Sasquatch is the resident pipe maker I believe most would tell you. As for me, I have tried it and it has become a hobby of mine. There is nothing quite like smoking something you made. Pipe making can be as inexpensive as buying the wood and stem and using the tools at home, or as expensive as buying all the tools the professionals use (such as a lathe). I myself do not have the money to buy a lot of the tools, but you can buy some that make the process a bit easier for relatively inexpensive. If you really are interested in it check out pipemakersforum.com. There is load of information over there. I'm sure sasquatch will pitch in two cents here as well. He is far better and more expreienced than I so listen to what he says over anything I might have said.