>Here are some videos composed by Smokingpipes.com of my time in the workshop with pipemakers Hiro Tokutomi and Adam Davidson.

Part I

And Part II

Enjoy. Credit to Ted Swearington of Smokingpipes.com

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Handmade .925 silver band

Part of the intrigue of pipes for me was the challenge of learning to do something new.  Each element of the pipe posed a unique challenge.  From the drilling of the tobacco chamber to the buffing of the stem, every step in the process required a different skill that had to be learned.

I needed a new challenge once I had garnered a facility with the tools, materials, and techniques involved in pipemaking.  I learned to work with ivory, to source and use rare exotic woods, bamboo, and bakelite.  But all of these were learned very early.

Heating (and trying not to melt) the metal

One material I had long admired and longed to work with was sterling silver.  I have always loved the silver work on classic British pipes and extraordinarily elegant usage by the Danes, S. Bang in particular.  After doing a considerable amount of research on my own, I picked up the phone and called my friend, pipemaker Brian Ruthenberg, for some personal tele-instructions.  With Brian’s help and encouragement I tooled up the shop, cleaned off a bench, and started to hand-work the metal.

Hammering the ring flat

In all honesty, I could have used pre-made silver rings and bands and they probably would have looked fine.  But I make high-grade pipes entirely by hand, and they are expensive.  I could also use pre-formed stems.  But I don’t.  I choose to make every part of my pipes with my own hands, from the choosing of the block to the final buff.  Each step is undertaken by me.

Buffing the filed and sanded ring

Every new technique  involves a learning curve, and this was (and will continue to be) no exception.  My first attempt at heating nearly ended in a pool of molten silver…now pool of scrap, useless for pipemaking.  Lesson learned.

Polished and ready for briar

Like each material I use, silver is ideal for high-grade pipes for its beauty and expense.  For this same reason, I also will offer gold, palladium, and platinum for custom orders.  The addition of silver to J. Alan pipes offers to collectors a new feature customized to the design of the pipe.

Elegant Flush silver inset into stem

Precious metals are now available for all J. Alan custom ordered pipes.  Additional information about specific applications can be acquired by contacting me.

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>Over the past few weeks I’ve received some subtle (and some less-so) nudges from customers and friends about my silence on the blogosphere recently. I have to admit to you all, I haven’t visited my blog for months. Of course, I did not realize it had been so long. When I logged in to make this brief post I discovered just how long it had been!

With apologies out of the way now, I can tell you all I really have been busy. Those who follow my twitter feed (and for those who like near-instant gratification, the twitter feed is the place to go) know that new pipes have come and gone regularly. I’m truly grateful for the attention and support that our small community has offered to me and my brand. All too few people wake up in the morning and can’t wait to go to work, or think about work (in a positive way) all weekend long.

Just to prove it to you, I’ve posted a new pipe to the website. Please cruise on over to the showroom to see it.

So, yes, I’ve been active. But, no, you’re right, I have not been actively typing. Expect to see some new posts and videos in the coming weeks and months leading up to the annual gathering in Chicago.

Until next time (whenever that may be),

Jeff

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Sorry for the delay, folks. Business has been busyness lately. I’ve recorded a lot of video for future episodes, but wanted to get this one out to you all before heading to Richmond this week.

Cheers!

Jeff

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