Pipe Smokers » pipe making

How It’s Made: Dunhill Pipes

Sean — Sun, 09 May 2010 18:26:30 +0000

Here is a link to a great “How It’s Made” video over at The Science Channel on Dunhill Pipes! Big thanks to GRThompson from the http://www.smokersforums.co.uk/ for the link.

How It’s Made: Dunhill Pipes Video

Lastest Finished Eppers Pipe Carvings

Sean — Sun, 02 May 2010 14:34:06 +0000

Here are some of the pipes I’ve recently finished. I hope you enjoy. You can see more pipes and current projects on the bench over at Eppers Pipes

Latest Pipe Carvings

Sean — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:20:51 +0000

I wanted to give you guys a quick update on some of my pipe making endeavors. Pipe making is such a joy for me, its quite, your alone with your thoughts, you get to take somethings raw and see it transform into something with purpose and beauty (hopefully) and most of all you can “finish.” Most things in life are perpetual, and seemingly never ending, relationships, parenting (at least for me I have a 1 year old and one more on the way), pastoring/leading a church (I am a pastor), ect. Pipe making allows me to sit back and look at what I’ve created and walk away from it, it’s done, this to me is most of why I love it. Well enough deep thoughts for tonight. Most of you have already seen these pics if you follow me via twitter or facebook, but here they are for the rest of you faithful pipe smokers.

The little black nose warmer and the straight grain Dublin/Freehand style. I’m excited about how this one is going to turn out. Thanks for reading and happy smoking.

Visit to Fairchild Pipes

Sean — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:00:43 +0000

Yesterday I had the privilege of visiting the home and workshop of Ron Fairchild of Fairchild Pipes. As I walked in and he invited me to have a seat in one of his lazy boy chairs, the room was dark, and filled with the sweet smell of aromatic tobacco, smoked from a beautiful dublin that he carved himself in 2007. We caught up on life and talked jobs, children, and of course pipes. After awhile he pulled out five custom boxes of finished pipes to show me. Ron told me the stories of each pipe, everything from pokers, to dublin’s, to billiards, to freehands, and everything in-between. I reached for one particular that I thought was breath taking, he told me he carved it in 1983, which I replied “I was born in 1981.” Ron had a good laugh about that, and called me a young buck! We then walked me into his kitchen and Ron turned on his digital picture frame where showed me his travels from around the word visiting various briar shops and pipe making shops, he named some of the greatest pipe carvers and briar suppliers as I watched the pictures click off. Then Ron walked me into his shop where he showed me all of his tricks to the trade. Ron is truly a master class pipe maker, sticking with the classic shapes. I asked him a million questions about pipe carving and learned so much. Ron has been a huge help for me in as I have been getting into pipe making this past year. He graciously invited me back anytime and I plan on taking him up on that as I continue to lean the art of pipe making. He left me with this quote: “you sure won’t get rich making pipes, but you’ll meet some great friends along the way.”

New Eppers Pipe Website | & Rusticated Poker

Sean — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:40:22 +0000

Here is my latest pipe carving. Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have been swamped. I would love your thoughts on the latest carving. Also I wanted to point everyone the new Eppers Pipes web page. http://www.epperspipes.com

Here I will post all my latest pipes sold as well as pipe available for purchase. Thanks for your support and encouragement.

New Eppers Pipe | Straight Billiard

Sean — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:15:04 +0000

Finished a new pipe recently, and I would love your thoughts.

Straight Billiard, dark brown, and black contrast stain, with an extra long shank to produce a super cool smoke.

Sold

New Pipe Making Tool and Axis Deer…

Sean — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:04:04 +0000

The pipe making obsession has officially gone next level. Tomorrow I head into my local woodcraft to purchase a new DELTA 5-Speed Midi Lathe. It’s a big jump from my current setup, but I am pumped to take my pipe making abilities to the next level. Also in pipe making news, my next round of pipes will feature rare Axis Deer horn extensions. My father in law is an exotic game hunter and gifted my some beautiful axis sheds that will surly adorn my next few pipes.

On another note I hope everyone’s Christmas was relaxing and full of great family memories. It was my daughters second Christmas this year, and I can’t wait for many more. She is only 14 months old but can already say “pipe,” it comes out pop but it’s still adorable. Happy smoking.

Latest Pipe Carvings

Sean — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:22:48 +0000

Here are a couple of pipes that I recently finished in the workshop here in beautiful Austin, TX. Recently I’ve had quite a few people ask if I sell my hand carved pipes, and the answer is yes. If you are interested in having a custom hand carved pipe made for you or a loved one please email me at epperspipes@gmail.com

Happy Smoking I hope you enjoy the photos.

Pipe Carving – The First One

Sean — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:07:26 +0000

Pipe smoking has been a passion of mine for many years, I love collecting, I love the grain, the different finishes, and the endless shapes. And over the past few years I have always wanted to try my hand at pipe carving, and last month I dove into pipe making head first! I still have a lot to learn, and many mistakes were made, but I was overall happy with the first one, and I can’t wait to start on the next. I’d like to personally thank Ron Fairchild of Fairchild Pipes, Simeon Turner of Turner Pipes, Jeff Gracik of J. Alan Pipes, and Kurt Huhn at PipeCrafter.com for helping me out tremendously through the process. After showing it off to a few friends and my Austin pipe club guys I have about 12 orders! So I will be getting a lot of practice coming up real soon. I’d love some honest feedback and you overall thoughts. Thanks guys……and girls. :)

Pipe Maker of the Month – J. Alan

Sean — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:34:22 +0000

Recently I came across the work of J. Alan Pipes and I was blown away! This american pipe maker is truly an artist, I stumbled across him via his twitter account where he keeps his followers updated on his pipe making journey, all the way from sketches to the finished product. I encourage you to check out his work. And J. Alan if your reading does this count for a free pipe? :) Keep inspiring us and keep smoking.

From Start to Finish:

Amazing!

From his web site:

Art has always been part of my life. Drawing with first crayon and paper as a toddler, pencil and paper as a child, and later with paint and canvas as a young adult I was regaled with stories of my grandmother and grandfather, both amateur and passionate artists, and my famous cousin, Andy Warhol.

Perhaps it was blood, but I am convinced it was simply a passion for the creation things—new things, strange things, beautiful things—that ultimately led me to buy two blocks of briar and pre-formed stems during my first year of graduate work in the field of theology. Guided by what little snippets of information that could be gleaned from books and the internet I completed my first pair of pipes with borrowed tools on the wooden floor of my in-laws’ home over Christmas break. They were not very good, but I was falling in love.

I had made several pipes with the helpful guidance of Tyler Beard’s online pipemaking tutorial, he informed me that he was beginning a forum in which pipemakers could gather to share information. This was the beginning of what is now Pipemakers’ Forum, an active online community that is home to all interested in the process of pipemaking.

The following summer I was introduced to Todd Johnson, who generously invited me to his New Haven workshop to teach me about hand making pipes. The rest, as they say is history. His lessons took, and I have been making pipes ever since. Upon the completion of my studies in theology in 2006, I have made pipes my sole vocation.

As with any artist, we are influenced by the world surrounding us. At the beginning designs are inherently mimetic as one explores the medium and designs to which he has been exposed. I am no exception to this process, and am grateful to those whose work has been so influential to the development of my style. I remain an avid student of pipe shapes, consciously studying and being inspired by the work of Jess Chonowitsch, Lars Ivarsson, and Bo Nordh in Scandinavia, Cornelius Maenz in Germany, Todd Johnson and Jody Davis in the United States, and Hiro Tokutomi, Kai Gotoh, and Takeo Arita in Japan. Nevertheless, my work remains my own.

Pipe design is a careful calculus of influence and originality within a fairly restricting medium. It is my desire to continue exploring new territory, simultaneously paying homage to the great artisans of the past and present. As collectors and enthusiasts, you are part of the story as you enjoy, encourage, and collect my work.