Custom Pipe Cases

[Chalaw87]

Would you pay extra for it though? If all the sudden your factory pipes went up $25 and came in a case, would you consider that money well spent for your factory pipes? I wouldn't

Id pay an extra 25 bucks for custom case for most pipes.

Possibly even for my high end cobs too, ha.

 

[Doctor Chopper]

Would you pay extra for it though? If all the sudden your factory pipes went up $25 and came in a case, would you consider that money well spent for your factory pipes? I wouldn't

I would consider it for some pipes, especially for travel.

a manufacturer had an option, I would strongly consider it. I would not like the price to go up if I was not interested, although it did not stop me from buying any meers in the past.

 

[sablebrush52]

Back when the better factory pipe manufacturers offered cased pipes they had a dedicated department for fabricating them. Mst of the cases were one of several sizes. What was different was the internal fitting. When that's all you do you become very skilled and very fast at doing it. It's largely a lost craft.

 

[AroEnglish]

Back when the better factory pipe manufacturers offered cased pipes they had a dedicated department for fabricating them. Mst of the cases were one of several sizes. What was different was the internal fitting. When that's all you do you become very skilled and very fast at doing it. It's largely a lost craft.

Have you come across any information detailing how they did it?

 

[sablebrush52]

Have you come across any information detailing how they did it?

Only images of the case making departments from old company materials.

I own a few old cased sets and they are made of wood covered with a leather material on the outside and velvet and sometime a satin finished material on the inside. There's a specific name for this wafer thin leather and I can't remember it, but these were primarily covered with cowhide or crocodile.

 

[AroEnglish]

Only images of the case making departments from old company materials.

I own a few old cased sets and they are made of wood covered with a leather material on the outside and velvet and sometime a satin finished material on the inside. There's a specific name for this wafer thin leather and I can't remember it, but these were primarily covered with cowhide or crocodile.

I wouldn't have guessed it was wood between the velvet and leather. From the photos you've seen, did the wood looked carved? That would make sense for the rectangular cases but what about the cases that are formfitting on the inside and outside?

 

[sablebrush52]

I wouldn't have guessed it was wood between the velvet and leather. From the photos you've seen, did the wood looked carved? That would make sense for the rectangular cases but what about the cases that are formfitting on the inside and outside?

I would imaging that the basic "fill" shapes and in cuts were machined. They would have to be to done for a reasonable cost. They weren't all one of a kind. Cases would have been mass produced in a number of basic sizes, probably supplied from outside manufacturers and the interior fitting and covering done in house.

Going through some old literature I've seen ads for concerns that supplied cases to manufacturers.

 

[OzPiper]

I wouldn't have guessed it was wood between the velvet and leather. From the photos you've seen, did the wood looked carved? That would make sense for the rectangular cases but what about the cases that are formfitting on the inside and outside?

The wood is definitely NOT carved.
Very thin and light. Probably steamed and moulded into shape.
I have an old one where the leather has come off.
I will take some photos and post on the weekend

 

[sasquatch]

There are carved cases and "molded" cases, and the molded ones you will find bent wood, or strips of wood glued to a "shape", almost like a basket, and then paper-mache over that, or just paper-mache outright in many cases, you just wrap the pipe and cut the thing off when it's dry.

The carved cases, like the Dunhill "ventage" cases... yeah they take serious time and it's not a casual undertaking. Took me about 8 hours to make one when I tried. I'll do it again at some point, but it's a "special" not a "daily" and for sure no one is paying me to carve a custom case for a 90 dollar Savinelli.

 

[fireground_piper]

This was posted here some time ago. I forget who posted it, but I saved it thinking it was neat enough.

 

[OzPiper]

Here is a very old and decrepit case that came with an estate. The pipe did not belong to this case

The wood is very thin, but thicker than veneer.

 

[OzPiper]

I looked into making those custom fit cases when I heard that the small hinges no longer being made

So many different skills required - forming the wooden shell, applying the leather outer then fitting the velvet or satin lining.

And it all comes to nought if you can no longer obtain those tiny hinges because they are no longer made !

Some years ago I bought a beautiful Italian folding dining table.
I was told by the importer that when the current stock ran out, no more will be made.
Seems like the hinges for the tables were made by one factory and the owner was retiring and closing up shop.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

Here's a pictorial on how modern Turkish cases are made.

 

[OzPiper]

This was posted here some time ago. I forget who posted it, but I saved it thinking it was neat enough.

Here's a pictorial on how modern Turkish cases are made.

Sorry, but I'm not able to open those links

 

[fireground_piper]

Sorry, but I'm not able to open those links

I think we posted the same PDF (the file downloads for me). Maybe there’s a better way to post a pdf? I just used the attachment feature.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

I think we posted the same PDF (the file downloads for me). Maybe there’s a better way to post a pdf? I just used the attachment feature.

We did indeed, sorry didn't see you had posted it. Yeah it downloads fine for me to.

 

[sablebrush52]

There are carved cases and "molded" cases, and the molded ones you will find bent wood, or strips of wood glued to a "shape", almost like a basket, and then paper-mache over that, or just paper-mache outright in many cases, you just wrap the pipe and cut the thing off when it's dry.

The carved cases, like the Dunhill "ventage" cases... yeah they take serious time and it's not a casual undertaking. Took me about 8 hours to make one when I tried. I'll do it again at some point, but it's a "special" not a "daily" and for sure no one is paying me to carve a custom case for a 90 dollar Savinelli.

Now get it down to 30 minutes, or less, a lot less, to be able to mass produce as a business for manufacturers and you get an idea of the skills developed to do this one task.

 

[AroEnglish]

There are carved cases and "molded" cases, and the molded ones you will find bent wood, or strips of wood glued to a "shape", almost like a basket, and then paper-mache over that, or just paper-mache outright in many cases, you just wrap the pipe and cut the thing off when it's dry.

The carved cases, like the Dunhill "ventage" cases... yeah they take serious time and it's not a casual undertaking. Took me about 8 hours to make one when I tried. I'll do it again at some point, but it's a "special" not a "daily" and for sure no one is paying me to carve a custom case for a 90 dollar Savinelli.

Do you have any photos of the case or the process?

This was posted here some time ago. I forget who posted it, but I saved it thinking it was neat enough.

Here's a pictorial on how modern Turkish cases are made.

Thanks for the PDF, guys!

 

[Doctor Chopper]

Here's a pictorial on how modern Turkish cases are made.

That is amazing! Labor intensive.

 

[Doctor Chopper]

Now get it down to 30 minutes, or less, a lot less, to be able to mass produce as a business for manufacturers and you get an idea of the skills developed to do this one task.

Or.... you could think of another material and process to get it done. Press the pipe into a foam +/- plastic as a thought?