Your pipe, your way
At the present time I have a very different approach to more established pipe makers when it comes to commissions. It’s more of a suggestions system. If you want to commission a pipe, tell me what you want and if I have the craftsmanship to make it, have the materials in stock and above all else, have the right piece of briar, I will get to work. For suggesting the pipe and if you like the finished product, you get to buy it before it goes on sale to the general public.
This way, if you are not happy with the final pipe it’s not a big deal, you can just pass and I don’t get stressed out. Before your thoughts run wild on what you can have made, please read my FAQ below:
Q. Can I get a smooth finish pipe with some awesome straight grain?
A. Maybe… if you’re lucky. Briar is a fickle material that often has pits and imperfections (even in the most gorgeous flawless-looking block ). These are only revealed once you start shaping. Therefore, be prepared that the pipe you suggest could very easily have a rusticated finish.
Q. Can you make an exact copy of this pipe, like this one by Bo Nordh?
A. No. What you are commissioning is my artistic interpretation of what you want. I’ll never try and make a 1:1 copy of another craftsman’s or factory’s pipe, much in the same way an artist would not copy a painting.
Q. Can you match the price of this factory made pipe on this website?
A. No, you will be paying for a handmade item with hours of labour, not a piece that was banged out on a 4-axis CNC machine by the hundreds. Although each pipe is individually priced, I try and make my pipes affordable by the working person. To give you a rough idea, think of squirrelling away £100 ($140) minimum. I will of course advise you of an estimated price before I begin work.
Q. How long will it take you to make the pipe I commission?
A. I’ve no idea. I’m a full time carer from my disabled wife. It could be a week, but it’s best to expect a month. Like the Guinness advert “good things come to those that wait” or as my father, a perfectionist luthier puts it, “you can have it done quick or have it done right, you can’t have both”.
If that has not put you off, head on over to my contact page and send me a message.
