After five years we have been forced to raise our free shipping threshold from $75.00 to $95.00 for domestic orders to the 48 contiguous states. The past year's precipitous increases in the cost of fuel and UPS's increasingly high fuel surcharges have forced us to change our shipping policies. We do apologize for having to make this change and trust that you all will be sympathetic to our situation.
"Active". "Architectural". "Obsession with detail", and "Finest briar, coaxed to its maximum grain" are all words and phrases associated with the work of Austrian master, Peter Matzhold. When it comes to making pipes, Herr Matzhold holds fast to his defining principles of pipe design; he only produces pipes with what he considers to be perfect grain, absolutely no fills, and utilization of clean, flowing lines. For this twenty-seventh presentation of the year, we take pride in offering six new Matzhold pipes for your perusal and purchase. For a change, the vast majority of these Matzholds (five out of six) are sandblasted. On the theme of "change", Peter is doing some fun, new stuff with his shaping. A couple of the compositions show more of a sense of forward momentum than I have previously seen in Peter's work, and when was the last time you saw a rhodesian/churchwarden from the man?! Stop by and take a gander. You're in for a real treat.
There are times that American master Rolando Negoita will assign a name to a shape that he has created but, as a general rule, he avoids placing titles on works, preferring to identify different pieces with numbers. Part of the reason for this somewhat odd practice is that he doesn't want to prejudice the viewer's interpretation of the composition. We have to decide a title in most cases. "Smooth Whatever-ya-wanna-call-it" is a bit unwieldy. This week, we are honored to offer up three brand new creations from Rolando, including a shape that the master has named: "The Frog" (Rolando's symbol). To my mind, the execution of the Frog is an amazing departure for Rolando, the manner of carving reminds me of the Native American tribes that are indigenous to the US Northwest. The next pipe is arguably Rolando's most immediately recognizable shape: The Walnut. Finally we have one of the coolest volcanoes in existence that is adorned with both immaculate straight grain and perfect growth rings. The volcano is a true triumph for Rolando.
Due to being meticulously crafted from oil-cured briar and finished with the revolutionary twin-bore bit, there is many a pipe aficionado who would hold that the Radice pipe is the perfect smoking instrument. This week we take pride in presenting another dozen of Gigi's finest for your approval. All of this week's dozen are either rusticated or sandblasted and, unlike many other updates, most of these pipes would fall into either a small or medium size category. Take a peek and see if you like the saucer rhodesian as much as I do.
It's doesn't take the proverbial rocket scientist to figure out why American carver Randy Wiley has such a long and loyal following. Randy's pipes always exude a great deal of style; they are frequently referred to as "smoking sculptures". Randy's pipes are made entirely by hand, and the drilling and engineering are always excellent. Best of all, the pipes are generous of size, and the prices of Randy's pipes generally fall into the sub two hundred dollar range. Take all of those factors into account, and it's why a Wiley pipe can be found in so many collections. This week we are pleased to place another dozen Randy Wiley pipes into inventory for you approval and purchase. Of this dozen, seven are either entirely rusticated, or present a good deal of rustication. Four are either smooth or "Feather Carved" spot rustication, and one is a handsome "50/50" bent rhodesian.
The Savinelli pipe has quickly moved from something of an experimental entry to a mainstay of our lineup. "The customer has spoken!" and clearly the brand is a hit. This update "the hits just keep on coming" with another twenty-four fresh Savinellis for your perusal and purchase. Romas and Tortugas and Aries (Oh my!). Toscanas are here as well as another good sized batch of the Champagnes at an insane forty percent off!
This week's update of one dozen Brebbia pipes is "Seriecentric", in that a full half dozen are from the Serie 1960 line. The 1960s revel in a timeless, conservative classicism, and invariably boast a delightful grain. If it is length you seek, try out the famous "Twin" that just arrived. Finishing up the Brebbia parade is a Ninja Sabbiata, a Sabbiate Nera, a tan Rocciata, as well as the first MPB "Ambra" that we have carried.
Every time I see a new batch of Stanwells, I am amazed by the consistently high quality of the grain, drilling and engineering. The fact that they create some of the most elegant shapes in the business does not hurt a bit either. Evidently these attributes are not lost on the pipe buying public, Stanwell is one of the largest producers of quality pipes in the world. This update of two dozen new Stanwells includes the ever popular Featherweight series, both smooth and sandblasted, as well as Colonials, Legends, Zebranos, Majestics, and the affordably priced Golden Danish.
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For quite some time now Peterson has been our best selling line. It's pretty hard to not be attracted to a company with a pedigree that stretches back for well more then a century, and can deliver a well engineered, perfectly drilled pipe for under sixty dollars. Thirty more fresh Petes are being added to inventory this week, and these pipes are well distributed across a variety of finishes, namely the Rosslare Royal Irish, Aran, Donnegal, Racing Green, Killarney, Shannon, Irishmade Army, and System. For a real treat, take a look at the Deluxe Spigot, one of the finest pipes that Peterson produces.
Many of us old times remember the day when estate pipes pretty much did not exist in smoke shops. They would pass, time to time, from one customer to another, or be sold at the estate sales of those who passed on. Many Europeans were initially incredulous that someone would actually want to smoke a "used pipe". The idea of estate pipes was so logical that it had to grow. You receive a sanitized pipe, bypassed the nasty break-in phase, and usually paid far less than you would for the new product. In addition, estates give a man a "second chance" to pick up discontinued or Limited Edition models that he may not, at one time, had the money to purchase. Estates are a huge portion of our business. This week, we intend to keep it that way with another blockbuster update of forty-eight pipes.
The countries with the largest amount of representatives are Italy and England, with a dozen pipes each. Mastro de Paja, Radice, and Rinaldo hoist the Italian flag aloft, supported by Caminetto, Le Nuvole and Ardor. Please make sure you check out the new estate Cavicchi, one is a "CCC" grade that has grain that is as good (or better) than some "CCCCC" that I have seen. The British lads are led by Dunhill, with three pipes, bu there are pipes on the more affordable scale as well. We have a Comoy's Grand Slam, two Hardcastles, a couple of vintage GBDs, Two Royal Falcons and a Charatan Belvedere. These pipes range from $40 to $90 dollars, making them accessible to most every man.
The Danes this week are a bit unusual in that they are skewed, price wise, towards both ends of the spectrum, with little mid ground to be seen. On the affordable side, we have no less than five Kriswill pipes that range from fifty five to seventy dollars. So what is on the upper end? How about a huge, immaculately grained straight billiard from Jess Chonowitsch?! The Americans are here in the form of two pipes from Greg Peevey, a Kirsten, a vintage Kaywoodie Flame Grain and a Wally Frank acorn. We are always in need of Irish estates, they fly out the door as fast as they come in. This week we have seven Petersons, including a Schneiderwind and a Deluxe, both with superb, hallmarked sterling. Finally, we have what amounts to be a good sized update from France. The French update includes four Butz Choquin pipes, as well as a Wessex with a hand carved Cumberland bit for only $40!
News last posted on Thursday, July 3rd, 2008. This week's news written by Bear Graves.
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