Penguin Briar
Kim Kendall Phoenix, Arizona USA Phone: 480 560 7285 Email: mailto:info@PenguinBriar.com Website: Penguin Briar
Bio
I started into the obsession/sickness of pipe making probably like a lot of other pipe makers, by wanting to make and smoke my own pipe, one that I fashioned myself. As part of their overall training, every Jedi had to make their own light sabre and I wanted to make my own weapon as pipe-smoker in training. I wanted the satisfaction of making my own weapon and being able to smoke a pipe that I made myself. I didn’t have a lot of expectations and figured it wouldn’t be much of a pipe to look at, but it would be MINE!!! And I knew I would enjoy the satisfaction of smoking a pipe that I brought forth from a block of wood.
I may not have been a "serious" pipe smoker or collector, but at the time I started the project of making my own pipe, I already owned 11 pipes of various brands & quality. For the most part, I liked them all to some degree and of course had favorites among the group. I will admit, there are also a couple in the collection that could be run over by my truck and I wouldn't miss them.
But I digress...
The first step in this whole thing was to decide what investment(s) I would have to make or be willing to make for the process of shaping a piece of briar into something that I could smoke. The most economical approach I could come up with would be to get a pre-bored block of briar (from Pipe Makers Emporium) and a Dremel tool to whittle and sand it down. Little did I know at the time what a slippery slope pipe making would be and the claws this craft would have on me!
I completed my first 2 pipes and then decided I needed to get some training about pipe construction, internal geometry, fabrication and finishing techniques, and tools. I was fortunate that Paul Hildebrand of Pipe Makers Emporium taught classes from time to time on pipe making. I took the next available class and have been making dust ever since. Since then, if I’m not actually making dust, I’m at least thinking about it!
Through Paul, I also came to know Horace DeJarnett, another well know pipe carver in the Phoenix area. With their guidance and support, I have been developing my skills while focusing on the basic fundamentals of pipe construction.
Since I have a full time job, most of my pipe making activities are on the weekends. A group of Paul’s former students (myself, Ryan Quagliata, and Jason Watkins-Brock), along with Horace meet most Saturday mornings in Paul’s shop to work on projects, bounce ideas off each other, and just have a great time as the Phoenix "Spit-n-Whittle" club!
The #1 - January '07
1207 Sibling
1407 Teardrop
1507 Tomahawk
1707 Volcano
1807 Long Pot
2107 Blowfish
0108 Bully
0308 Medicine Man
0508 Bullet
0608 Marble
- Penguin 008.jpg
