Talbert Pipes: Difference between revisions

In addition to briar, Trever also makes pipes out of Morta (bog oak, a partially petrified oak). Bog wood is wood extracted from trunks of trees that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidity and anaerobic bog conditions and the tannins leached out of other plant matter. It represents the first early stages in the fossilization of wood, with further stages ultimately forming lignite and coal over a period of many millions of years.  

Trever's amazingly creative designs have been an inspiration. His work and very helpfull advice and encouragement have been highly influential on the new generation of high grade American pipe makers.

=== My Background ===

I was born in 1966, an only child, in the small town of Welcome N.C. (about 4,000 people), where I spent most of my life until college. My mother was artistically inclined, though she had never seriously pursued an active career in art, and she spent a lot of my childhood encouraging me toward creative pursuits. In early grade school, I was actively writing and drawing my own comic books and strips as well as writing stories. I was a bit of a weird kid, no doubt, which occasionally caused troubles, depending on the teacher. My third grade teacher was upset and intimidated by my choice of reading materials (Lord of the Rings, Jaws, and piles of fantasy and horror fiction) and had me hauled off to a child psychologist. He deduced that I wasn't warped at all byt was instead reading on a senior high school/early college level. That describes a lot of my education. Really, usually all I needed was some basic understanding of a field, and I'd trek far and wide to learn everything I could about it on my own. If a subject didn't intereest me, however, no amount of pressure or cajoling could get me to exert more than the minimal effort. I worked vest with teacheers who were happy to give me basic instructions and then encourage me to follow my own parths (with the occasional critique), as opposed to those who insisted on forcing me to do things their way. I've always been a vigorously independent thinker.  

Paul had a great knowledge of briar and the techniques of pipe making (some of which flew in the face of popular ideas promoted by tobacconists), and I learned everything I could from him. I would send him long letters filled with questions and get page after page of replies written in a squiggly hand and covered with arcane drawings. A lot of the information he sent me was incomprehensible at first, but, as I worked, I gradually began to see how his instructions fit together. Paul was a perfect teacher for me. He would give me all the basics, answer my questions as I hit roadblocks, and otherwise remain neutral. While he held varied opinions about curing techniques, drilling, and staining, he did not attempt to push these on me as gospel (and, as a result, I gave them much more respect than I would have otherwise). Over he next couple of years, I continued to learn and experiment. I slowly bought my tools and became proficient in the basic skills of drilling and cutting. I reached a plateau faily quickly, for pipe making is reallly not particularly complex, especially compared with painting or programming.

In the Spring of 1997, Pipes & Tobaccos inaugurated its pipe-carving contest. I debated about entering, since I was already fairly experienced, but I'd never sold any pipes commercially. I didn't want to be a "ringer"' and, thankfully, I don't think I was, since many of the other entrants had better tools and/or more experience than myself. Until that time, my only feedback had come from my friends and Paul Perri. I had begun giving away pipes to my friends as Christmas gifts, and the reviews were promising. I sent off my contest entries and the promptly put the whole affair out of my head. I was amazed to learn that I had won. Suddenly I began to get a lot of e-mail, and I started doing a good deal of networking with other pipe carvers. We all exchanged information and tricks, turned over the merits of ideas, and generally learned a lot. This process goes on today, and I'm always on the lookout for new ideas. Mark Tinsky has been a big help. Mark has patiently answered many questions and provided a lot of useful advice on tools. (As an aside, I will say that, while I cannot presume to speak for all pipe smokers, I find that a 5.32-inch air hole gives me the most satisfaction.)

=== Addendum: Trever Talbert the Artist ===

[Because I've been a longtime science fiction and science fiction art fan, I questioned Trever further about his artistic career. It's interesting, and it does bear on his pipe-making philosophy. --- Bill Unger]

Feeling burned out over the money issue and finding that he was enjoying pipe making more than painting, Trever gradually dropped his commercial relationships. He has done no art for a couple of years except for himself (although lately he has been thinking about submitting some work to Pipes & Tobaccos) and to try and establish a whole new reputation. In fact, his dream is to someday support himself solely from pipe making and painting.