No resolve

I was going to make the Belge into a Blackwood because of the twenty-thousandths of an inch dip in the tobacco chamber. I wasn't able to do it. I like the shape too much and I think it will be beautiful as a smooth. Oh well.

Blackwood Belge

I've been up for an hour or two this morning. Things do seem different somehow this morning.

I suspect that later this morning I'll see about fitting a stem to the Belge stummel and completing it as a Blackwood. I hate to rusticate away fine grain, and the Belge seems to have very nice grain, but twenty thousandths of an inch pushes it past what I am trying to achieve for the Random line.

There are some advantages to the Blackwood stem finish. First, it doesn't pick up fingerprints. That's one of the things I personally find irritating about smooth and shiny stems, they seem always to be covered with fingerprints. Another advantage to the Blackwood stem finish is that if one chews holes in it, the stem can be repaired readily without the need for a replacement. As for it collecting dirt, a couple swipes with a toothbrush takes care of most of that, and it can be popped into the dishwasher along with the silverware, polycarbonate has a continuous use temperature of 250F which is well above boiling water.

In any case, I think that I'll get back to the shop today. Hopefully well before the insulation I put into the van last fall to help with winter cold makes it unbearably hot.

Oh, I've returned pipe #87 to availability in the store. The friend to whom I offered it never got back to me, I suspect that knowing my financial situation he's going to stay mum on it. Perhaps someone will like it, I don't think that I'll use the wraparound shank technique any more, a longer stem is probably preferrable.

Alien landscape

I did not work in the shop again today. Yesterday I woke with a sharp pain in the left side of my head, I now wonder if it was a small stroke. We drove into town to ship pipe 92 and buy a few groceries.

As we drove through town, it took on a very alien appearance. All the business, bright colored signs shouting "Come In Here!" and "Buy Something!" with different wordings, the signs were everywhere. The cars were everywhere. People were everywhere. It was all about money. Grasping, shoving, feeding for it. It felt like being on another planet, but it was our own Earth.

I was glad to get back onto the mountain. I took a nap this afternoon, though the temperature was only about 60F outside it was very pleasant, the thin mountain air lets the sun beat through. Of course when we returned from town, the inside of the trailer was about 90F because it had been shut up during our absence.

I must have slept for 3 hours. I felt better when I woke up. My head hurts less, whatever it was seems to be healing itself.

Perhaps I am simply overtired again. I do tend to go in cycles. I'll be getting up at 3-4am and working on software until around 8, then going to the shop to work to around 7:30pm, then have dinner and go to bed around 9pm to do it over again. When I complete a pipe there is a release of tension, if it does not sell that turns into depression because things financial are difficult.

Sometimes I recognize fatigue. Usually I don't. Outside tonight there is a cool breeze and a nice sunset lighting the clouds to the west. Everything seems different somehow. I suspect it is largely because I am not so tired now. When I am tired I need to wear glasses to read the text on my computer, but when I am rested the glasses are unnecessary.

At the moment I'm reading without glasses for the first time in some weeks.

Tomorrow will be different than today, somehow.

Thoughts de-jour

As mentioned earlier in this blog, I didn't want to create a blog simply to have a place to post photographs. I wanted rather to write of my thoughts and feelings about the craft.

Comments from people like Gunnar, who fancy themselves to be great artists and businessmen, could of course simply be rejected during comment moderation. Probably that would be a wise alternative. I have however always tried to favor virtue over expediency, for good or ill.

This morning I will shrug aside some concerns and simply write my thoughts.

First, the fallacy that pipe engineering is mysterious. That is a joke. Pipe engineering is relatively simple. The principles used in shaping a good tobacco chamber are identical to the principles used by NASA in designing rocket exhaust nozzles. Air is a liquid, it has the same properties as water. The properties most often ignored by pipe makers are viscosity and surface tension. They also forget that airflow at high velocities is not the same as airflow at low velocities, any more than waterflow at high velocities is the same as waterflow at low velocities. Normally drilled pipes contain an intersection where the airway meets the tobacco chamber which consists of sharp edges. That is just stupid.

The airway of a pipe begins at the rim and ends at the smoke outlet, and a proper airway is a single continuous tube that of necessity changes in configuration as it bends. Makers of musical instruments have understood basic airflow principles for hundreds of years, yet makers of pipes cling to the traditions of their teachers and propagate the myth that pipe engineering is mysterious by using what in general amounts to bad engineering. Pipes made with bad engineering slapped out by the hundreds will occasionally produce a decent smoker, thus propagating the myth that it is mysterious. It is not in the least mysterious.

However, producing a good tobacco chamber is costly, thus unprofitable. The profit motive is, for some, everything.

There are two methods of producing quality.

The common method is to produce quantity, then sort it according to the luck of the results. Make a dozen pipes in a day, sort them according to how each happened to turn out, and price them accordingly. Eventually the overall level of quality will rise with the practice level of the factory worker.

The other method is to produce quality at every step. This method is costly in terms of time, which as we all have been told, is money. Eventually the speed of the practitioner will increase, but if perfection is a consideration the time saved will be used to root out and address finer and finer imperfections.

The market for quality is a small one to begin with. Few people really care, if it looks like it was made in a factory that is good enough. Moderns generally have no real concept of what handcrafted means or what to do with it.

Beyond that, modern distribution and marketing methodologies come into effect. In general, price is doubled at every level. That is called "keystone" pricing. Pipes that you buy from a retailer will generally cost twice what the maker received for them. I do not have any retailers who are actively marketing my work, in part because they wish nothing to do with a radical such as me, and in part because I consider the concept of keystone pricing to be an abomination.

Today I should probably decide what to do with the Belge stummel. Should I spend a week turning it into the best smooth pipe I can make, knowing that the tobacco chamber is off by twenty thousandths of an inch, or should I spend a day turning it into a Blackwood knowing that it will outsmoke 99.99% of all pipes on the world market, or should I simply let it sit there knowing that my time would probably result in a product that sits unwanted in any case?

Yesterday I smoked the Blackwood, #89. All my pipes seem to smoke the same. The stem feels like the test stems that I made before offering the first Blackwood.

Finances make it increasingly difficult to ignore them and create beauty for its own sake. To choose the next briar block and begin the process of turning it into the best pipe I can make from it is at conflict with basic survival. There needs to be at least some expectation that after putting all the effort into a thing of beauty, someone will find it desireable enough to purchase. I have just about lost that expectation.

Feels strange

It feels very strange not to have worked in the shop today. I keep trying to guess the outcome of all this. It is not possible, one can only wait and see.

Decisions evolve

I have removed pipe #89 from the site because I wish to have a Blackwood to smoke myself. It was an embarassment to admit that although I made a number of test pipes before offering the Blackwood, they were all taken apart to verify their construction and I was too poor to take one for myself. I will smoke it in a few minutes.

I have also removed pipe #87 from the site. It will be offered to a good friend who I owe a pipe, if it does not call out to him I will smoke it myself as a souvineer of my pipe carving days.

That leaves exactly one pipe on the site, pipe #91. I will never again make a pipe of its quality for such a low price. Should pipe #91 sell, I will endeavor to make at least one pipe to replace it.

Beyond that, I leave some decisions to Fate.

Gunnar's attack

For those of you in Europe, the following is the kind of "help" that I receive from my so-called colleagues. Frankly I am sick of their arrogance.

Here is my conclusion. I will make no more pipes until something sells from the website. If a pipe sells and I am still in the pipe business, I will make another pipe. The price will be higher. If I run totally out of money before anything sells, which will be around the start of the weekend, I shut down the pipe business permanently and my customers can buy from Gunnar and his ilk. The following is from Gunnar:

"Hello Random,

I sent you an email in early June, I believe, explaining my interest in your work and what I thought was a major -at this point it sounds fatal- misunderstanding you harbor about your pipes and the world of artists and collectors in general.

As a fellow artist there are some benefits to producing good work. One of which is commentary and critique from people who like your work.

Consider this you free Bitch Slap. Extras will cost, so I suggest you straighten up.

First off stop whining in your blog. It sounds pathetic and, well, whiney. No one like a whiner.

You wrote:

It had been my hope that the Blackwood line would be met with more enthusiasm. Granted most will prefer a smooth stem, but the stem can be replaced for a low cost and the result will still be an outstanding smoker. I could have chosen to make a lower priced line with factory stems. But because of the stench of sulphur present when working any kind of vulcanite I will not touch it with a stick, and acrylic is an open invitation to breakage. A quick polycarbonate stem with good internals is much better in my opinion.

This paragraph explains more of your extreme lack of understanding -something you readily admit to. That's good. If you know and accept you don't understand maybe you will now be willing to listen.

First off as I said in the email, the Blackwood line MUST be stamped with your name. People can buy no-name pipes at shops for $40 something. Pipes with no names are basket pipes. Why should they buy yours for $100 something. Collectors what to have something they can share and talk about. A no-name pipe is not one of those. If the maker thought it was so good why is there no name of any kind? And now you say you've never even smoked one yourself?? That is insane. How can you sell something that you don't even know how it will feel in the mouth after an hour of smoking; how it will look after a week of smoking? I believe one reason bits are smooth is for cleaning purposes. How is one supposed to clean those groovy (tee hee) bits after a month

Now you think it's about the rough stem -which is in fact the whole reason you gave that line the name- and you suggest that for a low cost it can be replaced. That is sooooo backwards and inside-out it's not even funny. The whole point of the thing is it's made from special materials, has special internal engineering, has a special tenon and is made by Random. In that one sentence you just took away all the reasons to buy your pipe. I like the way you finish off the paragraph by insulting not only every-other pipe maker using vulcanite or acrylic but also every pipe collector who has pipes with vulcanite or acrylic (and that's pretty much all them). Yet you just said to replace your original bit. With what?

That brings us to your second very real problem. Power (gasoline) v. Money and Time. If you are finding that you do not have the time/power to complete your pipes to get them on line and sold, you must figure out a way to make them faster so you are using less power per. That brings us back to the Blackwoods. They must be stamped by an artisan in order to sell for artisan prices. Simple hypothetical: Two Blackwoods of about equal size. One is stamped "Blackwood by Random" one is not, no name whatsoever although in the text/advertising it is stated. Which do you think will sell for a higher price in store, at a show or on ebay? How about if they are estates of 5 or 10 years old?

So to sum up; One: You must add nomenclature to the Blackwoods to make them more valuable to the collector and casual smoker. Two you must figure out new or different techniques to make all pipes faster. If it means to stay in business you must use a sanding disk, or something similar, than that's what you'll have to do to keep doing this. What's more important to you? Your elaborate and time consuming techniques or making and selling pipes? At this point, at least for now, it sounds like you can only keep one.

I really like your work and am very interested in your materials and techniques, as I said in the email. I am saddened to hear of your frustrations in the blog. However you really need to hear this and accept whatever you can from it.

I imagine we're talking, pipes in hand, as we walk through the surrounding forrest...

Good luck,"

Guillaume's comment

"You do not discourage. All people whom I know which has one or of the pipes of you are charmed by it. I would like to buy this Blackwood, but my banker will not agree, the period is not easy. Good courage. Guillaume"

Thank you for the encouragement, Guillaume.

I received an email this morning that said "Do not stop the manufacture of pipes, you are one of best." I appreciate the sentiment expressed, but I am only the best that I can be, I try not to measure myself against my colleagues. It does not matter; when the gasoline is gone, it is gone.

It is a thing I have thought about much.  It seems that mostly people buy pipes for the way they look and pray that the pipe which has stolen their heart will be a good smoker.  Americans seem to buy whatever is touted by authorities.  I do not understand people, I will probably never understand people.

What I understand is that in a few days it will be the end.  I see no purpose in spending the few days remaining making pipes to sit unsmoked.   For over three years family has come to our aid again and again.  I can ask them for no more help.

But slowly I learn.  There have been people who asked for a less expensive line of pipes, what they really wanted is free pipes.  Even at $400 plus per pipe I am barely covering expenses if every pipe offered sells immediately.

The pipe making business seems evolved to favor those who happily make 6 pipes a day and then grade them by the luck of their results.  I think that I have been insane not to leave it to them.  

Probably no future

Pipe #92 is spoken for, paid for in advance many months ago.

It is time to begin on the Belge. But I am puzzling over whether it is worth the effort. The tobacco chamber on that stummel is twenty thousandths of an inch lower than the airway. Trivial, not nearly enough to prevent it from being a world class smoker, little enough that bottom cake will quickly eradicate the imperfection. But not perfect. Shall I turn it into a quick Blackwood? The Blackwood line does not promise to be any kind of solution. Pipe #89 is priced at a ridiculously low amount considering all things, even if its stem is less than I would have it be.

I had hoped that another pipe, #87 or #91 would sell, so that I could pull #89 and smoke it myself. Another smoker asked me if I smoked a Blackwood pipe, and I was embarassed to admit that I have none in my personal collection, simply because I have not been able to take one for myself.

It had been my hope that the Blackwood line would be met with more enthusiasm. Granted most will prefer a smooth stem, but the stem can be replaced for a low cost and the result will still be an outstanding smoker. I could have chosen to make a lower priced line with factory stems. But because of the stench of sulphur present when working any kind of vulcanite I will not touch it with a stick, and acrylic is an open invitaiton to breakage. A quick polycarbonate stem with good internals is much better in my opinion.

A year ago I was hearing comments from people who said they were waiting for a partically rusticated pipe, yet now two partically rusticated pipes sit unwanted.

At the moment enough gasoline remains to power the generator, thus my shop, for another 2-3 days. There is little money, about enough to ship pipe 92 overseas, or to buy another 3 days of gasoline.

Before making the Belge, I should make a new smoke outlet forming tool, the one that I have could be much improved and a stem will be needed for the Belge as its first order of business.

Can I spend the remaining time making the Belge, or should I work on something besides making pipes? The market for my pipes seems indifferent at best.

People have said to me, "I don't see you having any problem selling pipes, there are only 2 on your site!" They do not understand that my only income comes from selling pipes, so 2 pipes sitting unwanted represents in some cases as much as a month without income.

I will work on something other than pipes today. I can not continue to spend the time and effort to make pipes for an indifferent market.

Finally

Pipe #92 was completed today. One of the preliminary pictures is below. It will be grade "standard" because of several pinpoint flaws in the briar that are visible if you look for them at normal reading distance. It will price at $595.

As long as it takes

Today I completed 320-grit sanding and 600-grit sanding. I could, if nothing happens, actually finish this pipe tomorrow.

Taking this long to make a pipe is ludicrous, and I am surely insane for continuing to do it. There are makers who turn out 6 or more pipes in a single day.

There is a famous yellow-and-black stain, and another famous red-and-black stain, both done by famous carvers. They seem very popular looks.

I want my pipes to look as if they are made from... wood. Briar, in fact. I'm a sucker for birdseye and flame and transitional grain. Straight grain just doesn't do that much for me. It's probably a bad thing for a carver to come out and say that he doesn't much like straight grain, but it's the truth. A perfect straight grain pipe is, to me, boring. If I wanted straight-grained pipes it would be much easier and less costly to make them from oak, or pine. It's the swirly patterns in briar that give it character to my eye.

When I am finishing a smooth pipe, I take huge amounts of time to do it. Part of that is because I am making minute shape adjustments down to the 1000-grit sandpaper level. Not that my shapes are perfect, but they are the closest that I can get them. But most of the time comes from wanting to see every hair of the grain, clearly. I spend a lot of time sanding under a loupe.

I also keep my finish colors on the light side, for two reasons. One is so that the grain patterms are more defined, the other is because the minute a pipe begins its useful life as a smoking instrument, its color darkens. If I make it the perfect color before it is smoked, it will be too dark later. I want the pipes I make to get better with age.

But I am clearly insane, or I would be spending my time making large gobs of money instead of sanding briar under a loupe. I rather like it though.

Sometimes 2 or 3 days...

This "hook" shaped pipe is definitely one of the more difficult shapes I've made. Today I managed to get through 220-grit sanding, and partway through 320 sanding. Not much accomplishment for a full day, one would think.

I continue making shape adjustments through 600-grit. This morning at 220 things were fairly obvious. This afternoon at the 320 level it became a bit more subtle.

Take a bit off the shank to make the curve look right, then the stem looks wrong. Take a bit off the stem and then the shank doesn't look quite right. All the time the airway is getting closer and closer to the surface, somewhere in there.

One of the good things about shaping the stem after it's bent is that it teaches you some stuff about shaping. One of the bad things is that it's very easy to lose track of where the airway is.

It takes as long as it takes.