Etiquette for commissioning a pipe

[GPipe]

A few related questions in no particular order:

1. Correct me if I'm wrong: if a very specific shape is wanted, is the probability of getting that specific shape is high if the buyer accepts a rusticated finish, the probability is lower if a sandblasted finish is desired, and the probability is even lower still if a smooth finish with good grain pattern is desired.

2. Similarly, the price of a rusticated finish should be lower than a sandblast and even lower than a smooth finish, correct?

2. Understanding pipe carvers are artisans who express themselves in briar, and that briar is an organic material with it's own "personality", is it rude to ask a well known and established pipe carver to "reproduce" one of their previous shapes, or another carver's shape?

3. If the original carver isn't available or the price would be out of someone's budget, is it ok to ask a qualified, yet lesser known carver to reproduce another carver's shape?

That's all for now. Thanks!

[sandahlpipe]

1. This is too general of a statement to evaluate reliably to true or false. I never promise a smooth, because I might discover a flaw that makes me sandblast once the shape is finished, but I'll give it a try as a smooth if the customer requests it. This is regardless of shape. I don't do rusticated pipes any more.
2. In general, yes. I'd expect rusticated to be cheaper than blasted, and blasted to be cheaper than smooth. But there are some exceptions.
3. One of the carver's previous shapes, totally fine to ask. I always wonder when someone asks me to reproduce someone else's shape, why they don't go to that other person, unless they're already dead. I dread the commissions where I don't have a say in it or get to make it my own. And if someone has too many opinions about the process, I put the project on the back burner, because it loses its fun if I'm just the eyes and hands for the person with the artistic vision. It's not rude to ask, as long as you let the artist do their thing, not try to get them making something they don't want to make.
4. See my answer to the previous question. It's not rude to the artisan who accepts the commission, but it may be rude to the creator of the shape to undercut his work. Hand made pipes aren't a commodity and shouldn't be treated as such. Personally, I'd rather honor the person who came up with the idea and give him the business than shop around until I find someone who can make me a copy for less money. When I'm spending that much on a pipe, I want it to contain a piece of the artist's soul.

[Massis]

I'm a noob (yes, even after 7 years...) so what do I know, but my take's a little different.

1. If I promise a customer a smooth in a specific shape (which I normally don't!), he'll get it. That means 2 things:
a) I might have to make 3 or 4 renditions which end up as blasts and are sold to others
b) the end result might have a few small pits, which are reflected in the price
In general though, I don't promise smooths and most customers don't request them either.

2) rustication > sandblast > smooth is true for most pipes, but not all. I try not to rusticate anymore as I prefer sandblasting in every way.

3) I'll happily reproduce a previous pipe for a customer. It means he likes my work! I'll also happily do "my take" on another existing pipe. It won't be a copy, it will be my rendition of it. I don't consider any shape the sole ownership of another maker. Tom Eltang is famous for the Eskimo for example, does that mean I can't make any?
If a customer wants a 100% copy the answer will be no. Both because I don't want to do it and because I have nowhere near the skill level of someone like Tom Eltang or Kent Rasmussen or Bo Nordh or whoever...

4) I think it's ok, if you ask for that carver's rendition. Not if you want a cheap copy... Some of my best work were pipes that were my renditions of other pipes, even though the end result definitely isn't a copy.


For example, a customer had me make my rendition of a sandblasted Radice bulldog, with an ivory stem and blackwood accent, blasted black.
I made him one and a few weeks later he wanted my rendition of this caminetto, but in the same colour scheme:




Definitely not a copy, but heavily inspired by. And he was super happy with it. Also it was more expensive than the Caminetto as that was an estate :p

[GPipe]

Thanks for the perspective. This is helpful.

[scotties22]

1.I just made 6 Bings to get a smooth. The guy asked for a smooth, he got it...period. Took me about 3 minutes to sell the others I had to blast. No big deal. Ultimately I won't take a commission that I know I can't sell to someone else if A. the finish ends up different than the customer wanted or B. The deal falls through.

2. I don't rusticate pipes, but my blasts are cheaper than my smooths. As Mr. Sandcastle said, there are exceptions.

3. I make quite a few copies of pipes I've made in the past. No big deal.

4. I have turned down many commissions where someone wants me to make a pipe by another pipemaker. The most memorable was a guy who wanted an Adam Davidson Bamboo Fig. I basically told him he needed to get the pipe from Adam. 1. Because it's a shape I just don't do and 2. If he wants an Adam Davidson Bamboo Fig it really needs to come from Adam. I wasn't rude about it, and never am, but I don't have a problem turning away work to copy someone else's pipe. I have done it once. It was a copy of a Becker Pencil Shank Poker. Right up my alley and a pipe I make anyway.


This is my philosophy and shouldn't necessarily be yours. Just food for thought.

[Sasquatch]

Even copies aren't "copies" - there's little differences in every pipe.

I think if someone wants all the features a Becker, they should buy a Becker. If they want a Cooke sandblast, they should talk to Cooke. If they want a super skinny pencil-shank with a metal-tube reinforced shank and reverse tenon....


Well shit, anyone can make those.

[scotties22]

HAHA....Fuck off Todd

[Sasquatch]

Okay, so it turns out certain pipemakers are a little snooty about this stuff, who could have known?

[scotties22]

What do Samsquatches know anyway?

[Sasquatch]

Listen, I've been tricking people into buying my shitty pipes for 10 years now, that's gotta be worth something.

[scotties22]

Not really. It's more a "pity buy" sort of situation when someone buys a pipe from you.

[Sasquatch]

I've always wondered.

I have 500 year old Dead Root briar too, I think that does it for some.