pipemakersforum.com

Hello,

Can anyone give me info on where I would buy my briar? I have seen several places online but most are either import in large lots or blocks from other pipe makers. I am looking for a more direct sale type of purchase if possible and without importing. Any info would be great!

Thanks!

Eric.

At pimo.com you can buy small batches of briar, preform stems, and a bunch of other stuff. The folks who run the site are wonderful.

Another is the Pipe Makers Emporium at http://www.pipemakers.org/
I haven't shopped there so someone else will have to say what dealing with them is like.

Also http://www.jhlowe.com/

Thanks Alan. I knew about Pipe Makers Emporium but have not tired them or Pimo. I was hoping to cut out the middle man and not have to pay a mark up. I guess I can only do that by importing briar myself. And I don't mind doing it for the right price and amount, I have imported all kinds of stuff from all over for years. So I am ok with the paperwork and all, it is just a pain in the arse sometimes and if you can get a direct vendor / dealer in your county, then of course thats ideal! But I do not see that happening anytime soon! lol!

E.

The only way you're going to cut out the middle man is to go direct to the cutter, and since you won't find a cutter in the U.S., you'll have to import. It's really not that big a deal, though you will want to read the sticky elsewhere on this forum about importing wood products - lest your shipment fall victim to incineration.

Here's an organized list: http://pipedia.org/index.php?title=Pipe ... d_Supplies

If you haven't yet browsed Pipedia, run by Scott Thile a member of this forum, it's worth a look.

I purchased from PME recently. In fact I made a trip to Phoenix and picked out my own briar, although really don't know much about it. But I have to say, they are a good place to purchase briar. They supply many well known US pipe makers also. So they are doing something right and I wouldn't hesitate to make future purchases from them.

I'm very likely going back to Taggia in July. I would be willing to put together another group buy for you guys if you want. I don't know what Mimmo's minimum order is, or what the shipping costs are these days, but I'm guessing they haven't changed all that much.

Todd

Hey Todd, if it breaks down to be sufficiently cheaper than PME, I'd be up for a group buy. Nothing wrong with PME, I've been enjoying their Algerian ebauchons and plateaux, but they are pricy. Pricier than I like to think about, anyway, but then I'm a tightwad.

I bought a bunch of their Spanish plateaux when they were clearing it out, but then I figured out why they were clearing it out.

Buying a whole package from Mimmo has been out of my price range. If enough of us join in I bet we could get a decent deal. Any other takers?

ToddJohnson wrote: ...if you want...

I wants.

Alan L wrote:Hey Todd, if it breaks down to be sufficiently cheaper than PME,

I wouldn't count on that... Mimmo's stuff is good- not cheap. And I mean that in both ways, expensive and worth it!

bscofield wrote:

Alan L wrote:Hey Todd, if it breaks down to be sufficiently cheaper than PME,

I wouldn't count on that... Mimmo's stuff is good- not cheap. And I mean that in both ways, expensive and worth it!

Yeah, it is expensive. The savings is on shipping and an ability to buy only a few blocks at a time as opposed to his minimum order. I don't know how much that is these days. Don't expect to save money on a per block basis over a domestic source, though.

Todd

This will give you some idea: http://www.romeobriar.com/briarshop/us.html

Actually, that is a savings if I only want five blocks. It seems to work out to about $30 per block, which is less expensive, i.e. a geater value for a given quality, than the Tassili plateaux from PME, which is what I was hoping for. If enough of us pool our resources, I think it looks good!

Even if with shipping it works out about the same, I agree that the quality makes it worthwhile. Didn't mean to sound like a cheapskate (although I am ).