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I'll eat my fucking hat. Okay dude, pressure's on! Make a kick ass blowfish! I really like Sas', even if I could make a kickass Blowfish, which I don't feel I could I wouldn't want Sas' to eat his hat, that would be horrid for him. My reasoning behind the Blowfish Buddy is that I'd love to own one ...

I'll eat my fucking hat. There's a hundred ugly blowfishes in the gallery. Eventually, you have to make one if you are going to make one. But if a guy can't control the lines on a billiard, he can't control the lines on a blowfish. Take whatever metaphor you like. Driving a F1 car after your first ...

For what it's worth Kirk, think of making a billiard (or any traditional shape for that matter) as a study of tool manipulation. The hardest thing to master in pipe making (from where I'm sitting anyway) is figuring out HOW to make the tool do what I want/need it to do. That's what so great about a...

Well, I had a go at making a Billiard, whilst I quite enjoyed doing it in some ways I have to say I was bored senseless in too many other ways to even consider doing it again to perfect the style. Out of respect for some of you folk here I did have a go at it. I truly appreciate and value the advice...

Joe, that is extremely helpful, thank you ever so much for taking the time to inform me so well, very much appreciated.

Been thinking about what has been said here regarding the Billiard shape, whilst it is not a pipe shape I have any interest in making I thought I might look into giving it a try, see what comes of it, copying a traditional shape really grates me to be frank as I don't like copying anything or any on...

It's done on the shaping wheel. To be honest, if you can't grasp the technique conceptually, why try something beyond you skill set. Learn the basics. As Jeremiah suggests, learn to make a billiard before venturing out. Just to make it easy, regarding a blowfish, think of a ribbon that goes around ...

Thanks for the helpful replies, I'm on my own then, be well and safe journeys.

Thank you for your suggestion.

Advice on the blowfish is what I need all the same.

I really would like to try my hand at making some Blowfish pipes but for the life of me I can't get my head around how the bulge is carved into the side of the bowl. Do you guys literally just use files to get the bulge working or is there some specialist tools used for it, I'd really appreciate som...

Alexander has indeed sent 4 replacement blocks, they are of a much smaller size and a very low grade which is not what I paid for but I just can't be bothered with any further hassle with dealing with him, cut my losses and move on I guess, not the first time and it wont be last I don't doubt.

I would say that Makis, Mimmo, Domenico Geordano, and the Manno mill are the best overall wood right now, each having it's own peculiarities, and you just have to sort out what works for you. Appreciate the advice Buddy, I have emailed Makis, Domenico Geordano and Manno to discover their costs for ...

The Plateaux blocks I last got from Germany were £11.51 each, still trying to recover from that financial loss to be honest, I know it aint much to some folk but a loss of just over £80 (around $135) is a really BIG deal to me. Those blocks were more expensive than I can afford to be honest but my t...

Or you could just order from Steve Norse. Steve's prices are already pretty steep but that's to cover his investment, this I understand but to have his Briar shipped to me in the UK on top of his higher prices, it would just make it more expensive than I can stretch to especially as right now I am ...

oklahoma red wrote:A Cut Above has some pretty good Greek briar.

I'll try contacting Makis, thanks for the suggestion.

Thanks for the replies folks, I figured it was acceptable to be unhappy with the 4 out of 10, oddly the chap totally ignored 3 of my emails to him and last night after posting here I got fed up and sent a 4th email telling him (politely still) that I would be leaving a negative feedback on his ebay ...

Heya folks, I was wondering if this sort of thing is the norm' for this chap at Alexander Briar in Greece. I ordered 10 blocks of Briar from him and when I got the shipment to my horror 4 of the 10 blocks are riddled with bore holes from some sort of wood worm. I have tried contacting the chap, I ha...

And now that I'd admitted doing the same thing he'd make sure to spread the word about me. Any one who gives credence to that guys insane rantings will be equally as soft in the ol'brain pan, there is nothing you, I or any one else can ever do to change how they think or behave. Yeah, it hurts the ...

I think you will find, unless you get a tiny drill press, that you will be able to spend the next 20 years making pipes of the size that the press can handle. If you absolutely must do something longer, I think being creative with your tools would serve you better than outsourcing. You must have be...

O ye of little faith... provided you have a decent (as in, tight tolerance & not sloppy) drill press of reasonable size, pipes can absolutely be made without a lathe. I've done it, and there are several highly regarded carvers who do it that way. Larry Roush is one. The only reason you don't he...