I stumbled on this forum a couple weeks ago and finally got around to setting up a user account. I'm just starting to make some pipes, and I've really enjoyed the process so far. I've been an amateur woodworker for a few years now, but not long ago a friend of mine (an avid pipe smoker) tossed a pre-drilled briar block and a stem on my desk and challenged me to make a pipe.
Here, for example, is my most recent attempt. It's only the 6th pipe I've made so far.
I'm not much of a smoker myself, but it seems to have a pretty "open" draw. I'm not sure I like that. (I also found out I don't respond well to smoking on an empty stomach, but that's a different story.) The shape isn't bad, though, and I like how it fits my hand.
I've only used pre-drilled kits thus far, but I'm working on getting my drill press set up so I can drill the blocks myself. I'm going to practice on some cherry scraps I've had sitting around, and I'll report back here on the progress.
Looking forward to learning a lot here,
Steve S.
