2014 BOTL Pipe?
- Thread starter K Williams
- Start date
- Status
This is nice.
Rex,
I don't know the official name of this style, but this is one that reminded me of the 320s that I went back and forth on for quite a while.
This is the style I would likely put up for consideration if we ever get to the point of taking polls on design, etc.
(The pipe is a Savinelli Collection 2010 that was selling on cigar.com. This particular coloring was a little different than other sites were offering, and I REALLY liked it, but now it's been sold. Missed my chance. But I have started following more indy pipe makers and see some of this style in my future.)
Do we know how much that pipe is?
Hoshneer
Drew Estate NotRex
That one is the Savinelli and it isn't cheap, I think around $300.
cgraunke
BoM March '14
Yeah, cheapest I ever found it was around $275. But it really did it for me. Maybe someday I'll stumble upon one and happen to have the spare cash. Maybe. Right?
Hey guys, I have been messaging back and forth with @cgraunke regarding thoughts on this pipe. @Eric had also messaged me a few days about it as well. Just waiting to hear back.
As far as some of the common questions I have received I will just address them on here quick for everyone to see.
---In your experience, would someone carving a pipe like the DE one take longer than someone shaping/sanding a more traditional pipe?, I'm guessing a carved piece like the DE was never meant to be more than a one-off and was probably gifted to JD, where as a small run of those would likely fetch $600-$1000 and take forever to produce. I keep eyeballing that yellow-stemmed blowfish you made (and may just pick it up from you one of these days ��
and am curious how something like that would go over with an artisan.
*-Ya I tend to agree in order to do a pipe that is heavily carved like that I would say the price would be much higher ($600-$1000), if the person was even willing to do a large run such as that. As much as I can appreciate the work that has gone into the DE pipe I myself wouldn't want it.
Also one thing that has to be made aware is the style of pipe you are wanting. The more demanding the pipe shape is to produce, stem inlays, finishes (blasted, rusticated, smooth) will also drastically change the amount of time it takes and at the end of the day the price.
Runs of pipes of that volume should generally be kept to a fairly straight forward easily repeatable style.
If you look at the Balkvec pipe although a sharp pipe it is a very straight forward pipe to make. He did a devils anse which is a pipe shape basically on a billiard platform with different styling. Straight tapered stem no details such as inlays, no complicated shapes, or saddled stem. Rusticated finishes are known to be cheaper and quicker to produce then smooth or blasted and can hide flaws if any should arise. The pipe is also a straight stem with a bowl that is canted forward, in the production of this pipe these aspects will make it go much faster as you can do more lathe work on it causing less time consuming hand and shaping wheel work.
Not to knock his work in the slightest as he does very nice work, but that pipe style was clearly chosen in order to give a large batch friendly run.
A lot of times when you get into more complicated shapes or working with a certain grain characteristic or trying to get a flawless grain it highly dictates the pipes final outcome as far as size, shape, and style. Basically the more complicated the pipe not only is it adding in price but it makes it that much harder to reproduce, the pipes can still be very much on the same page as far as style, finish, and shape however the more complex the harder to carbon copy. If you ask me that is a lot of the draw having a one of a kind artisan pipe.
Such as that blowfish, you will never be able to produce two identically pipes, a blowfish flows out of the grain style. A lot of pipes believe it or not are designed around the block of briar and the grain that lives within it.
Straight forward shapes such as billiards and pokers are obviously your most cost effective and large production friendly. Having said that billiards and pokers can lend them selves to a lot of different styled pipes within them selves. Another thing to be aware of in finding a maker is that a lot of makers are already slammed with commissions and back logged with orders, or not open in doing large production runs to begin with...well in short they can be a monotonous journey to say the least haha.
When you look at the factory pipes that are pumped out having hundreds of identically pipes, this is because those pipes are not made by hand. The blocks of briar are cut into the shapes they want by the use of CNC machines. Computer Numerical Controlled, in short they are perfect copies of one another which are made by machines which then have defects filled with filler, hand fitted with pre-made molded stems, then stained and polished.
As far as some of the common questions I have received I will just address them on here quick for everyone to see.
---In your experience, would someone carving a pipe like the DE one take longer than someone shaping/sanding a more traditional pipe?, I'm guessing a carved piece like the DE was never meant to be more than a one-off and was probably gifted to JD, where as a small run of those would likely fetch $600-$1000 and take forever to produce. I keep eyeballing that yellow-stemmed blowfish you made (and may just pick it up from you one of these days ��
and am curious how something like that would go over with an artisan. *-Ya I tend to agree in order to do a pipe that is heavily carved like that I would say the price would be much higher ($600-$1000), if the person was even willing to do a large run such as that. As much as I can appreciate the work that has gone into the DE pipe I myself wouldn't want it.
Also one thing that has to be made aware is the style of pipe you are wanting. The more demanding the pipe shape is to produce, stem inlays, finishes (blasted, rusticated, smooth) will also drastically change the amount of time it takes and at the end of the day the price.
Runs of pipes of that volume should generally be kept to a fairly straight forward easily repeatable style.
If you look at the Balkvec pipe although a sharp pipe it is a very straight forward pipe to make. He did a devils anse which is a pipe shape basically on a billiard platform with different styling. Straight tapered stem no details such as inlays, no complicated shapes, or saddled stem. Rusticated finishes are known to be cheaper and quicker to produce then smooth or blasted and can hide flaws if any should arise. The pipe is also a straight stem with a bowl that is canted forward, in the production of this pipe these aspects will make it go much faster as you can do more lathe work on it causing less time consuming hand and shaping wheel work.
Not to knock his work in the slightest as he does very nice work, but that pipe style was clearly chosen in order to give a large batch friendly run.
A lot of times when you get into more complicated shapes or working with a certain grain characteristic or trying to get a flawless grain it highly dictates the pipes final outcome as far as size, shape, and style. Basically the more complicated the pipe not only is it adding in price but it makes it that much harder to reproduce, the pipes can still be very much on the same page as far as style, finish, and shape however the more complex the harder to carbon copy. If you ask me that is a lot of the draw having a one of a kind artisan pipe.
Such as that blowfish, you will never be able to produce two identically pipes, a blowfish flows out of the grain style. A lot of pipes believe it or not are designed around the block of briar and the grain that lives within it.
Straight forward shapes such as billiards and pokers are obviously your most cost effective and large production friendly. Having said that billiards and pokers can lend them selves to a lot of different styled pipes within them selves. Another thing to be aware of in finding a maker is that a lot of makers are already slammed with commissions and back logged with orders, or not open in doing large production runs to begin with...well in short they can be a monotonous journey to say the least haha.
When you look at the factory pipes that are pumped out having hundreds of identically pipes, this is because those pipes are not made by hand. The blocks of briar are cut into the shapes they want by the use of CNC machines. Computer Numerical Controlled, in short they are perfect copies of one another which are made by machines which then have defects filled with filler, hand fitted with pre-made molded stems, then stained and polished.
Great info
Great info. I would not pay $600 and up for a carved pipe. Besides being too pricey I think its ugly. Just my opinion. I would prefer an apple or and egg style but open.
I've never smoked a pipe (yet!) or own a pipe,but i am definitely down to get in if we decide to do something reasonable. i have been a member for a couple of years but just recently started really hanging out here and love it! Once i finish my cigar newb trade i am heading to the pipe newb trade!
Any more word onto is becoming a reality?
cgraunke
BoM March '14
As far as I know, last communications from Eric were fairly recently with Cody and it sounds like there is slowly some progress. I just hope we can get enough forward momentum to get started with time for completion by the BOTL 10th Anniversary date. I think there's enough interest here to keep a pipe artisan busy for at least 4-6 months, so time really is of the essence!
Keep bumping this to the top with interest gentlemen! 👍😆
Yeah it would be awesome for the anniversary, kinda like look how it branched off and is gaining.
Well if the price is right. Or depending on when or is this happens I'd be down.
cgraunke
BoM March '14
I believe Fraser counted around 22 from this thread as of a week or two back...
Ryan, would you send that list to Cody?
We probably would need to have a consensus on the size, shape and make up too. Smooth or sandblasted, etc. straight or bent, things like that, but Eric would need to give a blessing on that.
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