Yes.
It is also the time when anyone with a name in the pipe world asks for premium prices for their products. Why is this happening? In my opinion, mass behavior inspired by social networks.
Good Briar Grain.
- Thread starter crusader
- Start date
It is also the time when anyone with a name in the pipe world asks for premium prices for their products. Why is this happening? In my opinion, mass behavior inspired by social networks.
Show me one from all angles. Grain comes to an end at some point in birdseye or plateau.
Bruto Sordini called this one 360° straight grain but it has birdseye on the heel.
A few carvers have mentioned difficulties in getting much briar over the pandemic years. Lack of workers in the field harvesting and processing it.
Premium prices is not about what the cost of the product represents to you, but about what you get in return. 400 or 500 dollars for a pipe from a Craftsman who has been making pipes for 2 years. Premium price. More than 100 or 150 dollars for common pipes from generalist factories, such as Savinelli, Chacom or Stanwell. Premium price. Hundreds of dollars for 50g of tobacco. Premium price. You want to pay those prices, that's fine, no problem. But that doesn't change the fact that things were completely different before the advent of social media.
This has been an interesting read on many levels. I think a few things need to be addressed though.
The "lack" of briar is not due to any Asian carvers / countries buying up massive quantities of premium briar. One of the "major" suppliers in Italy was approached with an offer to buy all his briar. He rejected the offer. No one with a long term business goal puts all their eggs ( or briar ) in one basket. So forget blaming a single buyer.
The main reason was the pandemic. Many areas that briar is harvested were under very strict lock down rules. Thus even IF there was briar to harvest, it was not permitted to harvest. Now in those regions, like here, trying to find people that are willing to work is challenging. Thus getting briar from the ground, is not as it once was.
This is also why many of the Italian brands have not been offering as many pipes as pre 2019. Due to lockdowns, the workshops and factories were closed. All that I have spoken with have told me they are slowly getting caught up, but it is a slow process.
On to grain ...... interestingly I was at Castello in Cantu a few weeks ago. The number of rusticated pipes and sandblast pipes were far less than smooth pipes, be it mixed smooth, cross grain smooth, flame grain smooth or fiammata graded smooth pipes.
At the Radice workshop in Cucciago the number of rusticated pipes were far greater than smooth or sandblasted pipes.
The artisans, workshops, and factories are at the mercy of the briar they have in inventory. Sometimes it's great and sometimes it not. Sometimes it's somewhere in the middle. While at Castello I viewed a large bin, large enough to hold three intimate friends, that was filled with partially finished pipes that were all discards. Each had some flaw, whether in the chamber or on the exterior, that rendered each piece unfinishable.
FWIW, these discards are not used as heating fuel, at Castello. Franco told me that these are saved and used to experiment with different stains and potential different finishing techniques. Things like the Le Dune finish came from experimenting with carving techniques. Also these may be used to workout new shape variations. Carvers are not stupid. Even the discards have a purpose.
Anyway, just a few thoughts .... and maybe one more .... many many years ago, when I began my business, a wise mentor once said to me .... Mike ... in this business if you haven't heard a new rumor by 8 am ..just wait till 9 am .....
Mike
The "lack" of briar is not due to any Asian carvers / countries buying up massive quantities of premium briar. One of the "major" suppliers in Italy was approached with an offer to buy all his briar. He rejected the offer. No one with a long term business goal puts all their eggs ( or briar ) in one basket. So forget blaming a single buyer.
The main reason was the pandemic. Many areas that briar is harvested were under very strict lock down rules. Thus even IF there was briar to harvest, it was not permitted to harvest. Now in those regions, like here, trying to find people that are willing to work is challenging. Thus getting briar from the ground, is not as it once was.
This is also why many of the Italian brands have not been offering as many pipes as pre 2019. Due to lockdowns, the workshops and factories were closed. All that I have spoken with have told me they are slowly getting caught up, but it is a slow process.
On to grain ...... interestingly I was at Castello in Cantu a few weeks ago. The number of rusticated pipes and sandblast pipes were far less than smooth pipes, be it mixed smooth, cross grain smooth, flame grain smooth or fiammata graded smooth pipes.
At the Radice workshop in Cucciago the number of rusticated pipes were far greater than smooth or sandblasted pipes.
The artisans, workshops, and factories are at the mercy of the briar they have in inventory. Sometimes it's great and sometimes it not. Sometimes it's somewhere in the middle. While at Castello I viewed a large bin, large enough to hold three intimate friends, that was filled with partially finished pipes that were all discards. Each had some flaw, whether in the chamber or on the exterior, that rendered each piece unfinishable.
FWIW, these discards are not used as heating fuel, at Castello. Franco told me that these are saved and used to experiment with different stains and potential different finishing techniques. Things like the Le Dune finish came from experimenting with carving techniques. Also these may be used to workout new shape variations. Carvers are not stupid. Even the discards have a purpose.
Anyway, just a few thoughts .... and maybe one more .... many many years ago, when I began my business, a wise mentor once said to me .... Mike ... in this business if you haven't heard a new rumor by 8 am ..just wait till 9 am .....
Mike
Thank you. And premium does coincide with the individual so putting a dollar amount creates a perspective on your premium vs my premium.
Keep in mind too, Raw costs are up.
When a carver gets briar, he looks for good straight grain first and then just good briar. The good straight grain is made into straight grain pipes where possible, and all the rest is made in to sandblast or rusticated pipes. The pricing hierarchy goes straight grain to sandblasted to rusticated.
Guess I am a touch confused, are you saying that birds eye is a horizontal hidden straight grain ?
Birdseye is the severed ends of the xylem and phloem that make the grain. Think of a bundle of drinking straws as grain. The ends of the straws are birdesye.
No way I'm handing over that kind of cash for only two years experience. They're still getting their feet wet at that point.
Wet? Really .. wet?? I'd say just damp!!! hahahahahaa
I didn't know if I should give you a laughing emoji, or a heart emoji for that one!
That, dear friend, is exactly what I am trying to say.
But it is something that happens that artisans suddenly appear overnight asking for those prices.
Ok time to be quite honest, as I don't want a mess of carvers looking to kick my butt at some pipe show.... there are a number of very good carvers, that are still "quite new" in the game. The exceptional ones with only a few years carving time in, are rare and I bet I could count them on one hand.I didn't know if I should give you a laughing emoji, or a heart emoji for that one!
Mike
The more experienced ones have a good time laughing about them.