The Thrill of the Hunt (A Guide to Estate Meerschaums)
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Kevin Godbee - Sep 19, 2010
- 11 min read
By Fred Bass
The Estate Meerschaum marketplace offers opportunity for both the budget minded and the collector of fine antiques. It also is rife with deception and prices that have little to do with product quality and value. I buy Pipes to smoke, so antiques that are for display do not interest me. Knowledge in this market is limited among many Buyers and often as not, the Sellers. Lately, the marketplace has shown the value that Buyers place on estate Pipes that have coloration. The Estate marketplace has shown the value that many place on Pipes that have been colored by means of smoking. Some of these Pipes have been either the product of smoke jar coloring or baking, where the Pipe has been heated in an oven, either in the presence of tobacco or liquid suspension. My guess is that they have been packed in moist tobacco or tobacco juices in liquid suspension, and then heated in an oven. The appearance results are different than what happens when the Pipe is smoked and waxed over time.
The coloration results of these Pipes are displayed with more orange and red hues in a more consistent and even finish. These Pipes are not particularly outstanding in regards to artistic achievement, but do bring high sales bidding, because they are ‘colored.’ So many Meerschaum smokers are in a hurry to have colored Pipes that the market has responded in providing them as Estate Pipes, which has been a windfall for Sellers. The money is good enough to attract some creative thinking from Sellers. People will go to great lengths to color Pipes quickly or to expense to obtain them.
Brand name Pipes and Carvers, such as Andreas Bauer, Paul Fischer, CAO, Ismet Bekler, Golden Horn, Kaywoodie, Pioneer, GBD, Comoy, and Meerschaum Pipes made for shops to market under their own trade names, like RIECO for Iwan Ries & Co. or C.B. Perkins, which was later bought out by DES Tobacco Corporation, all offer attraction to the Estate Buyer. The range in quality of these Pipes is huge, from Pressed Meerschaum to African Block to high grade Turkish Block.
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African Block offers attraction to the collectors of Peterson, Kiko, Laxey and Isle of Man, especially since the mines shut down in 2006. The ones that interest me most often are Andreas Bauer and Paul Fischer, which were carved from high grade Turkish Block, so that is my focus in this discussion of the basics of the hunt. Identifying these old Pipes can be difficult and it isn’t unusual to find Pipes of questionable origin in the cases of sought after brands and Artisans.
Deniz Ural, who has been in the Meerschaum trades some 42 years, tells me that he believes their foundation was in 1904 and they were the original company till 1970, when Turkish law banned the export of raw Sepiolite. Then a German lady bought out the company and soon after Otto Kopp bought the trademark. Otto Kopp was the # 1 customer of Koncak meerschaums (Ekrem Bey, Sedat’s father). They were a large Meerschaum distributor to the German tobacconists along with their own briars. In 1990 Sedat Koncak and her sister, who were taking over the business from their aging father, decided to buy the Andreas Bauer trademark from Otto Kopp. Sedat made some fantastic pipes in the beginning but could not pursue this project as it was born lame, with too high a price for the trademark and not enough production. The trademark became a commodity, which has been in reportedly 3 different ownerships to date, the last of which was an unfulfilled contract with the Koncak business. The original Andreas Bauer Pipes were of legendary quality, using both high grade Turkish Block and Amber. The Figurals are of such high artistic merit, that they became the industry standard, unequaled in achievement save for arguably Sadik Yanik’s best art. When they infrequently come into the marketplace, even the plain Pipes will have an Amber bit, a bone screw joint and the Block will display the translucent quality that only the best Block shows. The Andreas Bauer Pipes from the Koncaks will be either smooth finish or lattice and have a derlin push/pull connector and a hand cut bit The cases may or may not claim to be from Vienna. These are good Pipes, but are not valued as much as the original Pipes from Vienna. This trademark is the most common fraud encountered in the marketplace and even now some are showing up that are of more recent construction that claim to be authentic. Your best recourse in evaluating one of these Pipes for possible purchase is dialogue with the Seller. Lacking this, I would suggest not pursuing the purchase.
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Pipes by Paul Fischer also attract me. Little information survives about this Artisan Meerschaum Pipe maker. A German immigrant family owned business of 4 decades that settled in Orchard Park, NY, from the late 1950’s until the early 1970’s when the shop closed. It was called the House of Fischer. Paul is often credited with being the premier artisan of the new age of Meerschaum shapes that combined his flair and traditional forms. When the shop closed, he continued carving in his studio shop until the mid 1970’s. There are many Pipes that show up in Paul Fischer Pipe cases that are of questionable origin. Paul’s style is recognizable by those who have seen his work. His bits are hand cut from the old Amberoid plastic, with the more recent ones being hand cut Lucite – likely among his last works. The bit –to-shank connectors will always be a bone screw and will not be of recent production. Again, when considering acquiring one of these Pipes in the marketplace, if you cannot establish meaningful dialogue with the Seller, then it is best to not bid.
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Once you’ve determined that a Pipe in auction is one you believe is authentic, then you should consider the cost of any repairs that might have to be made, if the Pipe is to be smoked. Hopefully, you’ve been able to make this evaluation prior to the purchase, but sometimes this is not the case. Some Sellers are sincere in their attempts to provide information, but lack the knowledge required. It is good to have already discovered the nature of the Seller’s character during the sales process, but sometimes you really don’t know what will be required until you have the Pipe in hand. Over time, I’ve learned that cleaning up Estate Meerschaums can be a lesson in delayed gratification. I used to rush into removing surface blemishes with Everclear and wet/dry sandpaper, which works well and requires re-waxing. The drawbacks to this are the adverse results it can have on the Patina, which is the most time consuming aspect of bringing these Pipes back onto their path of evolution. My approach to this is less aggressive than my past efforts, as I’m doing the best I can not to disturb the Patina.
Initially, start work on these blemishes with a white cotton rag with Everclear on it, just enough to remove the surface grime, but not enough to draw the entire blemish out of the Block. Before smoking it for the first time, I cold wax the entire Pipe, paying particular attention to the blemishes, As I smoke the Pipe, I rub Beeswax on it, with attention to these spots. After a half dozen smokes, the Pipe will start to show more of the coloration and these blemishes will become diffuse, so that they are less defined. This technique seems to be better in the long run, as the Patina continues to develop more than if I’d used sandpaper. This method of waxing also works well with keeping the bowl plateau of a new Pipe from getting scorched, as the Beeswax works to spread the smoke marks as well as aid coloration and provide protection for the Block. Cleaning of the Estate Pipe should always include removing the cake, down to the Block. The use of Everclear, a shank brush and plenty of Pipe cleaners is required before the first smoke and after every smoke, as the Pipe flushes itself of the ghosts of previous use. Routine cleaning after every smoke will result in a clarity of the smoking experience unequaled by other materials used for Pipe construction.
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The use of Beeswax on Meerschaum Pipes is the most popular subject of both the maintenance of new Pipes and the restoration of the older ones. My preference is to rub refined white Beeswax on the Pipe as it is being smoked, allowing the heat of the Pipe to both melt the wax and facilitate how much of it the Block is going to absorb. Excess can be easily removed with a clean white cotton rag, preferably before the Pipe cools. Another method is to daub melted Beeswax onto the Pipe and melt the excess of with either a heat gun or hairdryer. This requires removal of all plastic parts of the Pipe, as the heat will melt them. It also makes a mess, as the hot wax gets blown off the Pipe. It’s very important to make sure that the Block is dry, as any moisture in the Block while the heat is being applied runs the risk of cracking the Block. The same precautions apply to putting the Block in a vat of melted Beeswax, after both the shank and the bowl have been blocked with cork. If you do this, remember that the Beeswax is flammable and should never be heated enough to make it boil. These techniques require that the Pipe is buffed with a clean white cotton cloth, to remove the excess. It’s also a good idea to remember that while the Block is absorbing the Beeswax, it will also absorb anything that is on your hands, so avoid touching it while it is hot. These methods work best with smooth surfaced Pipes. Lattice Pipes can be a little tricky, so avoid getting a lot of wax in the lattice holes, or you’ll have to dig it out later. With intricate carvings, I suggest using Halcyon II, as the required buffing could be a big problem if Beeswax is applied to these delicate carvings. Halcyon II requires no buffing, but it doesn’t provide the hard protective finish of Beeswax, nor does it aid in the development of coloration. The restoration of patina in an Estate Pipe is the most time consuming process involved in this work. It is better to go slow with a cautious approach than to wind up starting from the beginning of the Pipe’s evolution.
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Not all Buyers in the Estate Meerschaum market are after specific brand names or Carver specific Pipes, and opportunity exists for value purchases in both the Turkish Block and African Block Pipes available. There are issues that need to be considered before any commitment to bid or purchase is made. Is the Pipe in good shape or will it require repair?
Are there any cracks, chips or parts of the Block missing? What is the nature and condition of the bit-to-shank connector and does the bit align properly, without wobble? The status of the bit is important as well. Does it have any tooth marks, cracks or has it been repaired.
Amber bits are frequently seen that have been repaired and/or shortened. The cost of repairs can quickly make the final price of the Pipe increase substantially. Amber is fragile and expensive to repair. Previous repairs to the Block should be evaluated for both artistic merit and quality of craftsmanship, as both of these factors directly impact the future service expectations of the potential Buyer. Cleaning up a Pipe is one thing, but the repairs required to bring it back in service are another important aspect of any purchase consideration. If you are looking at a Pipe in an estate sale, you have the benefit of being able to see it and evaluate it’s value firsthand. If you are dealing with a reseller on the internet, dialogue is absolutely necessary, especially if the Seller has a ‘No Returns’ policy.
I have found the reward of smoking these old Pipes to be a pleasure. Once the Pipe is cleaned up and allowed to flush the ghosts of past fires, they smoke wonderfully and share the lessons they have learned from Fire and tobaccos. They can be wonderfully carved treasures of functional art or simply witnesses of past glory from years that have gone by. The potential gems are worth the occasional loss. Every good Pipe should have more than one owner and these old sages have many years of service still in them. It is the thrill of the hunt and the pleasures of using these old masters of the Meerschaum Experience that keep me involved. These are the basics. Come and join in the fun!
Related Article: The Meerschaum Pipe Experience
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Fred Bass is the founder of the “All Things Meerschaum Group” on Smoker’s Forums. All but one of the pipes shown in this article are from his collection. You can see more of Fred’s Meerschaum Pipe Collection in his Pipe Photo Album, which includes close to 100 pipes. |
Written by Kevin Godbee
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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. Bewitched by a dissonant charm, we’ve created Maple Shadows. In a season that is defined by the unlikely harmony of treats and frights, we’ve joined the enchanting sweetness of maple with the earthy spice of Dark Fired Kentucky for a smoking experience that captures the senses with an otherworldly fusion of flavor. This may be the best aromatic blend Sutliff’s ever made—and they make a ton of them. First off, it’s not overbearing in the least—quite the opposite, it is also one of the more restrained aromatics they’ve ever made, with a clear but very light topping that melds oh-so-well with their choice Kentucky added to the mix. Opening the tin, the sweet maple is up front and center, but so too is the must of fallen leaves, bready pie crusts, and a crackling fire in the hearth—a perfect invocation of Herbstdüfte in a can. Packing best in an open and capacious bowl, the flavoring is subtle, and recedes to the background while puffing. 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, […]
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 631. Our featured interview on tonight’s show is with pipe maker Dan Keller from Good Made Better. Dan is from South Dakota. Growing up working in the family hardware store where he was always finding solutions to fixing things, he ended up always wanting to make things. He now makes elegant handmade pens, pen holders, portable desks, blotters, blotting paper, book carry cases, and of course artisan pipes. At the top of the show we are continuing the virtual tour of Brian’s pipes with his “f#@k you pipes”.
Excellent…thank you for a very good read !!
Joe N.
Great article as always Fred
Great article – as always Fred
Thank you for imparting your knowledge to us in this highly digestible read.
You are a wealth of information in all things Meerschaum.
Can’t wait for the next article.
Very very informative, thanks.
Another great article on meerschaum pipes Fred!
Thanks guys. Again, Kevin deserves huge recognition for his
skills in taking a raw product to a great result.
Wonderful piece, Fred. I just re-waxed three of my prized meers. I wish I had read your article first!
A great article. I had thought that the meerschaum was strictly ornimental. I just learned something new. Thankyou very much. Their beautiful. thezman.
Another great article fred. As always a lot of info presented.
Very nice article Fred. I went over to the Up In Smoke by Northpark yesterday while my girlfriend was in the container store next door. I got to talking with the worker there and he asked if I posted on any forums. I said PM and he dropped your name saying he knew you and that you were a regular at the store and talked about how you just wrote an article for PM. It was a pleasant surprise. On a side note, very nice place with a large selection of both tinned and bulk tobacco. I picked up an ounce of the Pot Luck, though the guy didn’t know what the heck was thrown in lol.
Hello.
I’m Spanish and I don’t know what \everclean\ is, because I don’t find any translation for this word.
Please, can anybody help me?
Thank you.
Everclear is the brand name for 95% (190 proof) alcohol by volume grain alcohol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everclear_%28alcohol%29
Great article, very informative.