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Steve Morrisette Pipes: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:SM_portrait.jpg|left|thumb|120px|Steve Morrisette]][[Image:SM_Cutty_6.jpg|thumb|300px|Steve Morrisette Cutty]][[Image:SM_JBilliard-1.jpg|thumb|300px|Steve Morrisette Billiard]][[Image:SM_Bent_ball_with_horn.jpg|thumb|300px|Bent Ball with Horn]][[Image:SMorrisette3.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Sandblast with Horn Shank<br>Courtesy Dennis Dreyer Collection]][[Image:SM_Ball-stem_detail.jpg|thumb|300px|Stem Detail]]I began as a smoker and collector of high grade pipes. But really, I guess, it started when I was twelve years old and my Dad, a pipe smoker and duck hunter, graciously allowed me to refinish his shotguns. Overseen by my Mother, an antique collector and refinisher, I immediately fell in love with the fantastic beauty of those walnut burl gunstocks. I've been hooked on beautiful wood ever since. | [[Image:SM_portrait.jpg|left|thumb|120px|Steve Morrisette]][[Image:SM_Cutty_6.jpg|thumb|300px|Steve Morrisette Cutty]][[Image:SM_JBilliard-1.jpg|thumb|300px|Steve Morrisette Billiard]][[Image:SM_Bent_ball_with_horn.jpg|thumb|300px|Bent Ball with Horn]][[Image:SMorrisette3.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Sandblast with Horn Shank<br>Courtesy Dennis Dreyer Collection]][[Image:SM_Ball-stem_detail.jpg|thumb|300px|Stem Detail]]I began as a smoker and collector of high grade pipes. But really, I guess, it started when I was twelve years old and my Dad, a pipe smoker and duck hunter, graciously allowed me to refinish his shotguns. Overseen by my Mother, an antique collector and refinisher, I immediately fell in love with the fantastic beauty of those walnut burl gunstocks. I've been hooked on beautiful wood ever since. | ||
Fast forward to early middle age: I switched to smoking a pipe from cigars and rapidly began to build a nice collection of some of the finest briars in the world. Teddy, Jess, Eltang, Barbi and later | Fast forward to early middle age: I switched to smoking a pipe from cigars and rapidly began to build a nice collection of some of the finest briars in the world. [[Teddy Knudsen]], [[Jess Chonowitsch]], [[Tom Eltang]], [[Rainer Barbi]] and later [[Rasmussen]], [[Cornelius Mänz]] and [[Paolo Becker]] all found their way into my rotation. Fabulous shapes with astonishing woods and superb workmanship. I sharpened my eye on these masterworks. I learned what a beautiful, good smoking pipe was. | ||
The next phase began when, after having reshaped some cheap pipes and improved their mouthpieces, and made a few pipes from pre- bored blocks, I attended my first Chicagoland Pipe Show. This really opened my eyes to the fine North American pipe makers. At the show I befriended a splendid young fellow by the name of Jeff Gracik. ([[J. Alan Pipes]]) We became pals and spent the show sharing a fine bottle of Bourbon and soaking in all the wonderful sights of pipes and pipe makers. All the while, Jeff was selling his first batch of marvelous little pipes from one the ubiquitous silver briefcases you see at all the shows. Soon after, I visited Jeff at his (then) home in Princeton, NJ, where he was attending school. Jeff took me into his workshop and for two days showed me many aspects and techniques of making a fine, high grade pipe. We worked late into the nights and then spent time poring over the finer details of his pipes and some of my nicer Danish acquisitions. It was a wonderful and very instructive experience. | The next phase began when, after having reshaped some cheap pipes and improved their mouthpieces, and made a few pipes from pre- bored blocks, I attended my first Chicagoland Pipe Show. This really opened my eyes to the fine North American pipe makers. At the show I befriended a splendid young fellow by the name of Jeff Gracik. ([[J. Alan Pipes]]) We became pals and spent the show sharing a fine bottle of Bourbon and soaking in all the wonderful sights of pipes and pipe makers. All the while, Jeff was selling his first batch of marvelous little pipes from one the ubiquitous silver briefcases you see at all the shows. Soon after, I visited Jeff at his (then) home in Princeton, NJ, where he was attending school. Jeff took me into his workshop and for two days showed me many aspects and techniques of making a fine, high grade pipe. We worked late into the nights and then spent time poring over the finer details of his pipes and some of my nicer Danish acquisitions. It was a wonderful and very instructive experience. | ||