I thought that I'd tell you how I managed to get an article written about my work. I met William Serad after I emailed a question to him for his column. He appreciated my question enough to ask my permission to reprint the topic in his next column. My question had to do with pipe engineering. Specifically why so many pipe manufacturers insist on designing pipes that by my standards, breathe poorly. I became aware of this situation in reading RICK Newcomb's "In Search of Pipe Dreams" chapter about how he routinely has virtually all of his pipe purchases, including the highest of high end pipes which are his good fortune to be able to afford, re drilled and opened by a professional pipe mechanic that he trusts. His standard is that an extra fluffy pipe cleaner should pass with only slight resistance all the way through to the draft hole at the bottom of the bowl.
The point is that ever since I've become accustomed and quite adept at opening the great majority of my purchases, new and estate alike, to my standards of breath ability. The question was why so many pipe makers don't get that for a pipe to be truly enjoyable, and valuable, we must be able to draw smoke with ease through it. No cigar manufacturer would consider his a premium cigar if they were routinely plugged and unsmokeable! Further I questioned why when selling or trading in an estate pipe, any noticeable modifications done to improve the draw are listed in the condition statement as detractions to its condition rather than recognizing them as proper improvements. I'm talking about professional quality modifications, not some amateur, ham handed butchery of an otherwise clean pipe.
Actually, this has changed quite recently among the new generation of artisan pipe makers like Jessie Jones, Todd Harris and Trevor Talbert. They too grew up in a world where they modified a majority of their own pipe purchases to breathe correctly, and now make pipes that breathe well right out of the box.
William Serad printed my topic in his column and he referred to my question and my name in two additional issues of P&T. In our correspondence I became aware that he resides in South Jersey, quite close to my South Philadelphia business, and asked him to stop by and visit me there. He agreed , and once he did so, our long conversation (one pipe geek to another) came around to me mentioning that I had done this private custom silver work for my own pipes. As luck would have it, at the time my collection of these customized pipes had been mailed to Scott Townsend, Jessie Jones and Primal Chheda at Smokers Haven, upon their request to see my work. Nonetheless, William graciously and out of the blue, asked if I would MIND if he were to write an article about my work and talent. My response was something like"Hamina-hamina-hamina! Yes that would be great!" After seeing the pictures of my collection and the few collaborations with my artisan friends, he agreed to write the article. William is a very kind and generous gentleman, with a professorial air about him. A man of high education and intellect, armed with a world of stories and experiences, backed by a depth of knowledge and taste that I would always look forward to conversing with him, and consider myself extremely lucky to be considered a friend of his. He virtually is THE prototype of the kind of person who smokes pipes, and a major reason for my passion for this studious, almost collegiate pursuit of knowledge about this time honored hobby. He exemplifies the type of man that I strive to be as I constantly seek opportunities to enlighten and include others, both young and old, and promote our shared passion for pipes. It's who WE ARE for the most part, brothers.
