Knight's Briar Pipes
Rick Knight about himself and pipemaking:
"I hand craft all of my pipes in in Monongahela, Pennsylvania. I live there with my wife, Pat, and our two dogs. We have two grown sons. My full-time job is as a millwright for a major steelmaker in the Pittsburgh area. I’ve been carving pipes for about two years.
I started smoking a pipe about 25 years ago and always enjoyed the tranquility I experienced from a good briar and tobacco. While on a fly-fishing trip a few years ago, a friend and fellow pipe smoker suggested that I try making my own pipe. I already owned a few woodworking tools (a Shopsmith Mark V, belt sander, band saw, and various files and rasps) and decided that carving a pipe would be a nice winter project.
Some Internet searching turned up Mark Tinsky, of American Smoking Pipe, and I quickly ordered a pre-bored plateaux kit from him. I wanted to carve a Danish style freehand but didn't want to just start cutting and filing on that beautiful block of briar. I knew in my mind what I wanted to create but just couldn't figure out how to go about it. Then I discovered Trever Talbert's old Website with all the wonderful step by step instuctions on pipe carving. His site was my guide as I carefully worked that piece of briar into my very own pipe.
I bought more tools along the way and finally ended with a beautiful and very smokeable Danish freehand that I still enjoy today. When I displayed my creation to my fishing partner, he asked if I could carve him a pipe — a bent apple. I told him I didn't know if I could find the time, but I’d already planned to do this as a Christmas gift for him. Then I ordered even more tools, as well as a few plateaux blocks and stems from Pimo. Armed with the new tools, supplies, and knowledge from Trever's site, I dove into my new passion. When I finished the bent apple, I couldn't wait until Christmas to give it to my friend. I drove to his house in August. He was very pleased with the new briar and suggested I should carve pipes for sale.
I continued carving pipes and selling a few to fellows I worked with. They all encouraged me to sell my pipes on a larger scale. It has been guite a journey and, as on any journey, you meet a lot of people. I have been very fortunate to meet and make friends with some great people in the pipe-carving community. They have all been extreamlly helpful and supportive. I would like to thank Tyler Beard, Brian Ruthenberg, and Lee Erck for sharing tools and techniques, as well as Greg Clemons and Keene Bridgeman for their support. The journey continues, and I hope to meet you along the way."
Rick Knight 728 Rt. 481 Monongahela, Pennsylvania 15063 USA Phone: 724 - 258 - 4176 E-mail: rick@knightbriars.com Website: Knight's Briar Pipes