The Wizard's Horn

The Wizard's Horn tobacco pipe is a very different pipe. I am not entirely sure how well I like it. Visually it is beautiful. The straight grain of the plateaux briar is stunning and I have been improving on the way I use the dyes which have given this pipe an amazing finish and the rough outside of the root burl is always fascinating. What I am not happy about is the curve, and how that has effected the way it sits in the mouth. This is not a lazy pipe, all the weight is out at the end and the stem doesn't displace any of the weight from out to down. Still it is smokable and looks amazing, you just might want to build up your biceps before smoking this one.

I want to give a return shout out to Catholic Stuff Podcast created by the willing minds of Fr. John, Fr. Peter, Fr. Mike, Joe Doman, and, last but certainly not least, the esteemed Nathan Goebel. Joe recently lead a podcast on our own St. John Kemble and encouraged the listeners to check out this site, so thank you gents over at Catholic Stuff. Listen to this podcast, they have some amazing topics and deal with them thoughtfully and enjoyably. 

The Shofar

The Shofar is the next in the line of horn tobacco pipes (not because it is made of horn, but just made to resemble a horn in some manner) and it came out amazingly well. I freehanded the twist on my spindle sander and used various tools to add the wavy edge which is smooth but contoured. I left the briar it's natural color and finished it with a buffed carnauba wax. 

I was first inspired to create The Shofar shortly after it was announced that Archbishop Charles Chaput was going to be moved to Philadelphia. I have had many opportunities to know him and have looked on him with much admiration throughout his time in Denver. While the shofar was used in Jewish religious ceremonies to mark joyous feasts including the announcing of a Jubilee Year and other holidays, I carved it as a reminder of a great religious Leader and spiritual father. 

Joshua's Horn

My second horn pipe, Joshua's horn is made of plateaux briar. The beautiful straight grain runs down from the natural curve of the briar to a peterson stem. It is stained with black with much of the stain sanded off. The peterson stem lets the smoke out of the top side of the bit which makes it feel cooler since it doesn't hit the tongue directly.

Joshua, I am sure, had one of these in his tent during the siege of Jericho just wishing that tobacco had already been brought over from the New World so he could smoke the inhabitants of Jericho out of their city instead of blowing their walls down. 

The Walls of Jericho

The Walls of Jericho is a trumpet shaped pipe. The curve of both the pipe and the stem are amazingly simple and beautiful, and ends up looking much like an animals horn. The briar is left at its natural color which is very light on the right hand side and just a shade of red darker on the left side. Even if Joshua didn't have one of these when he marched on Jericho, I'm sure he would have appreciated it afterwards back in his tent.