Gandalf's Branch

It is a pleasure to present Gandalf's Branch. This freestyle (wizard) pipe features a beautiful bamboo churchwarden stem with a brass tenon and a pipe bowl in the the same family as The Trunk and the Branch. I realize in previous posts I have made digs at certain churchwarden pipes being considered for travels but of course for Gandalf I must eat my own words. Of course Gandalf must be able to safely store such a pipe as this at any time. Why else would his hat be so tall?

Gimli's Travel Pipe

Gimli's Travel pipe is a fairly simple sitter, a strong pipe with a wooden stem. The stem is maple instead of vulcanite. The bowl is straight grain plateaux briar. The briar is not stained and the stem is stained with a black stain. This is my first attempt at a wood stem and am quite satisfied with the result. It is also my first pipe with a stem I made on it. 

I call it Gimli's travel pipe, because despite what the movie would have us believe I don't really think that all the Lord of the Ring characters traveled with outrageously long Churchwardens. Sure, those are beautiful pipes but when you're walking for miles fighting with sword and ax, carrying all your own gear  you don't want to bring you churchwarden and risk breaking it. You need an old standard. something strong, pleasant to smoke and nice to look at and preferably shorter than your sword. None would have known this better than Gimli.