pipemakersforum.com

As the title says, I would love to buy a pre drilled block.... or three, from somebody on here. I have made two pipes. One from briar and one from pear as a bit of an experiment. I really want something with a straight stem Because I want to make a poker, along with another bent apple or something. There is a local smoke shop by me where the owner makes pipes, and I can get stems. I'm not familiar enough with terminology to order from Vermont freehand or somewhere like that.... unless you of you knows a website where I can order some quality pre drilled blocks.

Just order a pipe kit from Vermont Freehand. He's really good at helping you pick good materials. I think he carries both bent and straight pipe kits. You'll need a straight one to make a poker. Even if you got a stem from a local shop, you need a way to fit the stem to the briar, so a kit just takes out the learning curve.

Steve Norse at VermonT Freehand is great to deal with. As Jeremiah said, he will work with you.
Remember to treat the stem and block as a unit. Don't remove the stem during shaping.
You will also need some good files- I would suggest a flat file, a half round, and a couple of round files. Nicholson is pretty good, and chain saw files for the transitions between stem and bowl.
If you want better, Stewart MacDonald has a set which is nice, and Otto Frei carries very good but pricey Swiss files.
Rough shaping is up to you. Cutting with a saw requires patience and care, it's very easy to take off too much, and you can't put wood back once it's gone. A rotary cutter such as a Dremel will work, so will a die grinder ( Harbor freight ~$30), or a wheel with 40 grit or coarser paper.
After that, lots of sanding.
Good luck.
DocAitch

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