John,
I would imagine that some patience is necessary to deal with Yazid, Mimmo, or any foreign supplier as they most likely need to spend time translating the email or having someone translate it for them. I had quite a hold up with Yazid too, but found that making a note of the specific volume I intended to order expedited his response. If you are planning on ordering 200 pieces of a particular quality and size, tell him so and ask if the number is sufficient to recieve a bulk discount on the pricing. Hopefully he will oblige with a quick response. I think that more often than not these suppliers are being innundated with requests for prices by American buyers who want to buy 5, 10, or other smaller scaled orders. Letting him know the larger quantity you wish to order may speed things up for you by creating an obvious separation between you and the hobby pipemaker.
Jeff
Briar Supplier Reviews
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RocheleauPipes
- Posts: 66
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Kelowna BC Canada
- Contact:
Jeff,
Thanks, I did all that. I stated that my inteded order would be 300 blocks of a certain sizing and grade, followed with a question on that size, and a very clear question on the pricing, followed by a question on what the shipping would be to my address. He answered my question on sizing, told me that shipping would be $2 USD per block, but did not mention pricing at all. I immediately sent him an e-mail requesting the pricing information and asking him to estimate the weight of the order and get a firm quote on the shipping from whomever he uses to ship. At $2 per block that would be almost $800. CAD for shipping, which, between you and I (I didn't put it like this to him), is not at all accuarate or reasonable to expect someone to pay. That $2 per block charge would apply I'm sure to small orders, but for 300 blocks.....?
Anyway, I e-mailed back about a week ago. I'll give him another week, but then I have to act on something, and without a price or accurate shipping charges, I can't order from him.
John
Thanks, I did all that. I stated that my inteded order would be 300 blocks of a certain sizing and grade, followed with a question on that size, and a very clear question on the pricing, followed by a question on what the shipping would be to my address. He answered my question on sizing, told me that shipping would be $2 USD per block, but did not mention pricing at all. I immediately sent him an e-mail requesting the pricing information and asking him to estimate the weight of the order and get a firm quote on the shipping from whomever he uses to ship. At $2 per block that would be almost $800. CAD for shipping, which, between you and I (I didn't put it like this to him), is not at all accuarate or reasonable to expect someone to pay. That $2 per block charge would apply I'm sure to small orders, but for 300 blocks.....?
Anyway, I e-mailed back about a week ago. I'll give him another week, but then I have to act on something, and without a price or accurate shipping charges, I can't order from him.
John
I ordered a very small order ($50) from them last December. I received a short email stating that my order was delivered, and never heard from them. Anyways, the order did came, about two and a half months later (!).
I believe they just have issues with the English language.
As for the blocks, they were excellent for the price, and they even threw in a very nice small plateaux piece.
I believe they just have issues with the English language.
As for the blocks, they were excellent for the price, and they even threw in a very nice small plateaux piece.
Hey John .. I will share our experience so far with Yazid ..RocheleauPipes wrote:Jeff,
Thanks, I did all that. I stated that my inteded order would be 300 blocks of a certain sizing and grade, followed with a question on that size, and a very clear question on the pricing, followed by a question on what the shipping would be to my address. He answered my question on sizing, told me that shipping would be $2 USD per block, but did not mention pricing at all. I immediately sent him an e-mail requesting the pricing information and asking him to estimate the weight of the order and get a firm quote on the shipping from whomever he uses to ship. At $2 per block that would be almost $800. CAD for shipping, which, between you and I (I didn't put it like this to him), is not at all accuarate or reasonable to expect someone to pay. That $2 per block charge would apply I'm sure to small orders, but for 300 blocks.....?
Anyway, I e-mailed back about a week ago. I'll give him another week, but then I have to act on something, and without a price or accurate shipping charges, I can't order from him.
John
So far emails have been answered promtly .. within 4 days .. from questions to quotes .. we have had answers next day or about 4 days at the latest.
Observation on quantity .. he may or may not be able to fill your order completely .. our initial inquiry was for 135 blocks .. he is only able to send 70 which is still ok for us. We were notified of the quantity after the initial contact.
Shipping .. Although the quoted price for shipping is initially $2.00us per block .. it seems that this is an estimate only. The final cost for shipping the 70 blocks to us is only $54.00us which is a far cry from $140.00
I will post an update on delivery time and first impressions when the briar arrives.
I am not sure why the delay in responding to your questions .. so far our experience has been good working with Yazid.
Happy Carving.
Bill
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RocheleauPipes
- Posts: 66
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Kelowna BC Canada
- Contact:
Thanks Bill,
It seems hit and miss with them judging by the responses. When I e-mailed them first with the requested qualtities, it took over a month for a response. I had to remind them of the enquiry, then I got the response in about a week, but as stated, not a complete response, and still waiting for the final information.
I appreciate your input, and look forward to hearing more as time progresses.
John
It seems hit and miss with them judging by the responses. When I e-mailed them first with the requested qualtities, it took over a month for a response. I had to remind them of the enquiry, then I got the response in about a week, but as stated, not a complete response, and still waiting for the final information.
I appreciate your input, and look forward to hearing more as time progresses.
John
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RocheleauPipes
- Posts: 66
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Kelowna BC Canada
- Contact:
Nick,
Tyler has been trying to get a pipemaker supply site up and running that would cater to the high-end pipemaker. Check out www.pipemakingsupplies.com to see what he's come up with so far.
Jeff
Tyler has been trying to get a pipemaker supply site up and running that would cater to the high-end pipemaker. Check out www.pipemakingsupplies.com to see what he's come up with so far.
Jeff
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RocheleauPipes
- Posts: 66
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Kelowna BC Canada
- Contact:
Hi All,
Here's the latest news on my dealings with Yazid. He responded today with firm pricing and shipping costs. I have ordered 200 blocks, which is all he had available at the moment. I'll let you know what they look like when received, then further news as I work them.
He does have good reputation for quality, so hopefully the blocks will be very descent.
Best Regrads,
John
Here's the latest news on my dealings with Yazid. He responded today with firm pricing and shipping costs. I have ordered 200 blocks, which is all he had available at the moment. I'll let you know what they look like when received, then further news as I work them.
He does have good reputation for quality, so hopefully the blocks will be very descent.
Best Regrads,
John
new briar site?
I guess I was snoozzzzzzzing, I work niteshift. Is there a new site I don't know about????
Dan
Gabrieli Pipes
Dan
Gabrieli Pipes
FWIW, I mentioned it above, but was specifically thanked for it by Calabria, but translating your email into the language of the supplier helps them speed up their response. I'm not suggesting that all of us go out and learn Spanish, Italian, or Darjan Arabic, but it might behoove you to visit www.dictionary.com/translator or one of the other free translators online to do a quick and dirty translation of your email message that you can paste into your email. It really worked for me and sped up the response time from 2-3 weeks to 1-2 days. Give it a shot.
Jeff
Jeff
I just received my shipment from Briargrains. I bought medium tassili plateaux and large birdseye. Immediately upon opening the box (which customs so kindly tied back together w/o sealing the box!) a musty dirt smell was evident. It looked and smelled like the blocks had been dried outside. Perhaps this is standard protocol, but I doubt it. More importantly, the weight of the blocks evinced their incomplete curing. These blocks are pretty wet. I am not sure if others have experienced this, but mine will have to sit for at least 6 months, if not a year or two. Like I said, they are very green.
The second thing that caught my eye is how large the large birdeye (ebachon) pieces looked in comparison to the photos on the website. Although they varied considerably in size and shape, on average they were clearly large enough for any shape that I have conceived of and most likely will conceive in the near future (no magnums, to be sure!)
The third (as they were packed on the bottom) was how small the medium sized plateaux were. They are pretty tiny. I had been cautioned about this by John Crosby, but even the mediums were smaller than any "medium" piece I had worked before.
The pluses are that the grain is generally pretty good. It is uniform and fairly tight. Chonowitsch, Ivarsson, and Nordh probably won't be customers anytime soon, but the grain is pretty good. The plateauxs display straight enough grain to make a nice elephant's foot. The ebachons have very uniform grain for the most part as well. Some are more heavily grained than others, but in all the pieces are definitely good enough to make many smooths.
Also, in contradistinction to the Italian briar I bought from Calabria, this stuff is *white*! Really. The italian briar I have used (as well as Grecian) tends to have a reddish hue to it, but this stuff looks bleached. That's not a bad thing. It's really very nice, and I would guess that it will take a stain very well.
Finally, regarding the cuts. The pieces are *much* wider than Calabria's stuff. We're talking 2"-2.5" wide! Although that isn't large in comparison with many other pieces, propotionally it is big. They generally measured 3"x3" (L x W), so 2.5" for a width is pretty large. FWIW, Calabria's stuff was about 1.5"-1 7/8" wide on average. So, briargrains gives you a considerable amount of material to work with, it's just not in the proportions that I am used to seeing.
In summary, I think that this is pretty good stuff. I'll definitely use it, that's for sure. And I have a big enough stock now that I don't have to risk running out or being forced to order some more Grecian wood. Cornelius Maenz uses Briargrains for some of his pieces. That alone was persuasive enough for me to order and now having seen the wood it is clearly of the quality to be making some high-grade pipes.
Let me know if any of you have any more questions that I may have not answered in this post.
Jeff
The second thing that caught my eye is how large the large birdeye (ebachon) pieces looked in comparison to the photos on the website. Although they varied considerably in size and shape, on average they were clearly large enough for any shape that I have conceived of and most likely will conceive in the near future (no magnums, to be sure!)
The third (as they were packed on the bottom) was how small the medium sized plateaux were. They are pretty tiny. I had been cautioned about this by John Crosby, but even the mediums were smaller than any "medium" piece I had worked before.
The pluses are that the grain is generally pretty good. It is uniform and fairly tight. Chonowitsch, Ivarsson, and Nordh probably won't be customers anytime soon, but the grain is pretty good. The plateauxs display straight enough grain to make a nice elephant's foot. The ebachons have very uniform grain for the most part as well. Some are more heavily grained than others, but in all the pieces are definitely good enough to make many smooths.
Also, in contradistinction to the Italian briar I bought from Calabria, this stuff is *white*! Really. The italian briar I have used (as well as Grecian) tends to have a reddish hue to it, but this stuff looks bleached. That's not a bad thing. It's really very nice, and I would guess that it will take a stain very well.
Finally, regarding the cuts. The pieces are *much* wider than Calabria's stuff. We're talking 2"-2.5" wide! Although that isn't large in comparison with many other pieces, propotionally it is big. They generally measured 3"x3" (L x W), so 2.5" for a width is pretty large. FWIW, Calabria's stuff was about 1.5"-1 7/8" wide on average. So, briargrains gives you a considerable amount of material to work with, it's just not in the proportions that I am used to seeing.
In summary, I think that this is pretty good stuff. I'll definitely use it, that's for sure. And I have a big enough stock now that I don't have to risk running out or being forced to order some more Grecian wood. Cornelius Maenz uses Briargrains for some of his pieces. That alone was persuasive enough for me to order and now having seen the wood it is clearly of the quality to be making some high-grade pipes.
Let me know if any of you have any more questions that I may have not answered in this post.
Jeff
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RocheleauPipes
- Posts: 66
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Kelowna BC Canada
- Contact:
Thanks for the information Jeff. It is somewhat disturbing that they are wet, being that Yazid clearly stated they will be dry and ready to work. Makes me a little nervous as I have ordered 200 blocks from Yazid. Two questions for you:
How hard does the briar seem to be? I have found in the past that the darker coloration briar is generally harder as it has grown slower and tighter. The other question is, how expensive was the shipping portion? I see from Yazids new prices on his site that I have--by deduction--been charged $2 USD per block on 200 blocks for shipping. That's $400 shipping charge. It seems very high to me. I certainly hope it doesn't take a couple months to get here at that rate.
I also hope the blocks will be drier than yours, as I don't have much to keep me going--only a few blocks. If they have to sit for 6 months or more, I'm out of business for while.
Fingers crossed that I don't regret not re-ordering from Juam.
Thanks,
John
How hard does the briar seem to be? I have found in the past that the darker coloration briar is generally harder as it has grown slower and tighter. The other question is, how expensive was the shipping portion? I see from Yazids new prices on his site that I have--by deduction--been charged $2 USD per block on 200 blocks for shipping. That's $400 shipping charge. It seems very high to me. I certainly hope it doesn't take a couple months to get here at that rate.
I also hope the blocks will be drier than yours, as I don't have much to keep me going--only a few blocks. If they have to sit for 6 months or more, I'm out of business for while.
Fingers crossed that I don't regret not re-ordering from Juam.
Thanks,
John
John,
Let me reneg on my statement about the wood being "green," as my relative newness to this enterprise may effect my review. Here are the reasons that I assumed that it was green.
1. The wood was unusually heavy (Although I recently came across some other Algerian wood that is 15 yrs old which is also surprisingly dense)
2. When moistened to see the grain, the blocks stayed wet much longer than any other blocks I had worked with. I'm not sure if this means anything, but I took it to be an indication of the moisture content within the block itself.
Perhaps these are normal qualities for Algerian wood to have. I don't know, as this is the first time I have seen or used it.
As for your question about hardness, it is very hard. Much more so, in fact, than the Grecian wood sold here in the states.
Regarding shipping, I sincerely hope that you were not charged $400 to mail this wood. I purchased 35 blocks and paid $39.50 for shipping. FWIW, it took 3 weeks for delivery.
It is my hope as well that I was wrong about it being "green" and that you and I can begin working with it immediately.
Best,
Jeff
Let me reneg on my statement about the wood being "green," as my relative newness to this enterprise may effect my review. Here are the reasons that I assumed that it was green.
1. The wood was unusually heavy (Although I recently came across some other Algerian wood that is 15 yrs old which is also surprisingly dense)
2. When moistened to see the grain, the blocks stayed wet much longer than any other blocks I had worked with. I'm not sure if this means anything, but I took it to be an indication of the moisture content within the block itself.
Perhaps these are normal qualities for Algerian wood to have. I don't know, as this is the first time I have seen or used it.
As for your question about hardness, it is very hard. Much more so, in fact, than the Grecian wood sold here in the states.
Regarding shipping, I sincerely hope that you were not charged $400 to mail this wood. I purchased 35 blocks and paid $39.50 for shipping. FWIW, it took 3 weeks for delivery.
It is my hope as well that I was wrong about it being "green" and that you and I can begin working with it immediately.
Best,
Jeff
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RocheleauPipes
- Posts: 66
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Kelowna BC Canada
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Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the clarification on the curing issue. The fact that the briar is very hard in your estimation may also be why it is somewhat heavy. The harder the briar, the heavier it will be, as the grain is more dense when hard, which means less air spaces within the structure due to the slow growth that produces the hard nature.
Yup on the shipping charge. I was indeed charged $400 to ship the 200 blocks. His price for the blocks on his site is $6. USD on larger orders. I am being charged $8 USD per block on my order of 200 shipping included, so yes, $400 for shipping. When it is here, I'll weight the shipment and get a quote or three to Algeria to see if his charge was in line with proper rates. Hard to tell until I know how fast the shipment arives and the weight. If all is well with the briar as far as quality goes and curing, then even considering the shipping, the price all told will still be acceptable.
I'll post more when I receive it. Thanks again
John
Thanks for the clarification on the curing issue. The fact that the briar is very hard in your estimation may also be why it is somewhat heavy. The harder the briar, the heavier it will be, as the grain is more dense when hard, which means less air spaces within the structure due to the slow growth that produces the hard nature.
Yup on the shipping charge. I was indeed charged $400 to ship the 200 blocks. His price for the blocks on his site is $6. USD on larger orders. I am being charged $8 USD per block on my order of 200 shipping included, so yes, $400 for shipping. When it is here, I'll weight the shipment and get a quote or three to Algeria to see if his charge was in line with proper rates. Hard to tell until I know how fast the shipment arives and the weight. If all is well with the briar as far as quality goes and curing, then even considering the shipping, the price all told will still be acceptable.
I'll post more when I receive it. Thanks again
John
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RocheleauPipes
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- Location: Kelowna BC Canada
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Hi Kirk,
Thanks for your take on the shipping issue. I have always thought it best to do quantity in almost anything. Time will tell if that holds true in this case. Your shipping charge for 50 blocks matches about right to what I have paid for 75 blocks from Spain. I paid $150 for that shipping. It was also airmail but it took almost two months to arrive. Not quite the usual airmail eh?
Oh well, like you, over time I'll figure the best and cheapest way to do things. If I multiplied your shipping charge of $130 by 4 to arrive at what it would cost for 4 shipments of 50 blocks (200 blocks) it would cost $520. I am thinking that the $400 I am paying for 200 blocks is high. Maybe it's not. Like I say in the above post, I'll weigh and estimate it when I get the goods to see if it was a fair price for shipment.
All the best,
John
Thanks for your take on the shipping issue. I have always thought it best to do quantity in almost anything. Time will tell if that holds true in this case. Your shipping charge for 50 blocks matches about right to what I have paid for 75 blocks from Spain. I paid $150 for that shipping. It was also airmail but it took almost two months to arrive. Not quite the usual airmail eh?
Oh well, like you, over time I'll figure the best and cheapest way to do things. If I multiplied your shipping charge of $130 by 4 to arrive at what it would cost for 4 shipments of 50 blocks (200 blocks) it would cost $520. I am thinking that the $400 I am paying for 200 blocks is high. Maybe it's not. Like I say in the above post, I'll weigh and estimate it when I get the goods to see if it was a fair price for shipment.
All the best,
John