After the root tuber is boiled in a copper bowl (to clean from and kill bugs) the root tuber is cut into pieces (Èbauchons). Now, storage of at least two years in ideal conditions has to follow. Due to this effort, the relatively small piece of wood has a cost factor even before further processing into a pipe bowl. I am speaking about high-class pipes.
Of course, you can take younger wood or do it without an appropriate drying period and this surely affects the price. However, how much filler has been used or other concealing measures have been taken, nobody would ever tell you. Sure, you can buy low-priced models. There are manufacturers that produce models with ultra-modern machines. You will have a relatively nice pipe and as well as thousands of other people. I would like to address pipe smokers and true connoisseurs who buy models being aware of and feeling the joy of having something special. I think the feeling when looking at a pipe collection and/or the lighting of a pipe in the appropriate ambience and atmosphere is something special.
The root of the heath is a part of the natural surroundings at the weather-beaten coast in the Mediterranean area. Each piece is individually shaped and interesting in its manner. Over the years, the plant has struggled with all kinds of outside influences. This is visible as grains of sand are incorporated into the root tuber, bugs doing harm or forest fires leaving their stigmas.
The value of a unique pipe is determined by many facts:
- In dialog with the root, how did the pipe artist or hand crafter succeed in transferring his idea into a shape?
- How accurate is the execution (surface, symmetry)?
- Does the harmony of the pipe correspond to the pipe as a whole?
- Is the functionality given and is it accurately executed?
- How does the grain appears?
- How accurate is the wood surface in terms of enclosures and wood defects?
These are a few criteria according to which a pipe can be valued. The basis could build the working hours and the material costs. Working hours are a special matter in Germany. Hourly wage rates of the producing industry can not play a role here. The plurality of working steps and the intensity of the performance executed by hand, together with the raw material, are the elements of pricing.
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If somebody acquires the making of pipes step-by-step on his own as I did, then you can not translate your pride into figures on a performance which is even comparable to others. With a huge quantity of my pipes, I stop the drilling at a minimum thickness of the bottom and drill the connection to the puff drilling in the holm. Thus, the drag hole is arranged centrally at the bottom of the tobacco chamber and the puff quality is ideal. If pipes are worked as described, you can find a note in the description. I always execute the surface of the pipes’ heads smoothly to let the individuality of the root wood have its impact. This approach in crafting pipes leads to the fact that small enclosures or failures, if existent, can hardly be eliminated. Therefore, a note about how many minor defects, and where they are, is made in the description. Some pipes are etched to emphasise certain wood drawings. Afterwards, all pieces are polished to a high finish with the help of Carnauba-wax. |
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;) Click on to enlarge. | The smoke channel to the tobacco chamber ends with an acute angel. After repeated usage, the weak point burns down in the course of time. That is why the tobacco cannot be completely burned or other damages occur. As the path of the smoke is relatively short, it arrives quite warm in the mouth. | |
;) Click on to enlarge. | Contrary to the pipes with a straight smoke channel, pipes with a bended drilling do not build weak points at the opening of the smoke channel to the tobacco chamber. The path of the smoke is longer. Hence, more condensate is taken by the wood and the smoke gets colder. The stress of pipes with bended thrilling is closer to the mouthpiece. Consequently, a minor leverage effect develops and it is less exhausting to keep the pipe between the teeth. | |