Tyler Lane Board Meet
Tyler Lane Board Meet
So how was the get together? Anyone get some pics?
crap... I got confused last night as to what posts I was responding to. I DO NOT have pics of the get together. In fact the get together was sort of a bust 
Lots of busy people in Chicago you know... anyway, the one's that did show were hanging out together most of the weekend.
Attendees were (I might be forgetting some tho):
myself
tyler
artguy
hlp808
munkey
One other guy that showed up was that nice guy from Canada. I didn't catch his name tho... Respond if you read this~!
Lots of busy people in Chicago you know... anyway, the one's that did show were hanging out together most of the weekend.
Attendees were (I might be forgetting some tho):
myself
tyler
artguy
hlp808
munkey
One other guy that showed up was that nice guy from Canada. I didn't catch his name tho... Respond if you read this~!
I'm sorry I didn't have the time to get to the room Thursday night. I really kept my room open until midnight on both Thursday and Friday
nights.
I did get tio spend some time individually with some of you and a bunch of time with our host (never enough though).
I bought one of Rad's pipes and it's awesome and a great smoker.
Also picked up an Arita, Boniquisti, a Purdy and one of Jack Howell's pipes. All but the Arita have now been smoked, I just want to look at the Arita a few more days in it's pristine condition.
I'd say the highlight of my weekend though was spending timne and talking with Bo Nordh throughout the weekend. Bo needs a special pipe bag made for his wheelchair and asked me to design one for him. Before I checked out this morning he introdiced me to several people he was with as my new friend Neil, cool.
Also got to become friends with Wolfgang Becker this weekend, wonderful guy with virtually no english at all. We got along fine though stumbling for words.
I also managed to spend a few minutes with John Crosby. he's got a lot of promise and it's nice to see a new maker perfect his own style. I think we had a productive talk from my perspective.
Jeff asked for the drunken Neil inspection of his pipes and survived (pipemakers have been known to skulk off and cry after this, never to be seen again, so Jeff is made of tougher stiff than the usual Princeton weenie
)
Personally I had a great and very productive show, made money, new comments and some new placements for my bags and stuff at B & M's in Columbus and several other places in the US as well as Japan. Several major league collectors and club guys from Germany bought bags as well as Wolfgang Becker so that should stir things up. Wolfgang would like me to make his pipe socks but shipping to Germany with import duty is very prohibitive as Germany is trying to protect it's leather industry.
Neil
nights.
I did get tio spend some time individually with some of you and a bunch of time with our host (never enough though).
I bought one of Rad's pipes and it's awesome and a great smoker.
Also picked up an Arita, Boniquisti, a Purdy and one of Jack Howell's pipes. All but the Arita have now been smoked, I just want to look at the Arita a few more days in it's pristine condition.
I'd say the highlight of my weekend though was spending timne and talking with Bo Nordh throughout the weekend. Bo needs a special pipe bag made for his wheelchair and asked me to design one for him. Before I checked out this morning he introdiced me to several people he was with as my new friend Neil, cool.
Also got to become friends with Wolfgang Becker this weekend, wonderful guy with virtually no english at all. We got along fine though stumbling for words.
I also managed to spend a few minutes with John Crosby. he's got a lot of promise and it's nice to see a new maker perfect his own style. I think we had a productive talk from my perspective.
Jeff asked for the drunken Neil inspection of his pipes and survived (pipemakers have been known to skulk off and cry after this, never to be seen again, so Jeff is made of tougher stiff than the usual Princeton weenie
)Personally I had a great and very productive show, made money, new comments and some new placements for my bags and stuff at B & M's in Columbus and several other places in the US as well as Japan. Several major league collectors and club guys from Germany bought bags as well as Wolfgang Becker so that should stir things up. Wolfgang would like me to make his pipe socks but shipping to Germany with import duty is very prohibitive as Germany is trying to protect it's leather industry.
Neil
I was sitting in on Neils' drunken critique and it was hilarious. He is a one-of-a-kind guy for sure. His comments were funny and quite to the point at the same time. He had us all in stitches - what else?
I have to concur w/Neil that Jeff took it all with style and Grac(ik).
Neil then asked for the next victim and Tyler volunteered.
He handed Neil a pipe and the Bagmeister, Mr. Skin Magic, Bo Nordhs' new friend, was a bit non-plussed. ( appearently a rarity)
He said, " Well... I like this one. Give me another. Well...I like ths one too."
I was tempted to hand him one of mine, but I turned poultry in a hurry.
Fortunately for me, as I was summoning courage, the conversation turned.
All this took place in the hotel bar, all of us seated in those typical low upholstered roll-around chairs. Most of us well lubricated and all dead tired at the end of a long, great day.
Later that same night about 1am the circle of chairs, augmented with patio chairs, expanded to include:
To my left going around- Jeff, Tyler, Neil ( then replaced by Premal Cheda of Smokers' Haven) Tom Eltang, Takeo Arita, Tokutumi-san, a writer I didn't meet, Gotoh, Famous Collector Ed Mitchell, the hot new young Portuguese carver whos' name escapes me, Heiko Jahrs' associate, Heiko Jahr of Pfeifenantiquariat and back to me.
At some point during the evening this expanding and contracting circle also included Bo Nordh and Per Bilhall, ,Jody Davis and Todd Johnson, MikeLindner, Crosby, Purdy, Brad, and more for sure.
The Bullitt Burbon Jeff and I co- owned and distributed ( mostly to ourselves) created a nice hazy veil on my memory. That, plus staying up until 4 am in this marathon session.
I turned to Jeff or Tyler, I forget, and said this is like sitting in a circle with John Lennon, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton and a half dozen other rock superstars.
Reiner Barbi, Peter Matzhold, Kurt Balleby, Tonni Neilson, Former, Peter Heeschen, Bonaquisti, all the Japanese,and several other great carvers and pipe retailers were frequently hanging about the bar in the evenings.
You would stroll through the bar and clouds of great smelling smoke, to the sound of German, Austrian, Danish, Spanish, Japanese and drunken, heavily accent English. The last not always from a foreigner.
I missed the Forum session, except for the last few minutes where Herr Barbi had stopped by and was holding forth on the virtues of different grades of vulcanite. He is a real character and a treasure.
A few favorite moments:
Having Bo Nordh show me one of his pipes at Per Bilhalls' table.
And later seeing and holding a Bo Nordh Ballerina. ( $10k!! )
Tonni Neilsen complimenting me one pipe I showed him - and then having him kindly rip it apart in a critique.
Seeing the amazing Japanese pipes and buying one. And bowing to these
great, friendly carvers.
Watching Heiko Jahrs' drunken, heavily accented harraung (sp?) of American pipemakers directed to ( not at) Jeff. I was seated between them, puffing a new aquisition, and working hard to stifle many laughs. Heiko was almost in my lap leaning towards Jeff, while Jeffs' eyes grew into wider and wider saucers. It was all meant well and he was quite drunk.
Seeing all those amazing pipes.
Rooming w/Tyler Beard, a truly great guy.
Dinner w/ Tony Sanchez ( Sante Fe Pipes), Tyler and Jeff.
Finding a Cornelius Manz I could afford.
Meeting Neil.
Meeting all the other guys.
Finding out Sunday that Premal Cheda, though drunk the night before, really meant it when he offered to buy my 6th ever pipe.
Lastly, all the kind words of encouragement from at least a dozen fine carvers - many from this forum.
Pipes I bought: A great Tokutomi blasted blowfish, a beautiful Cornelius Manz smooth, a dainty little Chonoswitch smooth billiard, a smooth Tony Rodreguiz horn and a real nice blasted Wolfgang Becker version of a classic Ivarsson shape.
To those that attended: Thank you for contributing to a fabulous four days in Pipe Heaven.
To those who could not attend; do yourself a great favor and GO next year. It is NOT to be surpassed.
I have to concur w/Neil that Jeff took it all with style and Grac(ik).
Neil then asked for the next victim and Tyler volunteered.
He handed Neil a pipe and the Bagmeister, Mr. Skin Magic, Bo Nordhs' new friend, was a bit non-plussed. ( appearently a rarity)
He said, " Well... I like this one. Give me another. Well...I like ths one too."
I was tempted to hand him one of mine, but I turned poultry in a hurry.
Fortunately for me, as I was summoning courage, the conversation turned.
All this took place in the hotel bar, all of us seated in those typical low upholstered roll-around chairs. Most of us well lubricated and all dead tired at the end of a long, great day.
Later that same night about 1am the circle of chairs, augmented with patio chairs, expanded to include:
To my left going around- Jeff, Tyler, Neil ( then replaced by Premal Cheda of Smokers' Haven) Tom Eltang, Takeo Arita, Tokutumi-san, a writer I didn't meet, Gotoh, Famous Collector Ed Mitchell, the hot new young Portuguese carver whos' name escapes me, Heiko Jahrs' associate, Heiko Jahr of Pfeifenantiquariat and back to me.
At some point during the evening this expanding and contracting circle also included Bo Nordh and Per Bilhall, ,Jody Davis and Todd Johnson, MikeLindner, Crosby, Purdy, Brad, and more for sure.
The Bullitt Burbon Jeff and I co- owned and distributed ( mostly to ourselves) created a nice hazy veil on my memory. That, plus staying up until 4 am in this marathon session.
I turned to Jeff or Tyler, I forget, and said this is like sitting in a circle with John Lennon, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton and a half dozen other rock superstars.
Reiner Barbi, Peter Matzhold, Kurt Balleby, Tonni Neilson, Former, Peter Heeschen, Bonaquisti, all the Japanese,and several other great carvers and pipe retailers were frequently hanging about the bar in the evenings.
You would stroll through the bar and clouds of great smelling smoke, to the sound of German, Austrian, Danish, Spanish, Japanese and drunken, heavily accent English. The last not always from a foreigner.
I missed the Forum session, except for the last few minutes where Herr Barbi had stopped by and was holding forth on the virtues of different grades of vulcanite. He is a real character and a treasure.
A few favorite moments:
Having Bo Nordh show me one of his pipes at Per Bilhalls' table.
And later seeing and holding a Bo Nordh Ballerina. ( $10k!! )
Tonni Neilsen complimenting me one pipe I showed him - and then having him kindly rip it apart in a critique.
Seeing the amazing Japanese pipes and buying one. And bowing to these
great, friendly carvers.
Watching Heiko Jahrs' drunken, heavily accented harraung (sp?) of American pipemakers directed to ( not at) Jeff. I was seated between them, puffing a new aquisition, and working hard to stifle many laughs. Heiko was almost in my lap leaning towards Jeff, while Jeffs' eyes grew into wider and wider saucers. It was all meant well and he was quite drunk.
Seeing all those amazing pipes.
Rooming w/Tyler Beard, a truly great guy.
Dinner w/ Tony Sanchez ( Sante Fe Pipes), Tyler and Jeff.
Finding a Cornelius Manz I could afford.
Meeting Neil.
Meeting all the other guys.
Finding out Sunday that Premal Cheda, though drunk the night before, really meant it when he offered to buy my 6th ever pipe.
Lastly, all the kind words of encouragement from at least a dozen fine carvers - many from this forum.
Pipes I bought: A great Tokutomi blasted blowfish, a beautiful Cornelius Manz smooth, a dainty little Chonoswitch smooth billiard, a smooth Tony Rodreguiz horn and a real nice blasted Wolfgang Becker version of a classic Ivarsson shape.
To those that attended: Thank you for contributing to a fabulous four days in Pipe Heaven.
To those who could not attend; do yourself a great favor and GO next year. It is NOT to be surpassed.
I bet your going to continue buying pipes like this and bite the bullet on your lathe anyway! :thumb:magruder wrote:Pipes I bought: A great Tokutomi blasted blowfish, a beautiful Cornelius Manz smooth, a dainty little Chonoswitch smooth billiard, a smooth Tony Rodreguiz horn and a real nice blasted Wolfgang Becker version of a classic Ivarsson shape.
It was good meeting you!
And for those who did not go... you have to make it next year! Just pack your room out, it's do-able (if cash is the problem and not timing, which it is for me). All-in-all I think everyone in the room that ArtGuy, Munkey and myself had (there were a total of 5 of us) paid less for our hotel than the people at the motel 8 down the road.
It was good to meet some of the guys even though I showed up late. Rad Davis was also there.
I sold one pipe and got some great feedback from several people including some great advice from Rainer Barbi.
I met so many people that the names are all a blur. I can't recall when I last enjoyed myself as much. Already planning for next year.
Dave
I sold one pipe and got some great feedback from several people including some great advice from Rainer Barbi.
I met so many people that the names are all a blur. I can't recall when I last enjoyed myself as much. Already planning for next year.
Dave