Carved Figural Briars
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Alfred Baier was quite well known for his figural work. He is gone now, but I remember that a week at his Vermont home/shop was a prize offered by Pipes and Tobacco Magazine for the winner of a pipe carving contest. I have three of his pipes, none of which is figural, bought at his Vermont shop.
Lambertodh machines were in a museum in France. I think they are out of fashion since a long time. However , there is a small core of collectors around for this figurals. Sometimes i admire the best quality carves usually from France but not the less quality usually from Italy. Some of the best where made in Austria (i think that by old meerschaum carvers). There are others like master Saladic from Catalunya and another carver from Poland.
Here's an interesting Old Stock Piece I bought from Blue Room Briars a while back. It's made by Wally Frank and is entitled "Officer Krupke" so probably from the 50s. It's still unsmoked. The hat is a cap and if you blow lightly after lighting both the hat and the mouth blow smoke out of them.
In general, maybe, but why acquire one with a poorly designed bowl? I love smoking my figurals, both meer and briar. One of the rare public compliments I received was when smoking my ~1920 'fisherman' meer. Pipes, of course - I'm told I'm handsome quite frequently.
Unfortunately, I do not have any to contribute. Howver, here is the link to the Amsterdam Pipe Museum Carved figural pipe collection.
Amsterdam Pipe Museum - - https://pipemuseum.nl/en/object-of-month
I particularly liked the Japanese dagger pipe, the briar lined meerschaum, the short Dunhill and the early Peterson system.
Amsterdam Pipe Museum - - https://pipemuseum.nl/en/object-of-month
I particularly liked the Japanese dagger pipe, the briar lined meerschaum, the short Dunhill and the early Peterson system.
If this is inspired by the Broadway musical version of West Side Story it could be from as early as 1957; if from the film version, 1961.
This is one of Stephen Downie’s latest pipes from his IG. Basilisk. Not mine but have been watching his amazing carving. 
I do like figural pipes. I prefer things not dark, although I know that those pipes have appeal to lots of folks (Yanik knows that too) I do like the WW 2 era tsuge pipes carved from ivory and from briar; ie dragons and the seven gods of good fortune. Not sure if that qualifies as figural as there are seven gods...
A nice viking or Bacchus or I suppose any well done face. Happy or at least not sad, is my speed. That said 'spooky' as in Halloween is good too! I do have a clay skull I purchased 20+ years ago from Trever Talbert...not his but a pipe made by a carver he knew perhaps when he was in France. Only smoke it in October...
Figural are cool...but probably harder to make.
A nice viking or Bacchus or I suppose any well done face. Happy or at least not sad, is my speed. That said 'spooky' as in Halloween is good too! I do have a clay skull I purchased 20+ years ago from Trever Talbert...not his but a pipe made by a carver he knew perhaps when he was in France. Only smoke it in October...
Figural are cool...but probably harder to make.
Did you end up getting the Big Face Skull? I've been eyeing it for over a year, but, couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger because the price was a decent amount higher than his others. The Conjoined Twins is another I've considered.
The next time I order a pipe from him, I'm going to have to request a bent stem. All of his S shaped stems make cleaning too difficult.
Jabba the Hut would be really cool and I believe it could have a very large bowl. If you are not into spiritual things I would recommend a whale or a wooly mammoth.
Lol. Don’t know his price range but like to watch watch he creates.
