I know this sort of work doesn't rival that of real pipemakers, but I think that customizing my pipes adds to my enjoyment of this hobby. Being someone who makes things all day long, I enjoy being able to enjoy something that I made as I smoke.
This one started as an opal that I set aside for something for myself years ago. I have a collection of stones that just didn't speak to me as a finished piece of jewelry, but were unique in some way that could be used for something else, like a pipe. The stone is a piece of boulder crystal from a Yahweh (aka Yawah) nut, which is what the nodes are called mined from the Yahweh region of Australia. It has an icy blue depth to it with interesting iron matrix.
The pipe was a $20 ebay buy. It just said "made in England." I drilled it to my favorite numbers on the draft, reworked the button, and soaked it in alcohol overnight. I then sandblasted it lightly. I just have a blaster used for cleaning parts, which just barely removed the stain. It's not nearly as effective as the big compression pipemakers use, but it met my meager needs. It was already blasted, so I was just removing the stain and defining some spots.
I then restained it, added a setting for the opal, and refinished the stem and added a silver disk with my maker's mark.
So, now my older opal pipe has a friend.
I know that not everyone appreciates stones or customization of any sort on their pipes, and that's perfectly fine. But, for me, I enjoy the conversations it starts, being able to enjoy my stones while smoking, and just the added interest. It's no Dunhill or Walt Connoy, but I'll be the only one enjoying it, and it smokes great.
I hope you enjoy the pics!
This one started as an opal that I set aside for something for myself years ago. I have a collection of stones that just didn't speak to me as a finished piece of jewelry, but were unique in some way that could be used for something else, like a pipe. The stone is a piece of boulder crystal from a Yahweh (aka Yawah) nut, which is what the nodes are called mined from the Yahweh region of Australia. It has an icy blue depth to it with interesting iron matrix.
The pipe was a $20 ebay buy. It just said "made in England." I drilled it to my favorite numbers on the draft, reworked the button, and soaked it in alcohol overnight. I then sandblasted it lightly. I just have a blaster used for cleaning parts, which just barely removed the stain. It's not nearly as effective as the big compression pipemakers use, but it met my meager needs. It was already blasted, so I was just removing the stain and defining some spots.
I then restained it, added a setting for the opal, and refinished the stem and added a silver disk with my maker's mark.
So, now my older opal pipe has a friend.
I know that not everyone appreciates stones or customization of any sort on their pipes, and that's perfectly fine. But, for me, I enjoy the conversations it starts, being able to enjoy my stones while smoking, and just the added interest. It's no Dunhill or Walt Connoy, but I'll be the only one enjoying it, and it smokes great.
I hope you enjoy the pics!
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