In preparation for my move, I've gotten rid of more than 35 pipes. I have more that have to go and it's a bear to decide what to take and what to keep. Due to this you'd think I would not buy any more pipes. WRONG! I've kept PAD in check since Christmas but when I went to Ryan Alden's site, it bit me badly. So, I ended up buying one. But it didn't stop there. I had Christmas and pipe sale money burning a hole in my pocket and he had another one on the site that I just couldn't leave there sitting all by its lonesome. He was great to deal with and both pipes hit my doorstep on Friday.
Why were they so hard to ignore? They were a material I've wanted to try since I heard about it. He made them out of strawberry wood. They both clocked in at around 40g (42g for the "heavy" one) and have a really interesting blast. I also looked at the stem/button shape and they looked darn nice. I initially chose the dublin but the billiard just couldn't be ignored. They really did need to be kept as a set.
Now for the smoke. Smoking a new pipe usually takes me a while to get to. It's a bit scary for me. This time it was hard to wait. I smoked one the night I got them and the other last night. They both smoked cool and I did not require a pipe cleaner like I usually do. There was a little bit of a taste that I couldn't pin down (not bad, just different) but otherwise the taste was superb. I love these guys and I'm glad I got the set. The only problem? What pipes now need to go to make room for them?
A note on the pipe maker. Ryan is a class act and was great to exchange emails with. You can feel the passion he has for his craft, and his business, in everything he does. The pipes are crafted wonderfully and I couldn't be happier with the whole experience. Buy one of his pipes now, before he starts to get noticed. If I'm right, he's going to have a heck of a following before long and his prices will begin to reflect that.
Now what you've all been waiting for. Pics! They are his as my pics did not look nearly as good. As with all good blasts, the pics cannot do it justice.
The Dublin.
And the billiard.
Why were they so hard to ignore? They were a material I've wanted to try since I heard about it. He made them out of strawberry wood. They both clocked in at around 40g (42g for the "heavy" one) and have a really interesting blast. I also looked at the stem/button shape and they looked darn nice. I initially chose the dublin but the billiard just couldn't be ignored. They really did need to be kept as a set.
Now for the smoke. Smoking a new pipe usually takes me a while to get to. It's a bit scary for me. This time it was hard to wait. I smoked one the night I got them and the other last night. They both smoked cool and I did not require a pipe cleaner like I usually do. There was a little bit of a taste that I couldn't pin down (not bad, just different) but otherwise the taste was superb. I love these guys and I'm glad I got the set. The only problem? What pipes now need to go to make room for them?
A note on the pipe maker. Ryan is a class act and was great to exchange emails with. You can feel the passion he has for his craft, and his business, in everything he does. The pipes are crafted wonderfully and I couldn't be happier with the whole experience. Buy one of his pipes now, before he starts to get noticed. If I'm right, he's going to have a heck of a following before long and his prices will begin to reflect that.
Now what you've all been waiting for. Pics! They are his as my pics did not look nearly as good. As with all good blasts, the pics cannot do it justice.
The Dublin.
And the billiard.
