After making several tobacco pipes for friends and acquaintances, I decided to make one for myself. I hardly ever smoke, but I keep getting requests for custom pipes and I want to have at least one of my own to show to prospective customers.
I’m playing with a simple light box setup for photo shoots, and I’m also experimenting with the photo-editing features on my computer.
This is my maker’s mark, cut with a single gouge.
I was a Tolkien fan before the movies came out, but I rather like the long-stem pipes (traditionally called “churchwardens”) featured in the movies to date. I’ve taken to calling this one my “Shire pipe.”
The Pipe chosen by Sir Conan Doyle for Sherlock Holmes always added a dimension to his character. The “Shire pipe” brings a similar emotion, but to which character? I’ll have to spend some time in the library considering options. Wonderful piece of work!
Nothing smokes like a nice Churchwarden; cool, with no bite. What sort of burl did you use?
It’s ebauchon briar. I will confess to monkeying with the photo a bit to “pop” the birdseye figure, but I want to experiment with some stains that will help do the same thing in real life.