pipemakersforum.com

I have taken initial steps to begin selling pipe making supplies from this web page. Namely, the hard-to-find stuff like the highest quality briar, German vulcanite rod stock, and such things as high quality bamboo and horn and ivory. Before I commit a lot of dollars to this, I thought I would gauge the interest of you guys. Would you be interested in buying this stuff?

To give you an idea, I am only interested initially in the HIGHEST grade of materials. As such, here is a ball park estimate of prices:

Briar: $35 a block
Rod: varies with diameter...$30-$50 a meter
etc...

My thinking is this: the extra high-grade material is currently only available in Europe to the best of my knowledge. As such, it is very difficult to buy it in small quanitites because shipping is prohibitive. I am thinking that this would be of interest to newer makers who do not yet have contacts in Europe, but who want access to the best stuff all the same. Since they are new, I am supposing that they will start small with orders of 2-10 blocks at a time. This is not feasible through European outlets, so a US outlet makes sense to me.

Comments?

Tyler

yeeeeaaaah

i have been paying 40.00 a block from source for super quailty briar
will be willing to split the business

jim

Remember...My prices are ESTIMATES. I haven't finalized prices yet.

Pooka, your comments are as I suspect most will be...briar this expensive will be luxury stuff for most and not every day briar.

Thanks for the comments so far guys.

Tyler

yes they are estimates

the source for my briar is romeobriar big size super quality

i will very much welcome a us dist.

especially since tom eltang has not offered any for a while

jim

I would be interested in trying both briar and rod. Keep us posted.

It's a good idea for onsies and twosies. As I'm sure you know, the "pros" already have relationships setup for the good stuff. But you may be able to do brisk business based on hobbyists and such.

The tough thing is the briar though. I've tried briar from Pimo, Tim West, Mark Tinsky, and a few others. I think I can say for certain that, at least for ebauchon, there is no appreciable difference in quality. Briar is finicky in that regard. Out of any given order, I end up with about 10%-20% that can't be completed into pipes due to flaws in the briar. Of those, about half give no indication externally that there are major problems internally.

One thing that I find disappointing at times is that I'll receive a shipment of briar with a few blocks tossed in with *obvious* flaws. Like warped blocks, big gaps and cracks externally, blocks with open grain, and so on. I don't even attempt thos blocks, they go right into the firewood pile.

So, with that in mind, I decided, WTF do I have to lose? I might as well go straight to the Eurpopeans and get briar from there. At least then my junk blocks will cost half as much.

I have briar lined up, but would give you business on rod for sure.

-Scott

Kurt,

Your comments sort of emphasize my point. The briar available in the US is all rather ho hum. (Briar quality, beyond a base level that can be reached at <$4 a block, is an issue mostly of grain and size rather than smokability. Pits are an issue at any price.) It is my intention to actually provide the quality of wood one would expect to get when ordering from Europe, but without the shipping and language issues.

As you said, I am not hoping to be the supplier for the big boys of US carving. (Of course, that is only a hand full of the hundreds of carvers in the US.) I am going for the "normal" guys that don't know where and how to get the best stuff, and only want 4 or 5 blocks at a time...quantities not economically feasible when ordering from Europe. I intend to do it at a price the competes with the European suppliers sans the high European shipping. I am not looking to get the blocks that cost $10-$12 (Eltang's wood, for example) and sell them for $35. I am looking to get the $35 blocks and sell them for $35. I am not attempting to sell wood that is easy to get in the US -- Pimo, Tinsky, West, Eltang, Jaune Home (sp?), Briar Grains, etc. I am attempting to go elsewhere and go top shelf. I may not pull it off, but that is the idea.

Thanks for the comments, guys. Keep them coming!

Tyler

I'd love to have a US source available for this stuff. Being purely a hobbiest I can't say that I'd be doing a lot of purchases, and it would likely benefit me more than you (in my case).

Currently sources are hard to find for beginners/hobbiests, and the hassle, prices and shipping from Europe make it prohibitive to order small quantites of items.

I'd love to have quality briar, bamboo, rods, and a few exotic materials available!

john

Tyler wrote:I am looking to get the $35 blocks and sell them for $35. I am not attempting to sell wood that is easy to get in the US -- Pimo, Tinsky, West, Eltang, Jaune Home (sp?), Briar Grains, etc. I am attempting to go elsewhere and go top shelf. I may not pull it off, but that is the idea.

Ah! I gotcha now! That is *far* different that what I was imagining. In that case, you could probably expect a few dollars from me, since that grade of wood simply can't be had in the US at any price.

Keep an eye on your bottom line though - don't price lower than you need to in order to stay in business.

I'd also give you business on bamboo, horn, ivory, etc. Forgot to mention that.

-Scott

I'd send you some business big guy!

tyler

any idea when

i m ready now

jim

I would probably buy the occasional block or cumberland rod. Since I make too few pipes, and my skill level is not where I would consider working too often with that level of wood, I could not be a steady buyer. However, it would be nice to have a source in the US for that type of supplies for when the need arises.

Tyler,

I, too, have experienced quality problems with the US purchased briar from the suppliers you mentioned above. I'd certainly be interested in buying higher grade blocks from you, though as many have said, not in great quantities or with great frequency. If indeed it looks to be somewhat profitable, or at worst break-even, then I'd say go for it. There certainly seems to be a good deal of interest in the idea here. I'd probably be interested in some bamboo and other exotic materials if you decide to carry them too. Any word on how soon this venture may be underway?

Jeff

Down the line when I get a little more experience I would be happy to give you my biz on Briar. The rod stuff ??? only because not sure I will go that way. I know it's the best and the Pro way.

I know that I would love the opportunity to get ahold of some top quality briar. Its stems (rods) that would really interest me. At this point, I am merely learning the hard way. I have no training in crafting anything. I did take wooodshop in ninth grade. I have no lathe and no plans to get one. Therefore, making my own stems is problimatic. What would really make me happy was someone selling good quality rods in whatever length that have a hole through the middle.
I realize this idea was posed on another forum here and concensus seemed that it wouldn't be cost effective.I don't know how much the ros would have to be but I would love to at least have the chance to hand cut some stems, especially in Cumberland as I've never seem pre cast stems in that material. Tyler, I would love to have a source in the good ol USA for extra extra blocks and pre drilled rods or even the (seemingly) "better" quality stems I've seen on at least one overseas website.
Mike Stanley

Mar Tinsky has some predrilled lucite rod blanks for stems. You might want to email him. They are black and I think are about $10.00

Rad