Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 378

Well I finally did it! I have finally caught up to be current with next weeks episode. What a wonderful and informative journey it has been listening to 378 episodes which didn't start out with that number as the finish line kept moving ahead while in progress. It comes as bitter sweet however as now like most, I have to wait a week for the next episode. I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every weeks offerings and thank Brian, Kevin, and everyone else involved in making my horrific commute to and from work actually enjoyable and at times something to look forward to. Thank you again Brian and company for a great asset to the pipe smoking community.

Good show. The review of McConnell's Red Virginia was good but as I don't like Virginias I'll have to pass on it. Leaves more for you.
Domingues sounded like a nice guy. He must have a good side income to sell pipes at a $100 a piece. I am surprised his mentor Mike Butera is letting him do this. Mike normally squeezes blood out of turnips when he sells a pipe. I would be real interested in hearing what kind of pipes he is restoring/repairing. I don't know why I am asking, George Dibos does mine.

I'm working my way back through the episodes, and I have enjoyed them all. Mark sounds like an interesting fellow. I'm a pipe maker, and do it similar to Mark, in my spare time. I make 20 - 25 pipes a year. I also was extremely fortunate to have a master pipe maker as a mentor. I live in Glendale Arizona, and bought a DeJarnet pipe back in 2002, made by the late renowned Arizona pipe maker Horace DeJarnet (DeJarnet Pipes). There was a contact card in the pipe bag, and I noticed that Horace also lived in Glendale. I called him up, and told him that I would gladly pay to watch him make a pipe. He asked me "whatcha doing next Saturday"? So I made a commitment to go to his house the next Saturday. Before he hung up he asked "you got $40"? I said yes and thought "Doh! he's actually going to charge me to watch him make a pipe" but oh well I did offer. I showed up on Saturday, and Horace met me at the door. He said" come on, we're going shopping ". I was totally confused, he's taking me shopping? We loaded up in his Cadillac and headed out go shopping. We ended up at The Pipe Makers Emporium, a small warehouse sized business that sold everything needed to make pipes. He introduced me to the owner, Paul Hildebrand, and we picked out a very nice piece of Spanish Plateau Briar and some acrylic stem material. My total was just under $40. We went back to Horace's house and under his close supervision, I made my first pipe! Horace was disabled, he had an above the knee leg amputation. I could see that cleaning the shop was probably a pretty big chore for him, so I cleaned up the shop 'Army clean'. I offered to come back, from time to time, and trade pipe making lessons for a shop cleanup. This began a three year apprenticeship and an amazing friendship. Horace was about 30 older than I, and had gone through a couple of other young applicant's, but they fizzled out. I was the only one who showed up, with a note pad and pencil, and that apparently impressed him. He told me that he had been looking for a younger man with whom he could pass on his hard earned knowledge to. I'm honored to have been that man. Following Horace's lead, I only use Plateau Briar for my pipes. I make both freehand and traditional shape pipes. Plateau Briar is more expensive than ebuchon, but it's absolutely worth the price, it makes gorgeous pipes. There's a lot you can do with the bark side of the block. It's bumpy and knoby under the bark, and makes a beautiful pipe rim left as is, or beautiful birdseye if sanded smooth. Sadly, Horace DeJarnet passed away a few years ago, and the pipe making community is an emptier place now.