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....Smoked before its finished, checking out the pre-carb. Stem is a mess as well. Smoked Great. Obviously, this pipe is mine.
Fissures in the sides made it unsalable. Rather than "pitch" it I think its best to fish it, experiment, and use it.
Why not?
...the holiday season continues with a trip to the Berkshires to visit to visit family and celebrate Christmas. Unfortunately there'll be no snowbaoarding as there is no snow. Its been even to warm to make artifial snow. Maye I'll be able to sit on the posrch and carve pipes 701TM and 702TM on the porch overlooking Mt Greylock.
As you can see, I've spent part of my vacation getting them roughed-out so that I can bring them with me to handcarve my "blackrock" finish to them.
Please consider buying this pipe. It will be posted for sale at the TM Pipe Shop once complete. It will sell for only $50 USD or less.
Thank You!
Tom
Pipes made in ‘07 will be stamped "TM," and come with a numbered certificate of authenticity: 701 through approximately 752. It seems that there is nothing entirely unique about this numbering system. “7” is for 2007, and the numbers thereafter represent the first through fifty-second (plus) pipes I will make this year.
What does make TM pipes collectable is that the serial number will correspond to the blog. You will forever be able to see and read about it on Shaping The Stummels, just reference 701TM or what have you...
Three series will be offered this year:
Finishes in order: Chisled, Castlerock, Smoothstone
Pipe 701TM (and 702TM) are part of the "Raven" series sometimes refered to as the Blackfriar. Thse pipes will have the Blackrock finish: handcarved with knife, and stained balck; Raven black. You'll see I start the pipe on the drill press which my wife bought for me for Christmas.
Its hard getting used to new equpiment which mandates a new process, but its "all good." It already has made the two holes (chamber and draft) easier to drill. I decided to try a third hole whic will serve as a "stop cut" for where I believe to be the hardest joint on the pipe, because its a blind cut. You can not see the intersection until you remove the wood. I noticed on other forums, tha many new makers struggle with. This method helps, but of course you'll need to make sure the stop-hole is where you approxiamtely want the intersect to be.
Also something unique to me, is using the hole saw to shape the outside of the bowl, where the majority of makers use a lathe. I do own an antique treadle lathe not disimilar to what was used in Merrschuam Pipemaking. Mine is retrofitted with a motor, and I just dont like using it. Maybe someday. In the meantime My method is a more than adequate work around, sepecially for billiard variations. It serves well, also, in drilling a pilot hole for the tobacco chamber.
Please consider buying this pipe. It will be posted for sale at the TM Pipe Shop once complete. It will sell for $50 USD or less.
Thank You!
Santa's workshop could use a guy like mine!
Christmas package sent to my friends
of the Souverain Chapitre le Maître de Pipe in Belgium.
TM Pipes now offers online shopping.
Pipe 12 of '06 is to be called
The Blackfriar after the Roman Catholic
friar wearing the black mantle of
the Dominican order.
Despite a pilgramage to Foxboro to see the Pats beat the Houston Texans, I was able to get my shop orders in for the first quarter of '07. I decided to go with Michael Parks of Parks Pipes for Briar. And, The Pipe Makers Emporium for the rest.
This pipe smokes better than any pipe i have ever smoked, including my $300 Ardor Fantasy. The double draw barrel is awesome! Too bad I couldn't sell this one. ;)
This batch of wood is proving difficult in that it is soooo dry its hard and brittle. That equals cracking. This pipe has gotten small but it is similar to one of my favorites, an all black one i had in mind when I started. I'm calling it "The Blackfriar" This will be a great sitting in traffic smoke.
This is the last pipe of '06!
Fittingly the tobacco chamber is perfect as is the beginning of the bowl. This pipe will be a subtle refection of my Castle pipe, but effectively is being CARVED to showcase my Blackrock finish, one of three Thos.Martin finishes : Blackrock, Castlerock, and Smooth Stone. Stay tuned.
After final shaping with the coping saw, this pipe will be carved old school style: with a knife . . .
Seems the second I say, "this pipes not for sale," people want it. There have been three people wanting this pipe. I should have said I can't sell this pipe because ALL the issues have been worked ut, except for the fact the bowl is cracked!!!!
Therefore, I smoked this pipe and will keep smoking it forever... or until it blows up. Several suggestions for a name: Crack pipe, LibertyBowl, but I think I'll call it The Baluster. Here it is about three or four sanding steps before stain, polish, and wax.
The car is my son's creation and tied for first place (3x's) in the shop class derby! A Co2 inserts into a hole in the back.
Its fassssssssttttttt........ so's the pipe:
As some of you know (those people waiting for pipes), I took the weekend off to visit the Kaywoodie workshop in Peeskill, NY. I was honored to meet so many nice people in the pipe community and to rub elbows with several of the finest pipemakers in the World: Joe Skoda, Tim Hynick, Rolando Negoita, and Bill Feuerbach III- Kaywoodie.
Thank you all for the wisdom, advice, and support. A special thanks to Bill for the tour of the "factory," and to Tim for treating me as if a peer.
re the sleeve on pipe 708: Very sharp! MP
Ontario, CANADA
Nov 16, 2006 7:24 PM
Tom,
When working on where the shank meets the stem, I accidentally broke the tenon off the shank. I suppose now might be a good time to explain how to get the broken piece of tenon out off the mortis, especially if you do not have the special tool for the purpose. Find a sm. brad with a head diameter smaller than the draught hole. Hold the brad with a pair of pliers. Insert the head into the hole past the end of the broken tenon. Hook the end of the tenon with the edge of the head and pull the piece out. Backto the drawing board on the stem. . . Not as bad as it seems, but not tonight I have a headache...
I need to make sure that the panel billiard is less of a freehand and more trad...
I'll start by making sure the proportions are correct. I no doubt will have to trim some of the top. then I'll need to decide wether to leave the top of the bowl rusticated or not...
Then, I'll re-asses other aspects.Most important. I need to work the joint where the shank meets the stem so that it is square. This will take a while. Carry on. . .
Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club of Boston 
I proceeded and its reminescent of Dylan gone electric at the 1967 Newport Folk Festival. Either you hated it or you loved it. All other pipes were made while listneing to classical music. The station was down so I listened to Rock. Loud. And, well, it shows. Garish, bold, and out of tune but oddly interesting. Hard to put my finger on why I like this pipe, kind of Like Dylan; can't sing but I love him.
a hard rain is gonna fall....
