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newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,087
6,394
Florida
Our good friend from Red Deer Alberta Canada, Chris Besse, has set up a website to showcase and sell his handcrafted pipes.
I just got a notice that it's up and running, and I checked and he's got several pipes there already to negotiate, I assume, with potential buyers, their cost?
Anyway, from my personal experience with Chris' work, I can tell you that his engineering is paramount in his process and is accurate and precise.
I have a nice sized maple billiard he made, and it loves to burn everything I put in it all the way to the bottom.
The stem is well finished, comfortable, and easily clenchable.
Check him out!
 

shikano53

Lifer
May 26, 2015
2,060
8,084
Thanks guys for the kind words.
Olkifri - ummm, yeah, coming is all I can say.
onegoodbulldog - where be ye?
There's a really awesome artisan in Carstairs. I've visited him once upon a time.
Check out his pipes. They are truly amazing. Another good o'l Alberta boy.
 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,087
6,394
Florida
I hadn't clicked on an individual pipe from the list shown in 'available pipes' to see the details and prices.
At these prices, Chris is not making money, he's making memories for those who are sensible enough to get ahold of one of these carefully crafted crucibles.
 

shikano53

Lifer
May 26, 2015
2,060
8,084
Thanks folks - ya, taking pictures. I gotta work on a photo box.
Thanks for the advice Oki! and as for pouches; my wife makes me denim pouches, socks for them.
Thanks for the offer though.
 
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saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
Our good friend from Red Deer Alberta Canada, Chris Besse, has set up a website to showcase and sell his handcrafted pipes.
I just got a notice that it's up and running, and I checked and he's got several pipes there already to negotiate, I assume, with potential buyers, their cost?
Anyway, from my personal experience with Chris' work, I can tell you that his engineering is paramount in his process and is accurate and precise.
I have a nice sized maple billiard he made, and it loves to burn everything I put in it all the way to the bottom.
The stem is well finished, comfortable, and easily clenchable.
Check him out!
I've been reading about "engineering" for almost 20 years. In all that time not once has anyone said what they mean by it. We know that pipes are drilled but beyond that no one ever says what has been done to it to warrant the term. And the more expensive the pipe the more superb it's "engineering." There's a $2500.00 pipe on SP, whose shaping is magnificent. I find the comments quite accurate but dislike the ending flourish as it ends by attesting to its terrific "engineering." Of course, he doesn't say what this means, and in any case how would he know? Do SPs' reviewers acquire the skill of peering down the draft and detecting it?

Smoking a pipe is decidedly subjective. No one else can get inside the smoker's technique or palate to know his experience, and if he finds the "engineering" superb it would great if he said why such that others could say if they find this true. But no one does this. No one. Not in 20 years. I know it's marketing and very much doubt it is anything else.
 
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shikano53

Lifer
May 26, 2015
2,060
8,084
saltedplug, excellent comments. I've worked in 'engineering my entire career life. Before retiring a few years ago, I did 3D design work of large petro-chemical plants, oil refineries and the list goes on and on. We used the term 'good engineering' to refer to well thought out design, economy of space, economy of resources, ie the actual piping, valves, vessels, pumps etc. I have been on many sites and many projects from inception, detail design, through to commissioning. I've seen the actual (I'll call them blue -prints) or final Isometrics to turn into a Frankenstein clusterfuck in the actual built product.
Here is an example. By economy of design we in the profession mean strategic layout of all pieces of the unit. Efficiency for maintenance, field personal to service the equipment while actually running to shut down during scheduled maintenance and emergency egress and ingress for operators and personal. One of the worst examples I have ever seen of EPCM (Engineering Procurement Construction Management) fuck-ups was inside the third floor of a water Co-generation Plant For ATCO power. I'm talking large, 36" and larger valves with the accompanying piping infrastructure. The valves stems and the valve handles protruded into the walkway (Manway) so that to get around a person had to literally climb over each valve assembly. Fatal of course for personal in any kind of emergency egress. But they worked. What was it? It was fucking, kludge design by some dipshit, asshole contract engineer who didn't give a flying fuck about good design work because once his paycheck was in the bank he could fuck off back to Texas or butt-fuck Alberta or wherever the fuck he came from and let the poor bastards who actually worked on plant site to cope. I've seen shit like that so many times I could fill a 500 page book. How much would it cost to make it right? Don't even fucking think about it.
THAT'S poor design. The valves sure looked purdy though, all lined up like that; ready to break, maim and kill.
I think we use the word 'engineering' as a catch all phrase to mean that a pipe passes smoke from the bowl to the button in the cleanest, smoothest, no back eddies, no corners to bump around, no unnecessary restriction of the airflow, to the button and into the smokers mouth. That takes a certain amount of actual understanding of flow dynamics as applied to engineering of the end result we are all searching for. A well engineered and if possible, eye pleasing result to boot. I have beautiful pipes well pleasing to the eye, that smoke like shit. I have common, plain pipes that don't pass any beauty contests but by gawd they smoke like something designed by the hand of God himself.
That's good air flow dynamics at work.Or; as we use the phrase; good engineering. Of course we all in some way seem to miss the most important part the form, drilling and shaping of the stem. Don't even think of getting me fucking started on the stem
When I craft a pipe I'm sure a lot of people are laughing up their sleeves at the sight of them thinking they don't actually look real purdy...YET!
But by gawd, I craft all my pipes paying attention to my 40 years of engineering knowledge and flow dynamics so that THEY GOD DAMN WELL SMOKE A WHOLE FUCKING LOT BETTER THAN THEY PERHAPS LOOK...PURDY FOR NOW!
And that my fine, smoke breathing, friend is good pipe engineering.
Chris
 
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saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
OMG, somebody finally said something that makes sense, said it well and with characteristics to back up his assertions. OMG! Fantastic! Wonderfull! Awesome! You have in one post dispelled the gloom of my ignorance. I am forever beholding to you! Thank you, Sir!
 
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