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I just realized that my mother-in-law lives 20 minutes away from the Romeo Briar shop in Italy. I've never bought briar in bulk, does anyone know if there would be any benefit to shopping for it next time I'm there as opposed to buying a batch over the internet? Or, even asking her to pick it up and ship it, since it may be next year before I get over there again? I'd potentially get to pick the pieces I wanted I suppose.

I would guess that he has the purchasing process worked out to be relatively efficient, so maybe there's no point other than seeing first hand how he prepares it. Which would be pretty cool too.

If you go, you can pick blocks that suit your style. If your mom goes, I don't see any advantage.

Alden wrote:If you go, you can pick blocks that suit your style. If your mom goes, I don't see any advantage.

That's what I suspected. Thanks for the reply.

Not that he would ever do anything like this, of course, but there have been horror stories out there in years past of guys hand-picking blocks from suppliers, paying for them, & receiving . . . other blocks. Very probably, given Romeo's excellent reputation for customer satisfaction, from other suppliers.

But if your mom goes she can scold him for supplying bad blocks

I've been to Mimmo's and it's wonderful to pick out your own briar. The other benefit is that Mimmo will then know what you look for in briar.
Once he knows what you make and is familiar with you, he will pick briar for you.
It's fun! Do it!

BigCasino wrote:But if your mom goes she can scold him for supplying bad blocks

My wife's mom. She's a feisty old Albanian lady with a disapproving look that can wilt flowers. I'm afraid of her and she likes me.

baweaverpipes wrote:I've been to Mimmo's and it's wonderful to pick out your own briar. The other benefit is that Mimmo will then know what you look for in briar.
Once he knows what you make and is familiar with you, he will pick briar for you.
It's fun! Do it!

It sounds like a great opportunity. I'll definitely go. By next year I should have a better clue about what to pick.

Man, I'd love to pick out my own briar at the mill. Definitely an opportunity not to pass up. If you don't already know what to look for in a briar block then you should find out before you go.

Wayne's post leads me to my answer to the OP.

Picking briar "live" and in person is hugely worthwhile, not so much because you are so great at picking blocks, but because you can learn so much from talking to the cutters.

I was picking out wood in Chicago last year, and Makis was looking at my selections, and he took a block from me and showed me some irregularities on the bark and said "Don't take this one, it's no good, probably shouldn't be in with this pile." So I mean, this guy is reading at a distance better than I can read up close, and the blocks that he agreed with me on and "allowed" me to take were absolute rippers, so it's not like I'm totally clueless here either. But these guys who cut the wood... they know everything about it.

I guess what I'm saying is, if you get the opportunity to select blocks with a cutter present, just assume that you know 1000% less about the wood than they do, and act accordingly.

I now just allow Makis to select my wood, I don't direct him at all, and just about everything he sends me is better than stuff I would have picked.

It's definitely worth it, no question about it.
Not because you can pick better briar than you would receive by ordering online, that's a skill that takes handling thousands of blocks. Rather because as Sasquatch said, cutters know everthing about wood. Once you see Mimmo sorting a pile of briar at the speed of 30 blocks per minute you will realize that it's better you trust his choices. You can learn a whole lot from him, even just seeing the production process gives you a much better understanding of the material itself. And if he has the time you can also get some very good pipemaking advice.
Also it's a very nice place to spend a short holiday

keilwerth wrote:Also it's a very nice place to spend a short holiday

That whole area is beautiful. My mother-in-law lives in Bordeghera and it's just fantastic there. Now that there's a pipe connection I like it even more.

If you think that you can just turn up and pick through all his stock taking the best bits for yourself you will probably be disappointed, that isn't how it works I am afraid.

caskwith wrote:If you think that you can just turn up and pick through all his stock taking the best bits for yourself you will probably be disappointed, that isn't how it works I am afraid.

Yea, I didn't figure that would happen. I'm sure there's a "preferred customer" system going. That how things usually work in the Mediterranean, for everything from restaurant tables to buying fish at the pier. I'll be more than happy if I get to see how he prepares it and pick out a few blocks from what's available to me.

It will be a very valuable (and scary when you watch them at the saws) trip, that I am sure of

Mimmo is also super-nice. I was there last summer, and going back this year. Beautiful area and very cool to see the process behind the making of the blocks. I would recomend going! He also picked out very nice blocks for me.

/Albert

Sasquatch wrote: I was picking out wood in Chicago last year, and...

You were there? I kept my eye out for a seven foot tall, 600 pound covered-with-stringy-fur philosophy professor, but don't remember seeing one.

Oh well. Must have been a timing thing.

Are you going again this year? If enough snow melts in the next two weeks that you can leave your cave, that is.

caskwith wrote:It will be a very valuable (and scary when you watch them at the saws) trip, that I am sure of

It's amazing Mimmo has all his digits! He's a skilled craftsman and I consider him the Bo of briar cutters!
OSHA would have a heyday seeing the operation! Big and fast moving blades.