@ghostsofpompeii, the pipe you posted on the 2nd, is referred to by most pipe smokers as a "bridge pipe." They tend to be large pipes, and the nicer ones usually have plateau across the top, as well as a thumb hole which makes them much more comfortable to hold. The hole also gives the pipe the similarity to an arch bridge.
It usually takes a nice block of briar to qualify for a bridge pipe, with plateau spanning the top, and in some cases lots of straight grain in a fan shape.
You can put in a search for "bridge briar pipe," and see a few examples. That is a nice one, and for what you paid, I doubt you will ever lose any money, should you decide to sell or barter.
@motie2 Now we're getting in the spirit of things. Very cool pipes and I love the presentation. From one hippie to another ... cool. I love my Carey Magic Inch pipes. It's a shame more members haven't included at least one in their collection just to see how cool they smoke.
H.P. Lovecraft is widely regarded by his peers as the most significant author of the 20th Century for his body of work in the field of macabre horror fiction. His Cthulhu Mythos of ancient gods and indescribable nightmarish creatures have been adapted to both the big and small screen in films like "From Beyond", "Dagon", "The Re-Animator" series, "The Dunwich Horror", "The Unnamable", "Hemoglobin", "The Crimson Cult", "Cool Air", "The Shuttered Room", "Die, Monster Die!", and several adaptations of his short story "The Strange Case Of Charles Dexter Ward" under both the original title and "The Resurrected" and "The Haunted Palace". His short stories were tailor made for TV anthologies like "Night Gallery" (Pickman's Model" and "Cool Air) and "Masters Of Horror" ("Dreams From The Witch House"). Lovecraft's twisted tales of madness and monsters has been source material for countless rock and heavy metal musicians who have turned to his eerie works for inspiration.
But despite his posthumous fame - in life he was a unheralded struggling writer mainly writing for pulp magazines - and at the time of his death from intestinal cancer at the age of 46, Lovecraft died in poverty.
Like others before me I turn to H.P. Lovecraft as my source of inspiration as the backdrop for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot, which features my Hungarian Oom-Paul no-name basket pipe. A pipe just as flawed as Lovecraft himself - a man who not only saw both parents die in a mental institute, but suffered from a nervous break-down himself while still in high school. My basket pipe is a hair's breath from a break-down of it's own as flaws and cracks become more pronounced due to poor craftsmanship and an abundance of filler. I've yet to have a pipe burn through ... but I can foresee a day in the near future when I end up with a lap full of hot ash and embers. So although the pipe photographs well, there is that underlying terror of being jolted out of my seat. A similar reaction to reading one of Lovecraft's tales of terror.
Today's photo features a Bruyere Garantie Czechoslovakian-Style Hinged-Cap pipe, gifted to me by my good friend Frank (Woodsman). The only other markings on the pipe are the numbers 74315. Being the inquisitive type I wanted to know more about the pipe. So during my research I discovered the pipe was not manufactured by Bruyere as I assumed - nor was Garantie the name of the product line, but in fact "Bruyere Garantie" literally translated from French mean "genuine briar". So the marking isn't the name of the manufacture or style of the pipe, but a stamp identifying the wood as genuine briar. Delving deeper into the history of the pipe the information leads me to believe it may have been manufactured in either France or Switzerland. But regardless of it's origin, the pipe is a great little smoker and perfect for a walk in the woods on a windy day. With a bowl size providing a good 20 minute smoke. And unlike my other hinged wind cap pipe, when smoking this particular pipe with the cap closed you don't get that annoying metallic taste I get from the bent pipe in my collection. It's the perfect pipe for outdoor activities like hiking, biking or boating.
The Nording Eriksen Keystone, like the Falcon and Kirsten before it, operate in much the same way, each with a removable briar bowl that traps the tars and moisture in a reservoir at the base of the pipe, to be wiped out and cleaned after the smoke. The idea behind the design is for a dryer, cooler smoke. And although the Falcon and Kirsten are the most popular of this style of pipe, the design concept has since been copied by a variety of pipe makers from around the world going by names like: Alco, Supertwist, Lindbergh, Aero, Kayos-Spiralo, Furture 2000/Sumerlar, Ropp, and at one point even Dr. Grabow produced a variation of the Falcon with their Viking series . Some have improved upon the performance of the pipe while others simply copied the Falcon design and little else. Whereas a majority of the Falcon-style pipes are constructed of a metal body composition with interchangeable briar or Meerschaum bowls, the Nording Eriksen is constructed of a light-weight durable molded plastic body. The bottom is designed with a spiraled chamber for an added cooling effect. To further enhance the smoke Nording clay Keystone are then added to absorb the excess moisture and trap harmful tars for an even more satisfying cooler and dryer smoke. While it might seem the heat transfer from the bowl of burning tobacco to the plastic body could be problematic ... I've yet to experience excessive heat transfer that affected the performance of the pipe or taste of tobacco. Problems may occur if the Keystones are packed too tightly and make direct contact with the bottom of the bowl. When that occurs stop smoking - remove the bowl - then remove a few stones. If you hear the stones crunch when you replace the bowl ... they're packed too tight. It only requires about six stones to function properly. Anymore than that can create a problem and detract from the smoking experience.
Today's photo shoot is a little something special ... an 'out of this world' grand finale. Just like the climactic pyrotechnic display at a 4th Of July fireworks display, we'll end my series of individual pipe dioramas with my biggest prop yet, and an encore 'Close Encounter' with a few of the pipes featured throughout the month.
And for members who have come to enjoy this feature there is more to come. I'll photograph a few grouping collections, as well as restaging a 'do over' of my original two Peterson pipes early on in the process. I got a bit more creative as I went along. So I feel two of my best looking pipes were victims of a sub-par photo shoot. An above all else .. please continue to post your pictures as well. Members have posted pictures of beautiful pipes on a variety of different posts, so please add them to this page as well.
But for now let me light the fuse and get this party started.
@motie2 You hit it right on the head. My wife is into the Victorian era and has one of the extra bedrooms done up in Victorian style. The second extra bedrooms if a multifunction room that houses my music studio complete with six keyboards, my computer, and what I refer to as my American Museum Of ALIEN History. This is where I have all my collectibles, that big alien in the chamber in today's photo shoot, the giant dinosaur head, the full sized ALIEN 3 head, and an assortment of Classic Universal Monster figures. A kid would love my room. An adult would shake their head in disgust. All that in one 8 x 10 bedroom. There is also three CD towers full of music. I need more space to properly showcase the stuff. Our living room has been done up as a sitting room/coffee shop. And the family room is our entertainment center with shelves of movies, more movie memorabilia, and that Frankenstein head. My wife wanted it to look like a theater room ... but more along the lines of one of those Grand Old Theaters. So she bought the type of big heavy curtains you might see in one of those theaters, and she has three Tiffany lamps she bought from Penny's that were marked down from $350.00 each to $150.00 for the complete set. The woman has a nose for a bargain. And I paneled the walls like the library or study you might see in an old movie - looks like individual picture frames. A lot of cutting and using the MITRE box to frame out each square. The house isn't big - but it's cozy and a reflection of our personalities.
It's become the new industry norm. Director's re-releasing their original film on Blu-Ray and DVD as extended Director's Cuts with extended scenes and deleted footage. Allowing the film maker to digitally correct any defects from the original film, change the pacing, or better flesh-out and develop the characters ... generally spice it up. With that notion in mind please indulge me as I do a reboot of my own with a 'do over' of my first two photo shoots that started this little project. The two Peterson pipes - the Limited Edition 'Dracula' and 'Jekyll And Hyde' kick-started The Daily Briar Photoshoot, but unfortunately the staging and photo shoot in general left much to be desired when compared to those which followed. So I figured I'd make things right for the pair - so for the next two days I'll be returning to the two pipes that started me on this journey.
Written in 1897 the Gothic horror novel "Dracula", penned by Irish author Bram Stoker has been terrifying readers for generations. His classic novel has been adapted to both stage and screen. Over 38 actors have portrayed the Transylvanian undead Prince in movies, most notably Bela Lugosi in the original 1931 Universal classic, and from 1958 through the 70s' Christopher Lee donned the cape in a series of Dracula films from London's Hammer Studios. Over the years the role has been played for both laughs as well as straight terror by a diverse group of actors which include: Jack Palance, Francis Ledere, Gary Oldman, David Niven, Lorne Green, Lon Chaney Jr., George Hamilton, Louis Jourdan, Leslie Nielsen, Rutger Hauer, Gerard Butler, Patrick Bergin, and both John and David Carradine - and a host of others from around the globe.
So in 2012 the Peterson Pipe Company of Dublin honored their favorite son with a series of limited edition Dracula Pipes. The pipes are midnight black with a striking red stem accented with a black swirled design. The pipe below is a sandblasted Peterson Style 999.
Although Scottish author Robert Lewis Stevenson was quite prolific during his relatively short time on Earth (he died at the age of 44) he is best known for four novels "Treasure Island", "Kidnapped", "A Child's Garden Of Verses" and his best remembered and most successful "The Strange Case Of Doctor Jekyll And Mr. Hyde". A popular work which has earned him the distinction of being the 26th most translated author in the world. And the source inspiration for countless movies.
While writing his famous novella in the English seaside town of Bournemouth, Stevenson was in poor health and bedridden throughout. Some scholars suggest he was also under the influence of cocaine or ergot (another popular drug or fungus readily in use at the time that could cause mind altering hallucinations), which may explain his state of mind while writing this dark and twisted tale of a rogue doctor who hopes to corral the dual nature of man (good vs evil) with his experimental potion, exorcising and banishing the beast within that drives men to evil deeds. Returning man to his purist form, before Eve took a bite of the apple. But as we've learned from our Catechism class and Sunday School lessons, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. And in the end the good intentions of Stevenson's character Doctor Jekyll unlocks the door to Hell unleashing his shackled alter ego the villainous Mr. Hyde. His experiment succeeds in materializing evil in the physical form of Mr. Hyde, but takes a turn for the worse when Jekyll discovers his evil alter ego has become the dominant personality. Eventually corrupting what-ever virtue remained of the good doctor. Resulting in his doom.
This dual personality was the inspiration for the Peterson's 2005 Limited Edition 'Jekyll And Hyde' pipe. A beautifully crafted work of art with a split personality - one side a high gloss ruby red finish (representing the refined and highly polished Doctor Jekyll) the other a dark rusticated finish (the villainous Mr. Hyde). The pipe - a bent style 05 - has a nickel band inscribed with the words Doc Jekyll And Mr. Hyde and a vulcanite stem with a fishtail mouthpiece. And like Peterson's striking Dracula pipe, both are attention grabbers.
My latest acquisition is something I've been wanting for some time now ... a Kaywoodie. There is a romantic streak of nostalgia that runs through me longing for the 'Good Old Days'. Acquiring items from a time in history when things seemed to move a little slower, families were a tight knit unit that weathered the storm through good times and bad, and the complexities that plague the modern digital age were much simpler. We may have had less choices back then, but were happy with what we did have and made them last longer. Quite the opposite from our current disposable world where technology and products are outdated six months after arriving on the market. And we're programmed to upgrade what-ever hand held device to the 6.1 version when 6.0 is still working perfectly. And you could buy an American made product without the added expense of purchasing an extended warranty because the manufacture doesn't have the confidence to guarantee it once it's removed from the box.
The Kaywoodie pipe is a product of those simpler times. Dating back as far back as 1919, the Kaywoodie pipe has been providing smokers with a quality product at an affordable price. With the passage of time things have changed and the once inexpensive Kaywoodie drug store pipes have became highly sought collectibles with a price to match, and unfortunately some Kaywoodies manufactured during a span in the 80s' were of lesser quality. My Kaywoodie Redroot does not bear the four or two digit marking designating it a prized collectible from their Golden era of pipe making. Yet my Kaywoodie Redroot shares a place of honor in my collection alongside American classics like the Custom-Bilt, Dr Grabow, and The Yello-Bole.
Comments
@ghostsofpompeii, the pipe you posted on the 2nd, is referred to by most pipe smokers as a "bridge pipe." They tend to be large pipes, and the nicer ones usually have plateau across the top, as well as a thumb hole which makes them much more comfortable to hold. The hole also gives the pipe the similarity to an arch bridge.
It usually takes a nice block of briar to qualify for a bridge pipe, with plateau spanning the top, and in some cases lots of straight grain in a fan shape.
You can put in a search for "bridge briar pipe," and see a few examples. That is a nice one, and for what you paid, I doubt you will ever lose any money, should you decide to sell or barter.
H.P. Lovecraft is widely regarded by his peers as the most significant author of the 20th Century for his body of work in the field of macabre horror fiction. His Cthulhu Mythos of ancient gods and indescribable nightmarish creatures have been adapted to both the big and small screen in films like "From Beyond", "Dagon", "The Re-Animator" series, "The Dunwich Horror", "The Unnamable", "Hemoglobin", "The Crimson Cult", "Cool Air", "The Shuttered Room", "Die, Monster Die!", and several adaptations of his short story "The Strange Case Of Charles Dexter Ward" under both the original title and "The Resurrected" and "The Haunted Palace". His short stories were tailor made for TV anthologies like "Night Gallery" (Pickman's Model" and "Cool Air) and "Masters Of Horror" ("Dreams From The Witch House"). Lovecraft's twisted tales of madness and monsters has been source material for countless rock and heavy metal musicians who have turned to his eerie works for inspiration.
But despite his posthumous fame - in life he was a unheralded struggling writer mainly writing for pulp magazines - and at the time of his death from intestinal cancer at the age of 46, Lovecraft died in poverty.
Like others before me I turn to H.P. Lovecraft as my source of inspiration as the backdrop for today's Daily Briar Photoshoot, which features my Hungarian Oom-Paul no-name basket pipe. A pipe just as flawed as Lovecraft himself - a man who not only saw both parents die in a mental institute, but suffered from a nervous break-down himself while still in high school. My basket pipe is a hair's breath from a break-down of it's own as flaws and cracks become more pronounced due to poor craftsmanship and an abundance of filler. I've yet to have a pipe burn through ... but I can foresee a day in the near future when I end up with a lap full of hot ash and embers. So although the pipe photographs well, there is that underlying terror of being jolted out of my seat. A similar reaction to reading one of Lovecraft's tales of terror.
Today's photo features a Bruyere Garantie Czechoslovakian-Style Hinged-Cap pipe, gifted to me by my good friend Frank (Woodsman). The only other markings on the pipe are the numbers 74315. Being the inquisitive type I wanted to know more about the pipe. So during my research I discovered the pipe was not manufactured by Bruyere as I assumed - nor was Garantie the name of the product line, but in fact "Bruyere Garantie" literally translated from French mean "genuine briar". So the marking isn't the name of the manufacture or style of the pipe, but a stamp identifying the wood as genuine briar. Delving deeper into the history of the pipe the information leads me to believe it may have been manufactured in either France or Switzerland. But regardless of it's origin, the pipe is a great little smoker and perfect for a walk in the woods on a windy day. With a bowl size providing a good 20 minute smoke. And unlike my other hinged wind cap pipe, when smoking this particular pipe with the cap closed you don't get that annoying metallic taste I get from the bent pipe in my collection. It's the perfect pipe for outdoor activities like hiking, biking or boating.
The Nording Eriksen Keystone, like the Falcon and Kirsten before it, operate in much the same way, each with a removable briar bowl that traps the tars and moisture in a reservoir at the base of the pipe, to be wiped out and cleaned after the smoke. The idea behind the design is for a dryer, cooler smoke. And although the Falcon and Kirsten are the most popular of this style of pipe, the design concept has since been copied by a variety of pipe makers from around the world going by names like: Alco, Supertwist, Lindbergh, Aero, Kayos-Spiralo, Furture 2000/Sumerlar, Ropp, and at one point even Dr. Grabow produced a variation of the Falcon with their Viking series . Some have improved upon the performance of the pipe while others simply copied the Falcon design and little else. Whereas a majority of the Falcon-style pipes are constructed of a metal body composition with interchangeable briar or Meerschaum bowls, the Nording Eriksen is constructed of a light-weight durable molded plastic body. The bottom is designed with a spiraled chamber for an added cooling effect. To further enhance the smoke Nording clay Keystone are then added to absorb the excess moisture and trap harmful tars for an even more satisfying cooler and dryer smoke. While it might seem the heat transfer from the bowl of burning tobacco to the plastic body could be problematic ... I've yet to experience excessive heat transfer that affected the performance of the pipe or taste of tobacco. Problems may occur if the Keystones are packed too tightly and make direct contact with the bottom of the bowl. When that occurs stop smoking - remove the bowl - then remove a few stones. If you hear the stones crunch when you replace the bowl ... they're packed too tight. It only requires about six stones to function properly. Anymore than that can create a problem and detract from the smoking experience.
Today's photo shoot is a little something special ... an 'out of this world' grand finale. Just like the climactic pyrotechnic display at a 4th Of July fireworks display, we'll end my series of individual pipe dioramas with my biggest prop yet, and an encore 'Close Encounter' with a few of the pipes featured throughout the month.
And for members who have come to enjoy this feature there is more to come. I'll photograph a few grouping collections, as well as restaging a 'do over' of my original two Peterson pipes early on in the process. I got a bit more creative as I went along. So I feel two of my best looking pipes were victims of a sub-par photo shoot. An above all else .. please continue to post your pictures as well. Members have posted pictures of beautiful pipes on a variety of different posts, so please add them to this page as well.
But for now let me light the fuse and get this party started.
It's become the new industry norm. Director's re-releasing their original film on Blu-Ray and DVD as extended Director's Cuts with extended scenes and deleted footage. Allowing the film maker to digitally correct any defects from the original film, change the pacing, or better flesh-out and develop the characters ... generally spice it up. With that notion in mind please indulge me as I do a reboot of my own with a 'do over' of my first two photo shoots that started this little project. The two Peterson pipes - the Limited Edition 'Dracula' and 'Jekyll And Hyde' kick-started The Daily Briar Photoshoot, but unfortunately the staging and photo shoot in general left much to be desired when compared to those which followed. So I figured I'd make things right for the pair - so for the next two days I'll be returning to the two pipes that started me on this journey.
Written in 1897 the Gothic horror novel "Dracula", penned by Irish author Bram Stoker has been terrifying readers for generations. His classic novel has been adapted to both stage and screen. Over 38 actors have portrayed the Transylvanian undead Prince in movies, most notably Bela Lugosi in the original 1931 Universal classic, and from 1958 through the 70s' Christopher Lee donned the cape in a series of Dracula films from London's Hammer Studios. Over the years the role has been played for both laughs as well as straight terror by a diverse group of actors which include: Jack Palance, Francis Ledere, Gary Oldman, David Niven, Lorne Green, Lon Chaney Jr., George Hamilton, Louis Jourdan, Leslie Nielsen, Rutger Hauer, Gerard Butler, Patrick Bergin, and both John and David Carradine - and a host of others from around the globe.
So in 2012 the Peterson Pipe Company of Dublin honored their favorite son with a series of limited edition Dracula Pipes. The pipes are midnight black with a striking red stem accented with a black swirled design. The pipe below is a sandblasted Peterson Style 999.
Although Scottish author Robert Lewis Stevenson was quite prolific during his relatively short time on Earth (he died at the age of 44) he is best known for four novels "Treasure Island", "Kidnapped", "A Child's Garden Of Verses" and his best remembered and most successful "The Strange Case Of Doctor Jekyll And Mr. Hyde". A popular work which has earned him the distinction of being the 26th most translated author in the world. And the source inspiration for countless movies.
While writing his famous novella in the English seaside town of Bournemouth, Stevenson was in poor health and bedridden throughout. Some scholars suggest he was also under the influence of cocaine or ergot (another popular drug or fungus readily in use at the time that could cause mind altering hallucinations), which may explain his state of mind while writing this dark and twisted tale of a rogue doctor who hopes to corral the dual nature of man (good vs evil) with his experimental potion, exorcising and banishing the beast within that drives men to evil deeds. Returning man to his purist form, before Eve took a bite of the apple. But as we've learned from our Catechism class and Sunday School lessons, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. And in the end the good intentions of Stevenson's character Doctor Jekyll unlocks the door to Hell unleashing his shackled alter ego the villainous Mr. Hyde. His experiment succeeds in materializing evil in the physical form of Mr. Hyde, but takes a turn for the worse when Jekyll discovers his evil alter ego has become the dominant personality. Eventually corrupting what-ever virtue remained of the good doctor. Resulting in his doom.
This dual personality was the inspiration for the Peterson's 2005 Limited Edition 'Jekyll And Hyde' pipe. A beautifully crafted work of art with a split personality - one side a high gloss ruby red finish (representing the refined and highly polished Doctor Jekyll) the other a dark rusticated finish (the villainous Mr. Hyde). The pipe - a bent style 05 - has a nickel band inscribed with the words Doc Jekyll And Mr. Hyde and a vulcanite stem with a fishtail mouthpiece. And like Peterson's striking Dracula pipe, both are attention grabbers.
My latest acquisition is something I've been wanting for some time now ... a Kaywoodie. There is a romantic streak of nostalgia that runs through me longing for the 'Good Old Days'. Acquiring items from a time in history when things seemed to move a little slower, families were a tight knit unit that weathered the storm through good times and bad, and the complexities that plague the modern digital age were much simpler. We may have had less choices back then, but were happy with what we did have and made them last longer. Quite the opposite from our current disposable world where technology and products are outdated six months after arriving on the market. And we're programmed to upgrade what-ever hand held device to the 6.1 version when 6.0 is still working perfectly. And you could buy an American made product without the added expense of purchasing an extended warranty because the manufacture doesn't have the confidence to guarantee it once it's removed from the box.
The Kaywoodie pipe is a product of those simpler times. Dating back as far back as 1919, the Kaywoodie pipe has been providing smokers with a quality product at an affordable price. With the passage of time things have changed and the once inexpensive Kaywoodie drug store pipes have became highly sought collectibles with a price to match, and unfortunately some Kaywoodies manufactured during a span in the 80s' were of lesser quality. My Kaywoodie Redroot does not bear the four or two digit marking designating it a prized collectible from their Golden era of pipe making. Yet my Kaywoodie Redroot shares a place of honor in my collection alongside American classics like the Custom-Bilt, Dr Grabow, and The Yello-Bole.