My humble array of pipes

[AimlessWanderer]

Hey, @AimlessWanderer, quick question. Your sheet brass pipe stands, are you planning on cutting and drilling or casting? Just wondering.

Cutting slightly oversize and drilling, then trying to file to suit the shape of the shape of the individual stem. They'll basically just be a washer on the joint with two short legs on, but they all need to be different to suit the stem shape and bend of each pipe.

 

[RookieGuy]

I completely forgot about the different sizes of tenons. You're right. Casting into a mold would be stupid considering you'd have to make a new mold for each pipe.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I completely forgot about the different sizes of tenons. You're right. Casting into a mold would be stupid considering you'd have to make a new mold for each pipe.

It could actually be done, by forming a clay mould around that end of the stem, wiggling it a little to allow for shrinkage, and then carving in the leg sections before firing. However, I don't have a kiln, crucible, or gas/torch for getting the crucible hot enough. A brass push plate off a door, drill, jigsaw, and files, will be the basic means of making them here.

I doubt they'll be great aesthetically, as I don't want to finish them when fitted, and have to refinish the pipe as a result. As such, there will be some misalignment with stem and stummel. Function and stability are more important for me though.

 

[RookieGuy]

The many ways of skinning cats, beauty of varying milage. In my garage is a brake drum forge and bags of sand. But lacking is any kind of metal cutting edges (except the sawzall and hacksaw blades). So immediately my mind went to sand casting.

Aesthetics are important to the final user only. As long as you're happy with them on your pipes, anything else is gravy.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Five Missouri Meerschaum pipes currently remain, and I do still like using them. One of the things I like are the 6mm filters. I know some despise them, and upgrade the stems to non-filtered ones, but I do still like the option of a filtered smoke. So much so, that one of these may well make it through to the final nine. I'm even thinking of trying the 3mm Denicote filters in the unfiltered pipes.

Complete waste of money. I've tried them a few times now, and they don't fit deeply enough in any pipe, which means they need cutting down. Once cut down, there's not enough of them left to absorb anything.

As such, I will definitely be keeping at least one 6mm filtered cob or Missouri Meerschaum hardwood. I'll also be keeping some Denicool crystals in, which work much like the Nording Keystones. They also don't impart a smoke ruining taste at the end of a bowl like the chalk Philtpads. I don't use them often, but they're good to have around.

Having been bouncing between all these pipes while working through my batch of samples, I certainly feel like I've maxed out on briars now. I don't think I have too many, as each has a role to play, and will like them better once I've modified the topplers to sitters. I do like having one pipe per blend type though, and the Missouri Meerschaum pipes have been seeing very little use recently.

So my pipe expansion/exploration now seems to be complete. The excess, the cobs and mini meers, will cull themselves in a Darwinian survival of the fittest as time goes by. It seems wasteful to throw away pipes that still work. I think I'll have to borrow @steveclarkus line that "cobs don't count" for justifying the overall tally still being above the target of nine.

 

[radrick96]

Cobs don’t count?
I’ve never heard this. I’m going to spread the good word. Haha

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Cobs don’t count?
I’ve never heard this. I’m going to spread the good word. Haha

Well, I'm currently at 14, so I'm 5 pipes over my limit. They're all decent pipes though. I could ditch all the MM pipes, and stick to the briar and meers, but don't see the point of throwing perfectly good pipes away, just to get down to an arbitrary total.

One of the mini meers is a bit finicky with getting a pipe cleaner through, even with the stem removed, but smokes great! I've been smoking an aromatic in the Ozark Cherrywood today, and that's smoked perfectly. Despite having five pipes out of the Dunhill factory, that's still one of my best smokers! The three cobs I have left smoke everything flawlessly too (although the Country Gentleman I got rid of, never really smoked anything well). The Ozark Maple Hardwood is still unsmoked I have taken sone emery to the inside though, so I'm not tasting woodstain for the first few bowls if I do light it up.

 

[RookieGuy]

So don't throw them away. Keep them as gifts later to others who could use a bad influence in their lives. I've found they make wonderful travel pipes and outdoor activities pipes. (I found that as my bent briar fell out of my mouth and down a hill on my last hike, I was much more nervous than I was when I dropped my cob around the lawnmower.) Or perhaps if a big bearded lovable American comes over to visit you one day to learn the mysterious ways of snuff, and the [very bad words] airline people take his beloved Peterson Lumberman. Maybe try to swap with someone for an ounce or two of something.

Ok, one of those may have been a joke (I much prefer Bingham's looks), but there's no reason to throw away a perfectly good pipe yet not feel like too much. Most of them are easy enough to hide away somewhere and will take storage well enough to be up to the task when called upon.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

So don't throw them away. Keep them as gifts later to others who could use a bad influence in their lives. I've found they make wonderful travel pipes and outdoor activities pipes. (I found that as my bent briar fell out of my mouth and down a hill on my last hike, I was much more nervous than I was when I dropped my cob around the lawnmower.) Or perhaps if a big bearded lovable American comes over to visit you one day to learn the mysterious ways of snuff, and the [very bad words] airline people take his beloved Peterson Lumberman. Maybe try to swap with someone for an ounce or two of something.

Ok, one of those may have been a joke (I much prefer Bingham's looks), but there's no reason to throw away a perfectly good pipe yet not feel like too much. Most of them are easy enough to hide away somewhere and will take storage well enough to be up to the task when called upon.

Agreed! They'll stay available here till they die a natural death. By natural, I mean burnt out, dropped, sat on, accidentally left in the garden when a storm comes (I lost a phone that way), or otherwise rendered unusable. I want 9, and have 14. I will get down to 9 the Darwinian way

 

[RookieGuy]

Glad to hear it!

 

[ChiefHA]

Found this in my great granddads trunk.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Found this in my great granddads trunk.
View attachment 1116902

Awesome! Are you going to put it back in service?

 

[ChiefHA]

I haven’t used tobacco in over 15 years so it will stay on a shelf

 

[brandaves]

I haven’t used tobacco in over 15 years so it will stay on a shelf

Whether on a shelf or filled with Baccy just be sure to enjoy it...please don't leave it in that case in the bottom of a drawer. A pipe like that should be appreciated for the work of art it is! Congrats on the heirloom.

 

[radrick96]

Found this in my great granddads trunk.
View attachment 1116902

Perhaps a pic of the other side for our viewing pleasure?

I agree with everyone else herethat is a cool pipe. I would love to find a past family members pipe!

Looks like it belongs on the mantle of the fireplace with a pic of him next to it

 

[ChiefHA]

Perhaps a pic of the other side for our viewing pleasure?

I agree with everyone else herethat is a cool pipe. I would love to find a past family members pipe!

Looks like it belongs on the mantle of the fireplace with a pic of him next to it

Small chip on the antler but still a nice heirloom

 

[RookieGuy]

What a wonderful heirloom, ChiefHA! I agree that belongs on a mantle to be handed down to future generations.