Joe Hinkle
Joe Hinkle had an idea in the back of his mind that it would be a rather simple project to make a pipe from a kit. Joe came across a pipe design that was out of his price range, and he decided to try to make one for himself in a similar style. Joe purchased a kit and some ebonite from Tim West and began work with sandpaper, files, and a cordless drill. Joe swears the pipe was horrid, barely smokeable, and refuses to show it to anyone.
Joe later purchased a wood lathe and began to improve his skill, making around 60 pipes for himself, as well as friends and family. And he began selling pipes through a few online retailers, and it was around that time that he met Nate King at the Columbus NASPC pipe show. They learned that they were both living in Indiana, and not too far from each other. Soon after, Joe contacted Nate to borrow use of his shop for sandblasting some of his own pipes. It was there that he had his first hands-on instruction from another pipe maker.
Joe continued to spend much of his free time learning at Nate's shop, honing his shaping skills. This led to Joe building his own retail pipe website. Joe joined the Briarlab as the first full-time member for the opportunity to use a facility built specifically for pipe making. The professional equipment available at briarlab and the world class instruction he gained from pipe makers Nate King and Michael Lindner enabled him to begin working full time at briarlab, designing and carving pipes from Italian briar, high quality ebonite, and acrylic rod.
Joe makes classic English shapes in his Icon series, as well as more refined and artistic shapes in his Marquee series. Joe produces between 100-150 pipes per year. Courtesy Briarlab.com
Joe Hinkles pipes are available at: Briarlab.com, Tobaccopipecollectors.com], Americanpipemakers.com, and Smokershaven.com.
About the pipes: "I use high quality materials in the construction of my pipes. I hand cut all of my stems from German ebonite or acrylic rod. I use integral tenons on my stems unless the design specifically calls for a delrin tenon. My stems are drilled at 9/64" with a tapered drill bit and finished with a deeply funneled slot to ensure a smooth draw. Most of my briar comes from Italy, with an occasional block from Greece or Algeria. My finishes are either smooth, sandblasted, or a combination of both. I never rusticate my pipes." Courtesy Hinklepipes.com
- You might also enjoy listening to Brian Levine's interview of Joe on the PipesMagazine Radio Show.
Contact Information:
Website: http://www.hinklepipes.com/ Joe Hinkle pipes 5341 W. 86th St Indianapolis IN, 46268 Phone:765.714.0032 Email:joe@hinklepipes.com