What is the most surprising...

[Tyler]

Thing have you learned, or had your mind changed about, as a pipe maker?

I'm thinking about things like:

Breathing briar
Long stems are cooler smokes
Shapes you hated but now like
Materials you hated by now like
Thick walls make for a cooler smoke

Etc.

Etc.

[JMG]

I abhorred a plain, standard billiard when I first regularly began smoking a pipe years ago. After trying to make a few I revere them and cherish the few that I have in my collection that measure up.

[baweaverpipes]

I know this will bring different views, but I've found that cross cuts smoke cooler than straight grains.
I realize most love straight grains and they are beautiful, but cross cuts are so interesting with grain and birds eye. I love cross cuts, but make a lot of straight grains that I bastardize by blasting!

[caskwith]

Don't know about smoking qualities but I total agree with Bruce on aesthetics, cross cuts are much more interesting.

[notow1]

I literally did not know a thing about pipes or pipe making when I found this forum. The most surprising thing to Me is the willingness of established pipe makers to help beginning pipe makers. The Pros share Their time, experience, and knowledge freely. Oh yeah, I am also surprised by how much the internals of a stem and wide open draw help a pipe smoke well, Norm.

[wdteipen]

Delrin. Hated it when it first hit the scene and hated making pipes with it. I made the decision to use it at least until I get a metal lathe. You just can't beat the standardized size and efficiency of it.

[sandahlpipe]

The most surprising thing to me is how darned difficult it is to make a proper billiard. And how few people actually care about proper billiards outside of this forum.

[d.huber]

Bowl coatings.

[taharris]

Oom Pauls.

I always thought they were ugly as hell until I discovered they are the most comfortable pipes to smoke if you are a clencher.


Who knew?

[pipedreamer]

I have always made integral stems, but Tim West changed all that for me.

[BobR]

That there is a limit to how "open" a pipe should be and that 1/4" tenons work extremely well.

[The Smoking Yeti]

I used to hate the volcano shape. Crazy, right?

And more recently, I've learned just how fun/ easy it is to shape a blowfish.

[scotties22]

How easy stemwork is after you get over the fear of wrecking about $5 worth of ebonite. No one ever talks about the "fear" they have about cutting into a block of briar and finding a fatal flaw....just part of doing business. But, having to start a stem again is the worst thing in the world. As soon as I got over that fear stems are stupid easy now. I'm not saying I can't improve my stemwork, it just doesn't take me 15 hours anymore

[Joe Hinkle Pipes]

I thought the biggest struggle in pipemaking was making a decent pipe. I had no idea how hard it is to actually sell them.

[kamkiel]

I know this will bring different views, but I've found that cross cuts smoke cooler than straight grains.

I read the "pipe education" section on brairworks international's website about the myth of cross grain smoking cooler than straight and vice versa. I am curious now. Was that part in the pipe education directed at you, or are you trying to confuse us? Or is it possible that this is some kind of inside joke? I am so removed from the pipe world out here.

Kiel

[sethile]

In terms of shapes: I never really liked bulldogs, but one of my sons counted them as his favorite shape, so I made him one. In the process I found them a great way to train my eye to see straight lines and graceful curves, as well as symmetry, while also training my hands to achieve them. Now I really like the shape.

For my own rotation, I used to gravitate toward large bent pipes, and now I tend to grab the smaller straighter ones.

Bowl coatings: I went from liking uncoated bowls to coating them on the pipes I sold since that seemed to be the state of the art with the pipemakers I admired. After having a few clients request uncoated bowls, I revisited the issue and decided I liked the taste of briar when breaking in a new uncoated pipe, and I like how the taste develops over the first few bowls. As a result I now leave them uncoated unless clients want them coated.

I'm surprised by how thin the walls can be and not burn out, and how it does not seem to effect the smoking qualities much. If anything, they seem to smoke cooler for me, but the surface is a bit warmer to the touch.

I'm surprised by how matching a particular pipe with your smoking style, as well as your choice of tobacco can have such a dramatic impact on the smoking qualities, and how different brair tastes from one block to another.