A while back member @shikano53 posted the following thread titled "Kinda Sorta Successful Use Of My Seventh Chunk Of Briar AKA FUGLY" (link below)
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/kinda-sorta-successful-use-of-my-seventh-chunk-of-briar-aka-fugly
I thought it was a good looking pipe and posted a sarcastic note of enthusiasm, and received a PM offer for this pipe, I was amazed and quickly accepted the offer and on Monday the pipe arrived, a beautiful piece it is, I appreciate the maker's decision to leave the plateau virgin, it does look good with a plain crown, and the grain of the wood is beautifully lightly stained, I wont go into too much detail on size as that was done in the makers thread but the weight is slightly less than my MM Mark Twain cob. The brass inset makers mark is a nice touch, placed just between the side and top, Id say about the 10 O'Clock position.
I've been awaiting the arrival of this pipe and thinking of what Tobacco to smoke in it, I developed a plan to smoke my normal blends thru the week and finish with something special. I had on average 4 smokes each day with my regular blends and this evening I had GL Pease Haddo's Delight that was sampled to me by @pipesmokingtom.
Like most freehands this is no small pipe, however it is surprisingly light, easy to clench as I work, or just sit and relax, it has a few flaws as described by the maker and I think it adds to the personality of the pipe,
the finish is beautiful, the stem alines properly and fits well, a pipe cleaner passes with ease and I can find no fault with the drilling. The smoke is great, draws easily, relights are the same as my regular pipes with these blends with no gurgling.
Overall I would say this is a great pipe and a fantastic smoker, the few maker flaws give it originality although hard to identify unless you look for them. If this is Chris's 7th attempt at pipe making I cant wait to see what next year brings, well done Sir, well done. I foresee a commission pipe in the future.
I have to thank Chris for this wonderful gift and a great pipe I will enjoy for years.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/kinda-sorta-successful-use-of-my-seventh-chunk-of-briar-aka-fugly
I thought it was a good looking pipe and posted a sarcastic note of enthusiasm, and received a PM offer for this pipe, I was amazed and quickly accepted the offer and on Monday the pipe arrived, a beautiful piece it is, I appreciate the maker's decision to leave the plateau virgin, it does look good with a plain crown, and the grain of the wood is beautifully lightly stained, I wont go into too much detail on size as that was done in the makers thread but the weight is slightly less than my MM Mark Twain cob. The brass inset makers mark is a nice touch, placed just between the side and top, Id say about the 10 O'Clock position.
I've been awaiting the arrival of this pipe and thinking of what Tobacco to smoke in it, I developed a plan to smoke my normal blends thru the week and finish with something special. I had on average 4 smokes each day with my regular blends and this evening I had GL Pease Haddo's Delight that was sampled to me by @pipesmokingtom.
Like most freehands this is no small pipe, however it is surprisingly light, easy to clench as I work, or just sit and relax, it has a few flaws as described by the maker and I think it adds to the personality of the pipe,
the finish is beautiful, the stem alines properly and fits well, a pipe cleaner passes with ease and I can find no fault with the drilling. The smoke is great, draws easily, relights are the same as my regular pipes with these blends with no gurgling.
Overall I would say this is a great pipe and a fantastic smoker, the few maker flaws give it originality although hard to identify unless you look for them. If this is Chris's 7th attempt at pipe making I cant wait to see what next year brings, well done Sir, well done. I foresee a commission pipe in the future.
I have to thank Chris for this wonderful gift and a great pipe I will enjoy for years.
:
As I said in the original thread, nothing fugly about it.
