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Dear all,
Today I am beyond delighted to share with you a very special pipe. Since I will be graduating from my masters this year and will be taking the next step into adulthood, I decided to mark the occasion and what better way to celebrate this milestone than rewarding myself with a pipe? Although I must admit, I did not want to choose just any pipe, I spent months racking my brain, searching for something that truly spoke to me. I received a lot of advice and suggestions on what to purchase, but none caught my eye. However, this all changed one cold February (or was it early March?) evening, as I was scrolling through the numerous pipe forums, I stumbled upon a topic from Ken Barnes with some pictures of pipes he just finished to hone his skills. And voila! I finally found something that truly peaked my interest and both resonated as well as aligned with my own preferences. I have a fondness for English classical shaped pipes, which Ken Barnes has skillfully mastered due to his many years of experience with the renowned James Upshall company. The more I read into Ken Barnes and his work the more eager I became to possess one of his pipes. Without hesitation, I decided to send him a message to ask whether he sells any of the pipes he made since I was looking for something special to commemorate my graduation. I spent the next few hours continuously checking my mail and to my great surprise and exultation, he humbly accepted my request and even offered to make a custom-made pipe. Right away we began to discuss the type of pipe I wanted him to make although I gave him free creativity within the framework of a medium sized, elegant billiard. At that time, little did I know that he was about to embark on his own journey, producing his very first Ken Barnes stamped pipe and I was fortunate enough to be the one receiving such an exceptional creation. With the pictures I attached below, I tried to the best of my abilities to capture the pipes beauty but sadly I am not the most talented photographer and it goes without saying that these pictures do not do justice to real thing, in real life it is quite a vision, one that is most aesthetically pleasing. I must give it to Ken Barnes and his eye for detail! In my eyes, he truly created the perfect English billiard: A slightly canted bowl, a thin shank and a beautiful, slightly beveled rim, combined with an elegant tapered black vulcanite stem and a gorgeous light, honey colored stain that really makes the grain pop.
I still cannot fathom how lucky I am to be able to receive the very first Ken Barnes pipe, he even added a little handwritten note. I cannot thank him enough! I feel overwhelmed with gratitude and very blessed indeed. I must say I will be quite anxious lighting it up on my graduation day. And though Ken Barnes has told me that he will not take any custom orders in the future, please do feel free to contact him ( or me and I will forward you) as he will have pipes on sale from now on.
Now, without further ado I present to you the very first and official pipe conveying the ‘Ken Barnes’ name and 'Handmade in England'. Enjoy!
Best wishes,
Bazungu
Today I am beyond delighted to share with you a very special pipe. Since I will be graduating from my masters this year and will be taking the next step into adulthood, I decided to mark the occasion and what better way to celebrate this milestone than rewarding myself with a pipe? Although I must admit, I did not want to choose just any pipe, I spent months racking my brain, searching for something that truly spoke to me. I received a lot of advice and suggestions on what to purchase, but none caught my eye. However, this all changed one cold February (or was it early March?) evening, as I was scrolling through the numerous pipe forums, I stumbled upon a topic from Ken Barnes with some pictures of pipes he just finished to hone his skills. And voila! I finally found something that truly peaked my interest and both resonated as well as aligned with my own preferences. I have a fondness for English classical shaped pipes, which Ken Barnes has skillfully mastered due to his many years of experience with the renowned James Upshall company. The more I read into Ken Barnes and his work the more eager I became to possess one of his pipes. Without hesitation, I decided to send him a message to ask whether he sells any of the pipes he made since I was looking for something special to commemorate my graduation. I spent the next few hours continuously checking my mail and to my great surprise and exultation, he humbly accepted my request and even offered to make a custom-made pipe. Right away we began to discuss the type of pipe I wanted him to make although I gave him free creativity within the framework of a medium sized, elegant billiard. At that time, little did I know that he was about to embark on his own journey, producing his very first Ken Barnes stamped pipe and I was fortunate enough to be the one receiving such an exceptional creation. With the pictures I attached below, I tried to the best of my abilities to capture the pipes beauty but sadly I am not the most talented photographer and it goes without saying that these pictures do not do justice to real thing, in real life it is quite a vision, one that is most aesthetically pleasing. I must give it to Ken Barnes and his eye for detail! In my eyes, he truly created the perfect English billiard: A slightly canted bowl, a thin shank and a beautiful, slightly beveled rim, combined with an elegant tapered black vulcanite stem and a gorgeous light, honey colored stain that really makes the grain pop.
I still cannot fathom how lucky I am to be able to receive the very first Ken Barnes pipe, he even added a little handwritten note. I cannot thank him enough! I feel overwhelmed with gratitude and very blessed indeed. I must say I will be quite anxious lighting it up on my graduation day. And though Ken Barnes has told me that he will not take any custom orders in the future, please do feel free to contact him ( or me and I will forward you) as he will have pipes on sale from now on.
Now, without further ado I present to you the very first and official pipe conveying the ‘Ken Barnes’ name and 'Handmade in England'. Enjoy!
Best wishes,
Bazungu
