Christmas Pipes 2020
Several years ago I started a tradition of making Christmas pipes for my sons. They all three smoke, one a little less than the others, but all three enjoy the tradition, or at least humor me with it! The top secret 2020 Christmas projects are finally placed and I can share them on-line without fear of ruining the surprise! But first, the history:
The 2019 Christmas Projects were tan blasted Volcanos with ebonite stems and cars made from locally sourced wood for my grandson. The 2018 Christmas Projects were 1/8 bent Freehand Dublins with smooth tops for my sons, and a working sailboat and rubber band powered motor boats for the bath. The 2017 Christmas pipes are Cherry Woods again, but smooth this time. And my Grandson, Calvin, who was 2 1/2 years old gots Dump Truck from various scrap, reclaimed, and repurposed woods I had in the shop. The 2016 Christmas Pipes were blasted Cherry Woods with natural plateaux tops, 2015 Christmas pipes were bent bulldogs, mostly blasted, but with smooth tops, 2014 Christmas pipes were contrast blasted bent eggs w/celluloid, 2013 Christmas pipes were Blasted Lovats, 2012 Christmas pipes were blasted straight bulldogs, 2011 Christmas Pipes were smooth Lovats, and Christmas 2010 was the first year of making the boys pipes for Christmas. They were different shapes for each. The very first 2006 Christmas pipe for for my middle son, John, who loves Bulldogs and loves Christmas, and was the only son smoking pipes at the time.
Drumroll please! This year’s pipes are contrast blasted 1/8 bent eggs. This is a smaller, more traditional shape. Very light and easily clinched. This sort of pipe tends to jump off the rack when I’m pondering what to smoke. A fun coincidence is these pipes came up as numbers 440, 441, and 442, an unintentional homage to my work tuning pianos for many years as this is the range of standard and preferred frequencies to tune the A above middle C, which starts the temperament sequence. And I made a checker board for my grandson with locally sourced hard maple and walnut and then found unfinished checkers I could dye, then shellac to finish off the set.
