Eclesias Pipes: Difference between revisions

When approaching the making of a pipe, Holub will decide the shape of the bowl and the stem from his inspections of a given block of briar. Just like the Danish pioneers of the 1960s and 70s, Holub allows the grain patterns of this or that block to signal to him what they would best become at the end of the process, including the finish of the bowl. Speaking of finishes, we would be remiss if we did not mention one aspect of Eclesias Pipes that has attracted many pipe smokers to Holub’s creations, and that has given rise to considerable debate in the pipe community. Like [[Mummert|Werner Mummert]] or [[Cooke, James T.|J. T. Cooke]], Eclesias Pipes often feature strong, crisp sandblasting, however one of Holub’s finishing techniques, which produces waves of deep, jagged rings around the bowl and shank, has led some to believe that this must be the result of a combination of sandblasting and manual rustication. Yet this is not the case; all of Holub’s sandblasted pipes are produced solely through the use of a sandblasting unit, with the exact technique used to produce deep-blasted Eclesias Pipes being something of a trade secret that Holub has shared with just a few close friends in the craft. Holub also produces pipes with a lighter, more traditional sandblasted finish, as well as smooth finishes. Along with these three finishes, contrast staining is also frequently used on Holub’s pipes, producing striking visual effects.