Cook, Russ

Russ Cook is a native of rural northern Michigan. Having made his handcrafted pipes for two or three years, he debuted at the Chicago Pipe Show 2003.

Apart from friendly acknowledgment for what he achieved so far, there was also some criticism at manifold details. Cook is reported to have listened closely to these advices, because he intends to become more than "just another pipemaker". In order to make better pipes, he took a lot of time to practice in the refinement of detailwork. He sold his stock of briar and bought better, as well as he gave up the prefabricated mouthpieces to work with high-quality ebonite rods.

Dave Ziozios (The Piperack), who is mentoring Cook, said in January 2004 he had made great strides in his pipemaking, including the addition of sandblasted pipes. His blasts are sharp and crisp, and are done by him in his own shop.