Trent

Philip Trent about himself and his work:

"I'm 36 years old (ca. 42 by now), and live, breath and sleep pipes. I started like everyone else, with a kit, grinder and files. I sell pipes to make a little money to buy briar to make pipes to sell so I can go and buy more briar. My dream is to carve full time. I would love to make the centerpiece for someone's collection, but first and foremost, I want folks to say 'Yeah, that such-and-such is a high-dollar beauty, but this Trent pipe is my best smoker.

Pipe making philosophy: All my pipes are drilled to achieve the most wide-open smoke possible, because I hate to relight a pipe every time I set it down for a moment. So my pipes burn well but don't overheat and don't pass debris up the mouthpiece. Similarly, I find that a massive pipe carved from heavy wood feels like a frying pan hanging in your mouth, so however impressive it may look, you'll pass it over when the time comes to pick one off the rack. I have other principals I follow that help me determine chamber size, wall thickness, smoke hole diameter, etc. The overall aim to make a pipe that smokes like a dream.

The briar I use is very old, well-seasoned Grecian wood, heat-cured using a proprietary process. The blocks were stored outside for years prior to heat-treating, and then re-moisturized in the humid Indiana climate. I am also making pipes from oil-cured Algerian briar, using a process I developed in consultation with a food chemist, and I'm very pleased with the results, and think you will be too. But on to the pipes."

Contact information:

Philip A. Trent

South Bend, Indiana

USA

Pipes available at finepipes.com