeland” is it? This is surely the question on the tip of every reader’s tongue. While it’s only been a couple months of tasting, no appreciable ghosting of pipes has been noted, aside from the vague remnant of aromatic-ness one would expect. As too often happens with my reviewing efforts, I think of the burning questions, as it were, far too late—but fear not, a conference call with the blender is scheduled, so there will be an addendum to this write-up forthcoming. My suspicion is that Catawba River is just a good Cavendished blend that relies on garden-variety tobacco casing and saucing, along with the intrinsic flavor of the Perique, to impart an American impression of the Lakeland style, rather than an importation of the ancient and secretive Kendal sauces. No ravening and long-deceased grannies arose unbidden from the bowl to clobber my senses with candy bowls and urinal cakes; no, it was altogether a pleasant and promising early-Spring smoke that made an afternoon of repotting some plants an absolute delight. EDITORIAL UPDATE: Matthew McCranie was kind enough to take some time from his day to answer my questions last evening, and I’m delighted to share the revelations. First, Catawba River does indeed contain Kendal-processed leaf in addition to its locally processed components—meaning, of course, that this is truly and definitively a “Lakeland” blend, albeit from our very own shores. He further explained that the McCranie’s Choice Reserve blends were precisely that—choice, small-batch blends, made by hand from purchases of the small quantities of the best leaf available to him at any given time. The downside of this, of course, being that when the ingredients run out, it’s up to the caprice of the marketplace to find some more to restock. He assured me that Catawba River and the other blends […]
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 652. Our featured interview tonight is with J.B. “Brandon” Frady. Brandon was first on the show as a new pipe maker back in 2023. He was already making amazing pipes then, and now he has evolved to even better pipes that are functional works of art. His pipes are freehand and artistic shapes and designs. He is also a freelance writer for any type of project, but has been published for music reviews, concert reviews, and other writings in a couple dozen professional publications. On March 12, he will be performing in a live comedy competition. At the top of the show, Brian will have what he thinks will be an “unpopular and controversial tobacco review” on McClelland 5100 that Brian blended himself in 2019, and has been aging since then.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 651. Our featured guest tonight is Glen Whelan. The first time we had Glen on he was the Director of Sales for Peterson of Dublin. Now he is the Managing Director. Peterson is a family tradition for Glen. His father worked in the factory for 50 years, eventually serving as Factory Manager. Although Glen now serves as Managing Director, he started as a part-time retail associate in the Peterson store at the age of 16. After more than a decade in Peterson retail, Glen joined the sales team in Sallynoggin, and kept moving up from there. At the top of the show, we will have another edition of the virtual tour of Brian’s pipe collection with four more pipes that are not the usual shapes and styles that he collects.
