From: ????????????????? (robert everett)
Subject: Pipes

Hi Steve and all,
Well, the holidays are behind us and I really hope that each and every one of
you had a wonderful time with those you love. I sure did!! I received two
interesting (to me, at least) Christmas gifts this year. From my lovely wife
of 41 years, a large straight grained freehand pipe by an Italian maker named
Lorenzo, with whom I had no previous familiarity. If this pipe is an example of
his normal handwork, I'm very much surprised that he isn't better known, as my
pipe is really something special. My other interesting gift was a briar
plateau and a blank stem from my best buddy, another pipe smoker of many years
standing. He and I have talked for years about someday getting some plateaux
and trying our hand at pipe making. Well - finally he decided to do something
other than talk about it and in his inimical fashion left the potential
massive goofup and it's attendant eternal ribbing on my shoulders rather than
his. Sneaky fellow, that Harold! Never one to pass up a challenge, I repaired 
to the shop and commenced to hack and hew. Imagine my surprise when that
lump of 
hard (read really HARD) wood began to somewhat resemble a pipe. I kept after
it until I'd removed all the wood that wasn't a pipe and I'll be darned if what
I ended up with wasn't a Danish style freehand with plateau top and stem end.
Among my collection are a number of well-loved Ben Wade and Preben Holm Danish
freehands, so I guess I just automatically followed what I liked most about
them in my attack on that poor chunk of briar. I'm really pleased and proud as
punch of this, my first pipe and immediately placed a large order with Pimo
for more briar plateaux and a bunch of stem blanks. I'm off to the races with
a new hobby that really complements my love of pipe smoking and collecting. I'd
like to whloheartedly recommend to all who may have ever had a thought about
trying to make a pipe to go ahead and get started. It's not as hard as you've
probebly assumed it to be. All that's required is patience and a few basic hand
tools. The results may well surprise you -  I know mine did.

Smoke in peace,
Bob

[ Congrats on the new Lorenzo and the new Everett! -S. ]


~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U