The Trunk and the Branch

People frequently ask me where I get the ideas for my pipes. Specifically, I am asked if I, like Michelangelo, chip away at the wood until I bring out the briar's true form. Until now my usual response  has been a confused look and a nondescript grunt. However, after having carved The Trunk and the Branch tobacco pipe I have gained an inkling of what all that means. 

I am still amazed at how far I deviated from my initial design which was similar to Gimli's Travel Pipe. As I started to shape the pipe different and better shapes presented themselves to me from the block of Briar. What could I do? I discarded my designs and followed the fantastic shapes the briar presented to me. I am beyond pleased with it's final form, a great little sitter that looks like a tree trunk with a branch veering off from it. 

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.