Many years ago, I decided to make a set of my seven favorite pipes; my best smokers. This was not limited by any means to pipes I made but rather to my favorite go-to pipes. Over the years this expanded to 8 pipes, so much for a 7 Day Set... But life got in the way of this planned series and it has been put off for at least 7 years. Also, I didn t realize the magnitude of work involved in assembling this collection. The Covid hit and I had plenty of time and I resolved to finally get er' done!
All went well and I actually completed the first set. I showed it to a customer for his opinion and he immediately bought it. OK, start again. Set two was finished and it went to a customer I had showed the complete Set 1. Still not really getting too far on the project as far as getting out on the web. So no more showing sets ( tho Smoking Pipes wants one) untill I ve got a small inventory of set pipes . So I did get a complete Smooth set and a Blast set complete. By then it was the summer of 2020 and not the best time to market something new. Fall wasn t such a good time either as I was just releasing the 2020 Christmas Pipe and I spend until New Years filling orders until it slows down. The came a ton of special orders in January and finally Feb 4, 2021 they re finally going up. A minor hiccup occurred in December, when my fly fishing friend & guide , John Perry , showed up from Missoula one morning to get some pipes fixed. He s a regular at the shop and he knows where the new pipes are. While I was working on his pipes he picked out Blasts #6 &8 from the pipe drawers so I lost them and have no pictures at this date, which I will remedy shortly.
Here is a Picture of the Original Set which I am smoking presently
Top Pipe is a Jack Howell large bent billiard which he gave me many years ago when he came to visit the shop. My Tuesday evening pipe.A good hour smoke and tasty from the first match to the last !
Second Left is a pipe my son Glenn made eons ago that had a cracked shank which has further depreciated over time but what a great last pipe of the nite 20 minute smoker it is. Its the only one I smoke a couple times a week, all others are weekly.
The third pipe is an early Paul Bonaquisti Billiard , a gift to me also, my every Weds morning pipe and a great smoke !
Forth pipe on the left, is a Castello Virgen Sear Rock, I purchased from Rob & Pete Seigel at their Long Island Shop while doing a show there in the mid 90 s . Love the shape, the taste, the comfort. Just an all around great pipe! This one rotates in the week, whenever I feel the need for a consistently good pipe.
Fifth Pipe is a Becker 4 Heart with Cumberland Vulcanite Bit. What can I say its beautiful, has an wonderful distinctive taste, an all around pleasure. I traded a new pipe for this one to Capt Bob Spore back in the 80 s at a pipe show I was having at John Hayes Tob. I got the better of that deal by far! Unless the Lovat I traded him is one of his favorite pipes. My Mon evening Pipe.
The Sixth pipe , on left, is one I made a left over from a Special Order Smooth from a customer in Thailand. Generally larger than a pipe Ill smoke in the shop it s surprisingly light and balanced. A nice long dreamy smoke ! Generally smoked on Weds evening.
The Seventh Pipe ( the Bent Dublin w/Band) is the 1998 Christmas Pipe. My habit was to take a Christmas Pipe each year and this is my Thurs morning pipe Very comfortable and tasty, a little sharper than the others but in a very good way.
The Eight Pipe (third down on right) is a JHW Shape #9 that my partner Curt Rollar made. It my Sun morning pipe and 45-50 years old is still a great tasting longer smoke. It s lit up every Sunday Morning
I have many other good pipes but none as consistently good as these ones which is why I singled them out for a Set.
( You may note I'm not so great at repairing my own pipes, a shoemakers shoes...)
Here is Set 1 that has been sold
Set 2 Sold
