Carving kit advice

[jkruer]

Now that we are headed into winter, I wanted to take in a project and thought about carving myself a pipe. I would like some advice on where I should buy the kit from. I do have a couple of requirement though. The block has to have the shank and stem already. I don't have a lathe to get the stem round. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[wcannoy]

http://vermontfreehand.com/pipe-kits/

 

[Chasing Embers]

I like Mark Tinsky's kits.
http://www.amsmoke.com/Services/PipeKit.html

 

[pappymac]

I've carved four pipes using Mark Tinsky's kits. They are all perfectly drilled and smoke great. Ugly because I carved them. But great smokers.

 

[bonehed]

Pipe Makers Forum is a superb resource for information.

 

[newbroom]

How to make a pipe, and kits for sale.

 

[clickklick]

Vermont freehand, I second that vote!!

 

[michaelmirza]

If I were buying one for myself, I would definitely get one of these BriarWorks kits from The Pipe Guys. That website also has a pretty great article on how to get started. Heck, everything on that site is great.

 

[mso489]

Never tried carving a pipe, and with quite a few pipes, I may never do it. But I've heard it is good to use some kind of power tool to carve a pipe, for most people, since the patience to hew a pipe shape with just a blade, by hand, is pretty demanding, unless you have experience in wood carving already. Briar is a hard wood and not easy to carve, but as a pipe material, since you're investing the time, is the best way to go, it seems to me.