When you say "go dead in the water" do you mean they didn't get made at all, or they didn't turn out to your satisfaction?
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Who would you commission for a set of two pipes <1K USD (less than)?
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When you say "go dead in the water" do you mean they didn't get made at all, or they didn't turn out to your satisfaction?
I would suggest googling as many custom pipes as you can. Look at the WAYS thread, the Show US Your threads. Reach out to those artists. Kind of like looking for a tattoo artist for the project you want to do.
Lots of people have suggested Ryan Aldan. I'd like to echo that (if you like the look of his pipes). I was part of a group who commissioned a LE pipe a couple years ago. To get the obvious out of the way right away, it's gorgeous and smokes anything I care to put in it effortlessly. But we expected those things. What impressed me was his communication throughout the whole process. We were getting updates...I want to say weekly, but it might have just been as things happened. Lots of pictures, and he answered every question asked in a timely manner. That was the closest I've ever come to a commissioned pipe, and even with the group buy the price was... still outside my price range. But through our dealing with him, with how he was, it made me feel a lot better about the investment.
Lots of people have suggested Ryan Aldan. I'd like to echo that (if you like the look of his pipes). I was part of a group who commissioned a LE pipe a couple years ago. To get the obvious out of the way right away, it's gorgeous and smokes anything I care to put in it effortlessly. But we expected those things. What impressed me was his communication throughout the whole process. We were getting updates...I want to say weekly, but it might have just been as things happened. Lots of pictures, and he answered every question asked in a timely manner. That was the closest I've ever come to a commissioned pipe, and even with the group buy the price was... still outside my price range. But through our dealing with him, with how he was, it made me feel a lot better about the investment.
Regarding paying in advance, I’ve done it multiple ways. Some don’t ask for a prepayment of any amount, provided that you’re not asking them to make something that’s far different from what they normally make (which you shouldn’t be doing anyway 
). They know that even if you’re not satisfied, that they can easily sell the pipe another way. The downside is that you’re never sure whether your commission is a priority. I think this is the way almost all commissions should be done.
Only once have I prepaid. That was a 50% downpayment on a pipe by Gustavo Cunha (marTelo), who had made pipes for several of my friends. I wouldn’t have prepaid him without solid references about his commission process. It all went almost exactly as Gustavo said it would with respect to time, which was many months.
Almost unbelievably, Roman Kovalev shipped me a pipe before I’d paid him a dime. As many of you know, Roman makes Doctor’s Pipes, which are very high end. Great guy. Unfortunately, he lives in Russia which means that I won’t be buying from him again until the war has ended.
I certainly have heard horror stories about formerly reputable carvers who fall on hard times and never deliver after having taken a deposit. None of those individuals are still carving these days.
One thing is that I’ve never commissioned a smooth pipe which relied upon stellar straight grain. I have two from Chris Asteriou which are just modern versions of 1930s English classic shapes which need no special grain. It’s just so much harder for a carver to deliver on an order for a smooth straight grain or angel hair grain pipe.
). They know that even if you’re not satisfied, that they can easily sell the pipe another way. The downside is that you’re never sure whether your commission is a priority. I think this is the way almost all commissions should be done.Only once have I prepaid. That was a 50% downpayment on a pipe by Gustavo Cunha (marTelo), who had made pipes for several of my friends. I wouldn’t have prepaid him without solid references about his commission process. It all went almost exactly as Gustavo said it would with respect to time, which was many months.
Almost unbelievably, Roman Kovalev shipped me a pipe before I’d paid him a dime. As many of you know, Roman makes Doctor’s Pipes, which are very high end. Great guy. Unfortunately, he lives in Russia which means that I won’t be buying from him again until the war has ended.
I certainly have heard horror stories about formerly reputable carvers who fall on hard times and never deliver after having taken a deposit. None of those individuals are still carving these days.
One thing is that I’ve never commissioned a smooth pipe which relied upon stellar straight grain. I have two from Chris Asteriou which are just modern versions of 1930s English classic shapes which need no special grain. It’s just so much harder for a carver to deliver on an order for a smooth straight grain or angel hair grain pipe.
Yep, he seems to be great to work with on specific commission styles, etc. He's the master of the bent billiard, if that is your cup of tea (Shape 65) BST link below:
Also mentioned, Ryan Alden.
No offense intended towards you or anyone else who has the time/enjoys deep internet searching, but I do not. S'why I'm polling you good folks to see if a short list emerges.
No no no. Your collective expertise is being sought.
Now paint this fence while I sip lemonade (i.e. work overtime to afford custom pipes).
I could swear someone fixed the greater than symbol to the less than symbol earlier, but now it’s back to the greater than symbol. Did you opt to increase your commission budget?
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