317-537-PIPE nate@natekingpipes.com

A friend of mine wrote this and shared it with me, I thought I’d pass it along.

Many pipesmokers look only at the price difference between decent factory pipes and handmade artisan pipes. And they wonder, Why bother with artisan pipes? What is it that makes one drilled chunk of wood worth five or ten times as much as another? And who’d be crazy enough to pay three hundred or three thousand for a pipe?
One could make the same argument for the jump from basket briar to a nice Savinelli or Peterson. But that seems easier to understand. “It smokes better,” you might answer. “And it’s much better-looking.” And both function and aesthetics are part of the reason for artisan pipes as well.

The first reason for an artisan pipe is the quality of the construction. Basket pipes have no consistency–any one might smoke beautifully or be wetter than Niagara Falls, and it’s far more likely to be a disaster than a gem. Factory pipes are much more likely to smoke well, but it’s still hit or miss, and there’s no warranty. An artisan pipe smokes beautifully, lasts longer, and comes with a solid warranty.

An artisan, supporting him- or herself on the quality of their product, must produce something that is consistently excellent. An artisan pipemaker with a reputation for so-so pipes that collect dottle and won’t stay lit will not be in business for very long.
Artisan makers are closely attentive to the geometry of the drilling, the quality of the materials used, and perfection in the fine details. Proper drilling requires attentiveness and great skill: precision allows for a cooler, drier smoke that stays lit easily. And better-quality briar improves the taste and ease of the smoke.

Artisan pipes are not only better in performance. The aesthetics are extraordinary. There are pipes to suit every taste, from freehands to pickaxes and churchwardens to oom-pauls. Each artisan’s pipes vary in size, shape, and even materials, giving the pipe-smoker infinite choice. There are metal bands, extensions of every sort of wood, ivory and horn, stems of ebonite, cumberland, acrylic, amber and even horn. If no pipe currently available suits the piper’s fancy, he or she can design one with the artisan they like best.

Artisan pipes are easier and more pleasant to smoke, and they are works of art. No two are alike. But, most importantly, they connect the smoker to the piping community. Buying directly from the pipemaker is a very personal process. The smoker develops a relationship with the maker and is able to ask questions, learn the pipe’s story, learn the maker’s story. The entire community of pipe-makers is based around passion and perfection, but also friendship.

If you can’t tell much difference between one pipe and the next, if your pipes are solely for nicotine delivery, if you never fall in love with a great shape or amazing grain, then artisan pipes probably aren’t for you. But if you’re captivated by a beautiful shape, if flame grain makes your heart beat faster, if you dream of a certain stummel with a band made of ivory, rosewood or horn, then an artisan pipe is exactly what you’re looking for. It will bring you great joy.
And why smoke at all, if not for the pleasure of it?

Written by Brigid Strait