pipemakersforum.com

...people are knocking off your stuff in name as well as design:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/202020613653

Wow, that's shameless. Check out that shank and stem line waver though...

While I agree that it's very striking, that guy's been on ebay since april 2012 as "scottopipe", which is actually a few months before before scottie joined pipemakersforum and judging by her first posts back then, before she even made a pipe

Not to say he's making good pipes or anything, but I'd be very surprised if he's deliberately trying to use scotties name...

Massis wrote:While I agree that it's very striking, that guy's been on ebay since april 2012 as "scottopipe", which is actually a few months before before scottie joined pipemakersforum and judging by her first posts back then, before she even made a pipe

Not to say he's making good pipes or anything, but I'd be very surprised if he's deliberately trying to use scotties name...

Negative, name change in May 2016:

RickB wrote:

Massis wrote:While I agree that it's very striking, that guy's been on ebay since april 2012 as "scottopipe", which is actually a few months before before scottie joined pipemakersforum and judging by her first posts back then, before she even made a pipe

Not to say he's making good pipes or anything, but I'd be very surprised if he's deliberately trying to use scotties name...

Negative, name change in May 2016:

Oh wow, couldn't check that without logging in. In that case I revoke my previous statement...

I'm just going to keep copying Castellos so George doesn't get mad at me.

I thought Castello was copying you...

At this point, what's real funny to me is just how circular things are.... I notice Briarworks doing a 499 shape heavy bent rhodesian here now for example. Something I can't keep on the shelf. And I'm not saying they are copying me, but they are rolling with trends, and there is a definite trend toward the long-lost classics here right now. I think we're seeing the end of the walrus-nipple teardrop shank cornfish era, thank Christ.

Sasquatch wrote: I think we're seeing the end of the walrus-nipple teardrop shank cornfish era, thank Christ.

Crap....I was just starting to get into making those.

Sasquatch wrote:I think we're seeing the end of the walrus-nipple teardrop shank cornfish era, thank Christ.

I feel left out I am not being copied

Surely someone else wants to make batshit crazy coloured stems?

caskwith wrote:I feel left out I am not being copied

Surely someone else wants to make batshit crazy coloured stems?

Oh but they do - they just put them on lumpy stubby pokers and not well-executed classics

RickB wrote:

caskwith wrote:I feel left out I am not being copied

Surely someone else wants to make batshit crazy coloured stems?

Oh but they do - they just put them on lumpy stubby pokers and not well-executed classics

Oh so they're copying me then?

Massis wrote:

RickB wrote:

caskwith wrote:I feel left out I am not being copied

Surely someone else wants to make batshit crazy coloured stems?

Oh but they do - they just put them on lumpy stubby pokers and not well-executed classics

Oh so they're copying me then?

Ha. You've been on Instagram. You know you're not one of the ones I'm talking about.

LatakiaLover wrote:...people are knocking off your stuff in name as well as design:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/202020613653

Thanks for the heads up on this one. I'm currently the highest bidder.

RickB wrote: Ha. You've been on Instagram. You know you're not one of the ones I'm talking about.

Unfortunately I know what you mean. And it still pisses me off they charge more than I do and seem to still sell their crap. But let's not get into that again.

Massis wrote:

RickB wrote: Ha. You've been on Instagram. You know you're not one of the ones I'm talking about.

Unfortunately I know what you mean. And it still pisses me off they charge more than I do and seem to still sell their crap. But let's not get into that again.

I know it's of little consequence, but I'd buy 10 of yours before I'd buy one of theirs. Does seem to be the flavor right now... or at least 'a' flavor.

RickB wrote:I know it's of little consequence, but I'd buy 10 of yours before I'd buy one of theirs. Does seem to be the flavor right now... or at least 'a' flavor.

hearing that every now and then means more to me than you might think. I often feel I simply don't get as much exposure as many other "pipemakers" simply because I'm a hobbyist who only gets round to 15-ish pipes per year, whereas many others make that many a month. But between a wife and 2 kids, a full time job and some other hobbies, making 50 pipes per year simply isn't an option (not if I want to make proper pipes that is)

[/rant]

Right there with you, but a few years behind you on the curve. My pipe making time is basically 4-6 hours a week at the outside, and that requires everything lining up in terms of my toddler sleeping (so I can work a tiny bit at nights or on weekend mornings if I'm up at 5:15) or in terms of work (I work from home twice a week and if I'm able to take a lunch, it's pipe time). Makes it tough to learn and improve without the rapid iteration and steady skill practice.

I have a wife and 6 kids with #7 due in about a month. It took a few months to train the kids to go to bed on time, but I usually have a couple hours in the evenings to work on pipes and especially in the winter, I turn on a movie in the shop and can work while they watch cartoons on Saturdays. If I made only simple classics, I could maybe make 40 pipes a year, but then I take on complex shapes that take forever to finish to my liking. I'll be lucky to hit 20 pipes this year. The nice thing about that is I'm able to sell most of what I make in fairly short order. If you deliver a quality product at a fair price, exposure will come in time.