It's not super hard to make a pipe, depending on your standards, your skills, your tooling,and your patience level. If all you have is a file and a vise, it's going to take about 5 years.
I advise people to try the kits first because they don't have to make a big tooling investment, and they can just do the "fun stuff". But if a guy has tools, drill press and or lathe especially,there's no reason you can't make a pipe from scratch. Check out vermontfreehand.com for info on kits, briar, rod, tools, etc.
I tell people who come to me and say "I want to start making my own pipes." to take 400 dollars, and flush it down the toilet. That's will give you the same feeling of money wasting, life-decision-questioning kind of hopelessness that pipe making generally speaking causes if you get serious about it. Banging out a pipe or two is lots of fun. Trying to make NICE stuff is hard, and tedious, and it costs a lot to get going if you aren't already heavily invested in tools. I have about 5000 bucks invested in pipe making tools, as an example. 2 different sanders, 2 different lathes, band saw, drill press, table saw, compressor and sandblast box, probably 1000 bucks in hand tools on the bench. But that's to make pipes on a daily basis. To work harder and knock a few out as a hobby is entirely possible. BUT you will spend 400 bucks before you blink. So go to it, have a crack, or, just find a pipe you really love, a 400 dollar hand made pipe, and buy that thing, and have a) a nice pipe and b) far less headaches.
There are many online resources for pipe making, pipemakersforum.com (or the facebook group called "pipe makers") being the most reliable.