Re: TRG Handcrafted Pipes -- New Ones

**Pstlpkr** on Thu Feb 16, 2012 6:44 pm

Looks like Tim is hitting the $300+ mark there. Wow.

I think you got that right!

wvloony on Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:45 am

after looking at all the wonderful pipes you've made so far tim I was wondering how about a churchwarden hmmmm,lol

**raftergtex** on Mon Feb 20, 2012 10:25 am

Thanks, guys. No $300 pipes from me for a while yet. To get there you need more of a name, and making 25 a year its hard to do that. Just call me the friend of the working man. Very Happy

Chad, I do have some long pieces of ebonite meant for churchwarden stems, but I am not sure how to drill them. None of my drill bits are long enough. I'll have to look into how that is done. I always love a good challenge, though.

BanjoBob on Mon Feb 20, 2012 2:51 pm

I've seen Churchwarden stems for sale on eBay, I'm not sure about their quality but it might make it much easier to produce a Churchwarden until the complexities are worked out.
If they're made of a hard rubber the outsides might be sanded and buffed to make them nice enough. At least they have been bored out.
The next time I run across some I'll take a closer look.
David

wvloony on Mon Feb 20, 2012 4:39 pm

well when you do figure it out, you can count on me being frst in line on it, I am always wanting to expand my collection of them, weather the misss would agree is a totally. dfferent matter.

**raftergtex** on Mon Feb 20, 2012 4:53 pm

Thanks, David. I have not been impressed with pre-made stems, for the most part. The vulcanite they are made from is not nearly as nice as the german ebonite I usually use, and you often have to widen the draft hole also. They take so much work you might as well start from scratch. For a churchwarden, though, it might be easier for sure.

Chad, I will give it some thought.

wvloony on Mon Feb 20, 2012 5:10 pm

that's all I can ask for. and that is good enough for me.

BanjoBob on Mon Feb 20, 2012 5:45 pm

I just found the bits. they're only 200mm long.
That's like 8".
They were Vulcanite but in that length you could drill them yourself
(probably) without very much trouble.
They were also very skinny.
David

**raftergtex** on Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:07 am

Okay, cowtownpoker2. With due respect to RJ whereever he may be, I like this one better than the original:

By the way, Lawrence, I have a new commission for a whiteringedvolcano2, in which I hope to outdo yours as well. Sorry. Razz

ThePhill on Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:17 pm

Another beautiful work of briar Tim, nicely done. Congrats on the new commission as well.

**Pstlpkr** on Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:32 pm

Stunning Tim.
Your talent is growing by leaps and bounds.
It kind of looks like a (pseudo) military bit.
Simply wonderful, stain, rustication, accents, everything... beautiful.

**NoseWarmer** on Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:10 pm

A W E S O M E ! ! ! ! cheers

Oldmaus on Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:36 pm

Beautiful job on this pipe, it is awesome! Very Happy

BanjoBob on Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:35 pm

Hmmm ... I'da thunk it could have deserved more dots?!?

**raftergtex** on Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:21 am

Can't resist sharing a review I just received on that last cowtownpoker pipe. Especially well written and greatly appreciated:

"I received my pipe (the second) from Tim on Friday and had a chance to smoke several bowls over the weekend. What a wonderful smoking pleasure. The pipe is a combination of quality briar and excellent craftsmanship and carving, melding the different textures and wood tones into a beautiful pipe that is feather-light, with an excellent draw and produces a cool smoke for an hour, with practically no dottle at the end. The personal care and consideration that Tim puts into his pipes and his unparrelled customer service are tops! I own over 20 pipes and this one is the best in my collection. It would be a bargain at twice the price. I highly recommend a look at his pipes. I think the following missive from Max Engel of Pipes2Smoke, Toronto, Canada, sums up Tim’s work:

If you really love these pieces of dead wood, we call pipes, then look and look hard. If you look hard, you will see a few that speak to you. Those pipes are worth adding to your collection. I mean their work involves you visually, aesthetically or emotional and preferably all three of these. Do not be dazzled by a single pipe, look at the totality of a makers work. A table of pipes will do. Ask yourself, do you see something there that you haven’t seen before. Perhaps you look and see that they are not quite there yet, so maybe you buy a pipe to encourage them. And if they get there - then you will have few greater pipe joys than knowing you spotted their talent - early on and seeing it grow. These are worth having. Great pieces speak to your soul. The lighter stuff is fluff and its’ superficial prettiness will pass and be forgotten. Demand excellence. The pipe that speaks to you like the music of Charlie Patton, Beethoven, or Bruce Springsteen does - will enrich your appreciation of life. And anything that does that makes life worth living. Enjoy your pipes.”