@ghostsofpompeii -- That's really looks like my Formerly Known As Cursed pipe, the one I bought on eBay that came with a Latakia ghost that would re-primer a Jeep. It took two thorough cleanings/exorcisms to banish that bad boy. It's my largest bowl pipe and I purchased it -- lightly smoked, based on observable evidence, but ghosted on a galactic level -- or only $15.00. It has, since being reconsecrated, been a blessing, especially on those sunny afternoons on the deck when I want a long, slow smoke. Frankly, the large billiard looks stupid on me; it's too big for my face. It was my second eBay used/estate pipe purchase. In both purchases I feel I came out way ahead, paying mid-Sixties prices today.
I have to tell you I am really enjoying these photo shoots. I know it takes time and effort putting these together and it is appreciated. Keep them coming.
My entry for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot is an American standard ... the Corn Cob Pipe. No pipe collection would be complete without at least one. My Cob is a very old one I purchased while on a fishing trip to Michigan some 30 years ago. My friends and I piled into three separate cars and headed from Northwest Indiana to one of the many beautiful lakes in Michigan, where one of my buddies had a family cabin. I'll not deceive anyone into believing I'm an amazing outdoor adventurer ... quite the opposite ... but this opportunity for a little male bonding while covered in fish guts was so exciting that I completely forgot to pack a pipe. So somewhere over the Michigan border I picked up an inexpensive Cob (what I assumed to be a disposable short term alternative to get me through the week-end) and a package of OTC tobacco at a gas station. I believe the Cob is an old Missouri Meerschaum but can't be sure because the label on the bottom has since peeled off. Other than a little stubby novelty Cob this was my first true Cob and proved to be a great companion and excellent smoker on my fishing excursion. So much so that I bought several Cobs since then. But this particular pipe I seldom smoke because I can't get it apart to change the filter (don't want to break it), and without a filter the draw is too strong; but I keep it as a remembrance of that amazing fishing trip and the memory of two buddies on the trip who have since passed.
This started as a lark and has become a lot of fun as I wander through the house looking for props to use for the photoshoot. Just wish more members would participate and add a few photos of their own. Like to see how creative they can be as well.
Yesterday's recollection of a fishing expedition from the past is my inspiration for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot. And the pipe is a pretty little no-name Italian basket pipe with nothing more than the word RUSTICA inscribed on the pipe. Great little smoker that's been in my collection for well over 35 years and has provided me with endless hours of satisfaction. As one of my everyday work pipes it was never pampered or given days of rest between smokes, often chugging along three out of the eight hours during my shift. Yet after all that, this pipe looks as fresh as the day it was purchased. All it takes is a little routine maintenance (reaming the cake build-up when required) and regular cleaning. So for all you newcomers to the hobby ... never discount a basket pipe. They can provide you with tears of smoking enjoyment and perform as well as some of their more expensive name brands.
Keeping in mind that the pipe smoking community is not restricted to men only, I enlisted the aid of my wife Andrea to showcase and photograph today's Daily Briar Phtoshoot with the style and grace befitting a lady piper. She selected a pipe from my collection that she would smoke should she consider taking up the hobby. The pipe is a small bowled, sleek and somewhat dainty Italian basket pipe perfect for a short ten minute smoke. And her choice of the Victorian inspired setting reflects the delicate nature of the pipe, as well as the woman who might smoke it.
My featured pipe for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot is an Italian Churchwarden. In both literature and movies the Churchwarden has appeared as the pipe of preference for Tolkien's Hobbits and Wizards, as well as pub owners and cemetery caretakers in old movies. Because of it's long stem the Churchwarden is the perfect pipe for taming the bite of a troublesome tobacco, as the smoke cools considerably by the time it reaches your mouth. The Churchwarden is not designed for the active man or woman on the go, but lends itself to meditation and quiet contemplation. And at a time when such things were not yet considered, the creator of the original Churchwarden designed the first ergonomic pipe. It's length allows the smoker to rest his elbow on the arm of a chair while smoking. The German's refereed to the Churchwarden pipe as a Lesepfeife ... or reading pipe, because it's length did not obstruct their view while reading.
@pipeman83 Actually it's an very old picture of my wife's family and very precious to her. The picture is so old in fact that the baby on the woman's lap is my wife's father who passed away in 1970 when my wife was only 18. Had he been alive today he would be 111. My wife was the baby in a large family with a wide age gap between the youngest to the oldest. Her oldest sister was actually my Mother's age.
For today's Daily Briar Photoshoot I'm celebrating Halloween a few months early with my creepy 'SPIDER' pear wood pipe. A little something special for the pipe smokers among us who suffer from arachnophobia. It's my 'go to' novelty pipe for Halloween night. And actually a pretty nice smoker. Gaudy? Sure. But fun as well. An if you can't have a little fun now and then - what's the sense of breathing.
@motie2 My wife had more fun than I do when she did her Victorian photoshoot. I doubt she'll take up smoking as a result, but she wants to get more involved in my set-ups. And after seeing her end result I definitely will.
@pipeman83 Since the majority of my Sicilian relatives on my Mother's side of the family were in some way or another part of the Mafia the only family portraits I have are mug shots with them holding numbers standing in front of a height chart.
My featured pipe for today is a German style Tyrolean pipe with an integrated wind cap from Swiss pipemaker B.B.K. (Brunner - Buhofer - Kompagnie) from Kleinlutzel Switzerland. Since my most vivid recollection of the Tyrolean pipe were those smoked by the cantankerous Burgomaster, town official, or colorful tavern owner in one of those classic Universal horror films, who better than Boris Karloff and his Frankenstein Monster to be the backdrop for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot.
For the past two weeks at the crack of dawn, a juvenile Tyrannosaurus Rex has been reeking havoc in my vegetable garden. Trodding on cucumbers, crushing tomato plants, and defecating on my herb garden. Something had to be done - and fast. So with nothing more than a World War II era 30 caliber M1 Carbide and my trusty pear wood Dragon's Claw pipe I set out to put an end to it's reign of terror. Filling the air with the intoxicating aroma of Sutliff's Molto Dolce tobacco, and puffing like a locomotive, I attempted to lure the beast into my gun site. It worked!
The T-Rex stepped out from the thicket and into a clearing, sniffing the air like a fat man entering an all you can eat buffet. But now the cloud of smoke around my head was so thick it obscured my view. I couldn't get a good bead as the rampaging beast sprinted toward me. Thankfully a sudden breeze from the flap of a butterfly wing provided a momentary window of opportunity and I took aim at the beating heart of the charging beast. With the steely-eyed resolve of a big game hunter I pulled the trigger.
The bullet veered wide right ... killing a crow perched on a fence post.
Without a moment's hesitation I knew what had to be done. Dropping my rifle I ran in the opposite direction, screaming like a 10 year old girl at a Justin Bieber concert. Hitting notes I never thought possible. The beast made a final lunge at me, but not before tripping over my barbecue grill and instantly breaking it's neck on a concrete birdbath.
Making sure there were no witnesses to the event, and confident there would be no autopsy to determine the actual cause of death, I wrestled free my rifle wedged beneath the lifeless carcass, chunks of concrete, and squashed Beefsteak tomatoes - and took my shot. Point blank.
Moments later I ran into the house boasting to my wife of my conquest while simultaneously dialing the phone number of a local taxidermist.
The big game hunt and mounted T-Rex trophy are the inspiration for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot. And in the spotlight - my trusty pear wood Dragon's Claw pipe.
"There is nothing wrong with you're television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image. Make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur, or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat, there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to ... The Outer Limits."
From it's premiere on September 16, 1963 The Outer Limits set the standard for thought provoking science fiction television shows, and provided some of the most imaginative extraterrestrials ever created for a TV series. Of course by today's standards the creature effects were little more than crudely crafted costumed men in rubber suits and the occasional use of stop motion animation, such as the insect-alien invaders The Zanti Misfits episodebrought to life by special effects maestro Jim Danford. But in 1963 these creature effects were on par with the rubber suited monstrosities that graced the big screen at your local Drive-In each week-end from the likes of independent low budget film makers like Roger Corman or the early black and white films of Ray Harryhausen.
The Zanti Misfits episode featured one of the creepiest critters conceived. Imagine an insect with not only a human face - but mutton chop sideburns to match like some Victorian character from a Dicken's novel. Stick a pipe in it's mouth and give it an easy going nature and you might have the planet Zanti's version of YouTube Pipe presenter MuttonChops Piper. So in a strange way both Muttonchops Piper and The Zanti Misfits provided both the inspiration and the backdrop for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot, featuring my pear wood Master Crafts No. 66 Calabash twins.
Nothing more elegant than a black pipe for an evening out on the town. And today's feature pipe is an older bent Dublin from the Big Ben Royal Black line with a high gloss piano black finish. The pipe takes a 9mm filter, but smokes jus fine without it.
Two days ago I showcased my pear wood Dragon Claw pipe, and last night I ended up breaking it. Well actually if you look at the pipe you'll notice there is a spacer that elongates the pipe. The spacer was always removable if you wanted a shorter pipe. But since that's the way it came I left the pipe at that length. It gave me another reason to use my Churchwarden pipe cleaners. Well what snapped off was the tenon end of the spacer going into the shank. It took a little effort getting the broken piece out of the shank, but I eventually did. Not the pipe is simply shorter but still looks great. In all honesty I'd been considering removing that extra spacer for a while now ... so apparently it was in the cards.
Today's feature pipe is one of two estate pipes I picked up from a local antique store for $5.00 each about six months ago. One was a fantastic looking chunky old Custom-Bilt - the other was this beauty. Both pipes were part of a lot from an elderly gentleman who brought his entire collection in a plastic bag and dropped the contents on the counter, telling the owner he could no longer smoke because of health issues. The shop owner confided in me that he bought the entire lot for $25.00, yet there were easily 3 dozen pipes of varying conditions in the collection. Let me clarify ... varying stages of poor to horrendous condition. Every pipe had been caked so badly that you could barely get a pencil into the bowl. In some instances the bowls themselves were cracked because of the excessive build-up. The old fellow apparently didn't believe in reaming the bowl and smoked the pipes until he could no longer pack enough tobacco in the pipe to smoke. Then I guess he'd buy another.
The two pipes I bought were the only ones he hadn't chewed his way through the stem. The majority of the stems were well beyond simple tooth chatter - most had been chewed right through the bit. Maybe he lost most of his teeth by the time he got around to smoking the two I purchased.
For months now I've been trying to identify this pipe but to no avail. There was a signature on the pipe but the first few letters were difficult to make out. What I could read were the remaining letters which spelled out 'rgento'. The word DELUXE was clearly stamped under the signature.. As well as the country or origin ... Italy. So I started looking for Italian pipe makers with either the name Argento or Sargento (like the cheese). I did come across Argento pipes in a Pipes & Cigars Catalog, but the company was basically a cigar manufacture that recently branched out to include a line of pipes. Plus logo on my pipe stem didn't match theirs. And for that matter I couldn't find any reference to that particular logo anywhere on the internet, including an excellent site devoted to identifying pipes by their markings and pipe logos.
Then yesterday I put my wife on the case, and in a matter of minutes she identified the pipe maker as D'Argento. And after a quick search for vintage D'Argento pipes she came across one up for bid on EBAY. And there on the stem was that logo I'd been looking for. The D'Argento DELUXE was apparently the work of an Italian pipe maker who has long since disappeared, but thankfully a few of his vintage pipes are still floating around.
So after some serious reaming and a light sanding of the charred rim I had myself a beautiful pipe. I have no idea what the value of the pipe is ... but I'm sure it's worth more than my initial $5.00 investment and what little time and effort I put into it. With a little tender loving care it's once more a beautiful pipe - and a great smoker. And I promise Mr. D'Argento ... where ever he may be ... that I will take better care of it than the last owner.
DSturg369 That's quite an impressive photo gallery - as well as collection of pipes and tobacco. It's a shame you couldn't load up a few right here on this page.
@motie2 Haven't been able to crack into the tin yet because it's a birthday gift. But my wife did let me use it as a prop. Once I've had a few bowls I'll give you my thoughts.
Comments
My entry for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot is an American standard ... the Corn Cob Pipe. No pipe collection would be complete without at least one. My Cob is a very old one I purchased while on a fishing trip to Michigan some 30 years ago. My friends and I piled into three separate cars and headed from Northwest Indiana to one of the many beautiful lakes in Michigan, where one of my buddies had a family cabin. I'll not deceive anyone into believing I'm an amazing outdoor adventurer ... quite the opposite ... but this opportunity for a little male bonding while covered in fish guts was so exciting that I completely forgot to pack a pipe. So somewhere over the Michigan border I picked up an inexpensive Cob (what I assumed to be a disposable short term alternative to get me through the week-end) and a package of OTC tobacco at a gas station. I believe the Cob is an old Missouri Meerschaum but can't be sure because the label on the bottom has since peeled off. Other than a little stubby novelty Cob this was my first true Cob and proved to be a great companion and excellent smoker on my fishing excursion. So much so that I bought several Cobs since then. But this particular pipe I seldom smoke because I can't get it apart to change the filter (don't want to break it), and without a filter the draw is too strong; but I keep it as a remembrance of that amazing fishing trip and the memory of two buddies on the trip who have since passed.
Yesterday's recollection of a fishing expedition from the past is my inspiration for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot. And the pipe is a pretty little no-name Italian basket pipe with nothing more than the word RUSTICA inscribed on the pipe. Great little smoker that's been in my collection for well over 35 years and has provided me with endless hours of satisfaction. As one of my everyday work pipes it was never pampered or given days of rest between smokes, often chugging along three out of the eight hours during my shift. Yet after all that, this pipe looks as fresh as the day it was purchased. All it takes is a little routine maintenance (reaming the cake build-up when required) and regular cleaning. So for all you newcomers to the hobby ... never discount a basket pipe. They can provide you with tears of smoking enjoyment and perform as well as some of their more expensive name brands.
Keeping in mind that the pipe smoking community is not restricted to men only, I enlisted the aid of my wife Andrea to showcase and photograph today's Daily Briar Phtoshoot with the style and grace befitting a lady piper. She selected a pipe from my collection that she would smoke should she consider taking up the hobby. The pipe is a small bowled, sleek and somewhat dainty Italian basket pipe perfect for a short ten minute smoke. And her choice of the Victorian inspired setting reflects the delicate nature of the pipe, as well as the woman who might smoke it.
My featured pipe for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot is an Italian Churchwarden. In both literature and movies the Churchwarden has appeared as the pipe of preference for Tolkien's Hobbits and Wizards, as well as pub owners and cemetery caretakers in old movies. Because of it's long stem the Churchwarden is the perfect pipe for taming the bite of a troublesome tobacco, as the smoke cools considerably by the time it reaches your mouth. The Churchwarden is not designed for the active man or woman on the go, but lends itself to meditation and quiet contemplation. And at a time when such things were not yet considered, the creator of the original Churchwarden designed the first ergonomic pipe. It's length allows the smoker to rest his elbow on the arm of a chair while smoking. The German's refereed to the Churchwarden pipe as a Lesepfeife ... or reading pipe, because it's length did not obstruct their view while reading.
For today's Daily Briar Photoshoot I'm celebrating Halloween a few months early with my creepy 'SPIDER' pear wood pipe. A little something special for the pipe smokers among us who suffer from arachnophobia. It's my 'go to' novelty pipe for Halloween night. And actually a pretty nice smoker. Gaudy? Sure. But fun as well. An if you can't have a little fun now and then - what's the sense of breathing.
My featured pipe for today is a German style Tyrolean pipe with an integrated wind cap from Swiss pipemaker B.B.K. (Brunner - Buhofer - Kompagnie) from Kleinlutzel Switzerland. Since my most vivid recollection of the Tyrolean pipe were those smoked by the cantankerous Burgomaster, town official, or colorful tavern owner in one of those classic Universal horror films, who better than Boris Karloff and his Frankenstein Monster to be the backdrop for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot.
For the past two weeks at the crack of dawn, a juvenile Tyrannosaurus Rex has been reeking havoc in my vegetable garden. Trodding on cucumbers, crushing tomato plants, and defecating on my herb garden. Something had to be done - and fast. So with nothing more than a World War II era 30 caliber M1 Carbide and my trusty pear wood Dragon's Claw pipe I set out to put an end to it's reign of terror. Filling the air with the intoxicating aroma of Sutliff's Molto Dolce tobacco, and puffing like a locomotive, I attempted to lure the beast into my gun site. It worked!
The T-Rex stepped out from the thicket and into a clearing, sniffing the air like a fat man entering an all you can eat buffet. But now the cloud of smoke around my head was so thick it obscured my view. I couldn't get a good bead as the rampaging beast sprinted toward me. Thankfully a sudden breeze from the flap of a butterfly wing provided a momentary window of opportunity and I took aim at the beating heart of the charging beast. With the steely-eyed resolve of a big game hunter I pulled the trigger.
The bullet veered wide right ... killing a crow perched on a fence post.
Without a moment's hesitation I knew what had to be done. Dropping my rifle I ran in the opposite direction, screaming like a 10 year old girl at a Justin Bieber concert. Hitting notes I never thought possible. The beast made a final lunge at me, but not before tripping over my barbecue grill and instantly breaking it's neck on a concrete birdbath.
Making sure there were no witnesses to the event, and confident there would be no autopsy to determine the actual cause of death, I wrestled free my rifle wedged beneath the lifeless carcass, chunks of concrete, and squashed Beefsteak tomatoes - and took my shot. Point blank.
Moments later I ran into the house boasting to my wife of my conquest while simultaneously dialing the phone number of a local taxidermist.
The big game hunt and mounted T-Rex trophy are the inspiration for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot. And in the spotlight - my trusty pear wood Dragon's Claw pipe.
"There is nothing wrong with you're television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image. Make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur, or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat, there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to ... The Outer Limits."
From it's premiere on September 16, 1963 The Outer Limits set the standard for thought provoking science fiction television shows, and provided some of the most imaginative extraterrestrials ever created for a TV series. Of course by today's standards the creature effects were little more than crudely crafted costumed men in rubber suits and the occasional use of stop motion animation, such as the insect-alien invaders The Zanti Misfits episode brought to life by special effects maestro Jim Danford. But in 1963 these creature effects were on par with the rubber suited monstrosities that graced the big screen at your local Drive-In each week-end from the likes of independent low budget film makers like Roger Corman or the early black and white films of Ray Harryhausen.
The Zanti Misfits episode featured one of the creepiest critters conceived. Imagine an insect with not only a human face - but mutton chop sideburns to match like some Victorian character from a Dicken's novel. Stick a pipe in it's mouth and give it an easy going nature and you might have the planet Zanti's version of YouTube Pipe presenter MuttonChops Piper. So in a strange way both Muttonchops Piper and The Zanti Misfits provided both the inspiration and the backdrop for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot, featuring my pear wood Master Crafts No. 66 Calabash twins.
Nothing more elegant than a black pipe for an evening out on the town. And today's feature pipe is an older bent Dublin from the Big Ben Royal Black line with a high gloss piano black finish. The pipe takes a 9mm filter, but smokes jus fine without it.
Today's feature pipe is one of two estate pipes I picked up from a local antique store for $5.00 each about six months ago. One was a fantastic looking chunky old Custom-Bilt - the other was this beauty. Both pipes were part of a lot from an elderly gentleman who brought his entire collection in a plastic bag and dropped the contents on the counter, telling the owner he could no longer smoke because of health issues. The shop owner confided in me that he bought the entire lot for $25.00, yet there were easily 3 dozen pipes of varying conditions in the collection. Let me clarify ... varying stages of poor to horrendous condition. Every pipe had been caked so badly that you could barely get a pencil into the bowl. In some instances the bowls themselves were cracked because of the excessive build-up. The old fellow apparently didn't believe in reaming the bowl and smoked the pipes until he could no longer pack enough tobacco in the pipe to smoke. Then I guess he'd buy another.
The two pipes I bought were the only ones he hadn't chewed his way through the stem. The majority of the stems were well beyond simple tooth chatter - most had been chewed right through the bit. Maybe he lost most of his teeth by the time he got around to smoking the two I purchased.
For months now I've been trying to identify this pipe but to no avail. There was a signature on the pipe but the first few letters were difficult to make out. What I could read were the remaining letters which spelled out 'rgento'. The word DELUXE was clearly stamped under the signature.. As well as the country or origin ... Italy. So I started looking for Italian pipe makers with either the name Argento or Sargento (like the cheese). I did come across Argento pipes in a Pipes & Cigars Catalog, but the company was basically a cigar manufacture that recently branched out to include a line of pipes. Plus logo on my pipe stem didn't match theirs. And for that matter I couldn't find any reference to that particular logo anywhere on the internet, including an excellent site devoted to identifying pipes by their markings and pipe logos.
Then yesterday I put my wife on the case, and in a matter of minutes she identified the pipe maker as D'Argento. And after a quick search for vintage D'Argento pipes she came across one up for bid on EBAY. And there on the stem was that logo I'd been looking for. The D'Argento DELUXE was apparently the work of an Italian pipe maker who has long since disappeared, but thankfully a few of his vintage pipes are still floating around.
So after some serious reaming and a light sanding of the charred rim I had myself a beautiful pipe. I have no idea what the value of the pipe is ... but I'm sure it's worth more than my initial $5.00 investment and what little time and effort I put into it. With a little tender loving care it's once more a beautiful pipe - and a great smoker. And I promise Mr. D'Argento ... where ever he may be ... that I will take better care of it than the last owner.