Hi brothers,
Well, I've decided to explore the land of briar. I've bid on an old Italian pipe “ CROCI “ free form bent in walnut briar on FleaBay.
From the sellers copy.
"The briar of this pipe is very beautiful and it is straight grain in more part of the bowl. The acrylic mouth piece is in excellent condition and it is free of the teeth marks with the Croci logo. On the bottom is stamped (Pipa Croci Cremona fatta a mano) 1982. The pipe was professionally restored and it is ready to smoke."
The shape appealed to me and perhaps I will win this for just a few dollars. Shape is probably the least I should concern myself with, but you gotta start somewhere. Being a "newb" to pipes (I'm less than a newb.) I'm now beginning to read a few articles about care and maintenance. I suspect this is the easy part. The more challenging and enjoyable journey will be the pursuit of the "tobacco".
So for now I will read more and post less. Just wanted to say hello and I look forward to learning from you guys.
Fred