Bonito Moxie…..various views.

(also shown rough carved at top left)

In lieu of the Chicago show…

As you may know I will not be at the Chicago show this year.  Family comes first and there is an event that I really, really need/want to be at.  Seven straight years at the show was already a lot to ask for and I was lucky in the past for a lack of conflicts.  Of course I missed my first Chicago show in 1999 thanks to a trial that ended up settling on the courthouse steps.

Despite the fact that I won’t be in Chicago the tampers that you would have seen there will be offered on the Ming-Kahuna web site over the next days or possibly even weeks.  You’re going to see some rather fun pieces including the two tamps that had been slated to be the first two KazeTamps: “Sky Captain” and “Deco”.  You will also see “Angry Beavers” which may give you a snicker if you understand the reference.  You’ll see ten or so Bali pieces and a few fun smaller KazeTamps in Caneel.  There will also be a variety of Jakes in Bali and possibly a surprise Caneel pipe/tamper rest.  Yup, you heard it right, a Caneel pipe/tamper rest!  There are also some TouchStones, one in particular called “The Blues”.  There will also be some Incubus in Caneel and Bali.

From Ming you will see a series of Whispers, three in
Cumberland and one in Caribbean.  There will be a couple of mini-monoliths in Cumberland and Pugs in Mint and Renegade.  A few years ago I picked up some resin impregnated water buffalo horn for a project, so I’m using part of that to make a cool “little” Pug.  You’ll also see some more Tidbits in the Clipper shape. There’s also Blutos in Aziza, Ming, and Kahuna!

That’s all I’m going to tell you for now.  Please stop back daily to see what’s new.  Okay, it may not be Chicago, but for Ming it will be quite a show.

If there’s anything that you’d like to see before it goes up on the site just drop me a note at mingkahuna@aol.com, I’d be glad to give you a preview.

Ta-da!

 

And here it is, the aforementioned Whisper in Cumberland.

Whispers…in Cumberland, mind you!

 (past Whispers, Reef and Blood of Kings)

 

Last night I enjoyed a fine cigar out on the veranda.  Not my usual brand, but a fine smoke nonetheless.  As I sat there contemplating the universe (more on a Homer Simpson level) an idea popped into my head.  No, not “Haaaammmm!” but the thought of creating a Whisper in
Cumberland.  Here is a shape that is made for this material, long and sleek with simple yet elegant contours that will show off the material unimpeded.  Some consider it my best shape.  I put it right up there.  As it turned out the timing was just right.

All previous Whispers have been carved in square bar stock.  The method that I use to make the Whipser is the same from piece to piece and the prospect of creating the shape from round rod stock was a bit daunting.  I’d have to go back and re-invent the wheel. As it turned out I had just finished up doing just that for a special order Whisper made from Aziza.  For those of you who are familiar with Aziza you can imagine how excellent that tamp will be.  So, with that tamper rough carved I was perfectly set up to take on the Cumberland Whisper project.

I woke up bright and early this morning, before dawn, and got down to the shop.  Luckily I had two rods of Cumberland left (I ordered more today).  Wanting to reinforce what was learned with the Aziza Whisper I carved one in Cumberland .  Talk about sweet!  It was so sweet that I directly carved another, and another, and another.  Scratch one rod of Cumberland with four Whispers to show for it.

The best part is that despite the fact that these Whispers were carved side-by-side, one after the other, they are each very different from the other.  Yes, they are undeniably Whispers, but each has it’s distinct shape and personality.  The Cumberland just sings in this shape, and vice versa.  Big time.

Right now the four are in sanding.  If they don’t all sell now (assuming I list them) they will go to Chicago.  If you have any interest, please don’t be afraid to ask now.  First come first served.  They will be priced starting at $107, and unless upgraded will be $107.  They are not a sale item.

Tidbits are back!

For years I have tried to find a tamper that could be offered at more economical price than most tampers that leave my shop.  While I had declared this effort a failure with past attempts, I have since gone back and looked at the bottom line, sales, and have determined that my efforts were actually quite successful.  My failure was in being too hung up on the issue of price.  Setting price as a goal is putting the cart before the horse.  The proper course is to create the tamper and then to determine the pricing.  Live and learn, and after having done some more living, I have learned.

As I was sitting at my shipping table yesterday packing some tamps to be sent to Europe I looked over at a pile of tampers, some just rough carved, others in sanding, and thought to myself “those are Tidbits, too bad I no longer sell them.”  Of course that got me to re-evaluating why I don’t sell them.  It also allowed me to sit down, look at the tampers, and determine what would be a fair compensation for the pieces, all things considered.  In this instance I didn’t set out to make a tamper at a certain pricepoint, but let the tamper itself, already in existence, determine the pricepoint.  That difference may seem trivial, but if you really stop and think about it, there is a world of difference.

All of that having been said, the pricepoint for Tidbits will be centered around $49, give or take a few bucks.  The lion’s share will be priced at $49.  That is significantly less than the last time that Tidbits were offered, most around the $60 mark.  The tamper itself, with $49 as a reference point, will be priced accordingly.  BTW, for those of you wondering about where the Clippers went, the good news is that they have become Tidbits!

One more thing.  Please understand that Tidbits are not, in any way, shape, or form “seconds”.  I do not sell seconds.  Any tamper that could be considered a second never leaves my shop.  Tidbits have the same quality of any Ming, and, by and large the same artistry, as much as possible.  The only differences are that they will be a bit smaller (yet perfectly functional) and will not bear a logo.  For more info about Tidbits go to:

http://www.ming-kahuna.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=953

Bonito Moxie Update

(UPDATE: Bonito Moxie, “Ikazuchi” Moxie and “Raikou” Moxie are now sold)

I response to numerous inquiries (I included this info below, but it was missed) the anticipated price of this piece will range between $900 and $1100.  The piece may be reserved on this basis.  I anticipate that it will be finished this weekend.  I do not anticpate that it will be available to be displayed in Chicago.

Four tampers made from this amazing piece of ivory will be offered: 1. Bonito Moxie ($1014- now sold); 2. “Kat” Moxie (in final sanding) 3. “Raikou” Moxie ($514- now sold); 4. “Ikazuchi” Moxie ($564- now sold). 

The First Chicago for the New Artisan (Tip #103)

The following words are for those new artisans who are headed for their very first Chicago Show (hereinafter “The Show”)in a month’s time.  So, clear the briar/ebonite/acrylic dust from your nose and throat, pour a cold one, and have a listen.  What I’m about to tell you is key.  You will thank me, trust me on this one.

So, you’re headed to Chicago in less than a month.  Did the fact that I said “less than a month” cause a nervous twitch in the pit of your stomach, or initiate a panic attack?  If that’s the case you really need to listen what I have to say.  I’ll tell you that The Show, the show of shows, for the new artisan first-timer is like playing in your very first baseball game.  That’s not so bad is it?  Well, yes and no.   I forgot to mention that the first baseball game that you’ll be playing in is akin to Game VII of the World Series, and your team isn’t favored, not nearly so.

So wait, I’m supposed to be making you feel better about the whole thing, helping you out with sage advice from someone who has seven (or is it eight?) of these shows under his belt, and that’s how I do it?  You’re probably thinking that you’ve got tons of stuff to do to get ready for the show and don’t need to listen to this crap.  And with that notion, I will offer my first tidbit of advice.  You know all of that stuff that you have to do?  Well, forget about it.  In fact, take the weekend off.  Go fishing.  Spend some time with the family.  Take naps.  Do anything, but for cripes sake don’t try and stuff a years worth of work in less than a month.  Work at a normal pace.  You’ll live longer, be happier, and the work that you do will be so much better.

But shouldn’t you be working night and day to bring as much to sell as possible?  No, not at all. Worrying about quantity is a failing strategy.  I should know, it took me years to get over it.  Believe me, if you work at a normal diligent rate, actually taking time to attend to all of those details that you know that you should, all with a normal night’s sleep, you will go to the show with plenty to sell.  How do I know that?  Because unless you are absolutely incredible, you will have plenty to sell and will likely come home with pieces to sell.  You are going into an arena, yes, an arena, with most of the top pipe makers and pipe related artisans in the world.  You will be one among 300 tables and tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of pipe things for sale.  It is the most target rich environment imaginable, and the most competitive.  You, basically, are a speck.  If you are a new artisan your work is unknown.  That’s strike one to begin with just for starters.  Okay I’ll stop there and won’t go through strikes two and three.  Instead, I’ll tell you the good news.

You will be at the finest pipe show in the world.  Nothing even comes close to comparing to The Show.  You will be surrounded by the top artisans and the top collectors.  You will also be surrounded by dealers and guys who just love to smoke a pipe.  Everyone has something to offer you.  And, I’m not talking only about sales.  Accept the fact that you may not sell a single thing.  In fact, plan on it.  In war movies they sometimes tell the ”new meat”  to accept that they are already dead,  and that if they do they will do just fine.  Do the same and accept that you will not sell a single thing.  Nothing.  Nada.  Zip.  I mean, really accept that. By all means work on the sales aspect of your craft, it is an impertant aspect, but for the show remove it as a priority,  or as a measure of success.  Then, with the issue of sales set aside, you can find the greatest value in attending the show.  Let me help you with that.

It has become popular to tell new pipe makers and artisans to look to their first Chicago show as an opportunity to showcase their work to the pipe world.  I’ve propounded that view for years.  It’s darn good advice, and is exactly why a few paragraphs back I suggested that you not rush like a madman to put together tons of pieces, most or all  of which won’t sell anyway.  If you are there to showcase your work, why would you want to be showing pieces that you rushed to throw together that are anything less than your best work.  Quantity is irrelevant. Quality is everything.  Can you honestly say that you do your best work when you are rushing like a madman?  If so, go to it, but for us mere mortals, this usually requires a dedication of adequate unrushed time.  Many artisans that I know, myself included, have looked back  at pieces after show that might have been better had we not been in a rush.  A customer won’t notice it, but we do.  And, the master pipe maker who looks at your pipes at the show, the man who you have asked for advice, will certainly notice it.  Again, since you have wisely resigned yourself to dismal sales, slow down and spend your remaining time before you leave for The Show keying in on quality and details, forgetting about quantity.  Besides, any sales that you do get will all be icing on the cake.

Of course, that’s not to say that you won’t have sales, but the odds are stacked against you.  And if you do sell out because you brought less, the word of an artisan selling out gets around quickly and is a feather in your cap.  No matter,   don’t shoot yourself in the foot.  Bring the best of what you have.  Don’t rush to finish things.  Spend your remaining days before the show working at a normal pace.  Got the point?

So, you’ve brought the best that you can do, and you may not sell everything, maybe not even a thing, so where’s the value of the whole thing?  Well, for starters,  people are afforded an opportunity to get to know know your work, seeing it firsthand as opposed just to a crappy JPEG.  They are even getting a chance to get to know you as a person.  Even if they aren’t buying they are most certainly looking.  Even watching them look at your work as they visit your table offers much to be learned.  Pipe maker Lee Erck once told me to forget about the pieces that sell and watch to which pieces are picked up the most.  A sale only tells a limited story, that the one person liked that one piece.  On the other hand, the pieces that get picked up over and over again by many, that may not sell, tell you far much much more. The “looker” may be out of money, or,  not in the market to buy, but has nonetheless told you what caught his eye and what he liked.  There is so much that can be learned if you just listen and watch.

I well remember my first shows, before I knew anyone, and all that I did was sit with groups in the evening and listen and watch.  There is so much to be learned when you offer yourself the unimpeded opportunity to do so.

Now I’ll tell you the real gem of the whole thing.  At The Show you are surrounded by people who have the knowledge and opinions that are as valuable to you as gold.  Money from sales is all fine and good, but the real long term payoff of The Show is the opportunity to talk to people, learn, and receive opinions regarding your work.  Take the opportunity to ask pipe makers to look at your work.  I’ve seen that most are more than happy to do so, flattered for the most part.  Some are very candid in their comments, others more subtle, but in any event they have so much to offer.  The same is true for dealers (dealers especially as to pricing as they have a firsthand take on what sells, and for what) and collectors and the typical pipe smoker.  All have opinions of great value if only you seek them out.

So, now you’re towards the end of the show.  I’ll assume that you aren’t an overnight sensation and you still have a  number of pipes to take home with you, if not all of them.  You can always sell them on the Internet, right?  Well, you could, but I have an even better idea.  One caveat before I impart this nugget, and that is that I’m assuming that you aren’t making and selling pipes for a living, that you are a part time artisan.  To be quite blunt, if you are  a brand new fulltime artisan and this is your first Chicago show, you may have a whole host of other problems!  This advice is predicated on the assumption that you aren’t dependant on the sale of your remaining pipes to put a roof over your head and food on the table.  That said, my advice is this:  if at the end of the show you have unsold pipes, choose people in the pipe community whose opinion you greatly value and give them a pipe. You need not give away all of your pipes, but parting with some of them in this manner may pay off for you in the end.  Why would you do this?  The bottom line is this:  if you get the attention of the right people in the pipe world, if they like your pipes and how they smoke, they can do wonders for you.  People will look at your pipes at The Show, but that only tells a limited story.  The real proof of any pipe is in the smoking.  I think that we can agree that your work can be best evaluated if it can be smoked.  You may well take the pipe and sell it down the road and make a sale, but giving that pipe to the right person, conveniently in the same room with you, may pay off in ways that you could never have imagined. 

That’s all I’ve got to say for now.  I’m sure that I’ll think of more and will update it here.  For now all I can say is to relax, work at a normal pace, and don’t sweat the show.  It’s an incredibly good time.   Best of all, you will come away from the show greatly enriched with a more full sense of the pipe community:  some for the finest folks on the globe.

Remember, if it isn’t fun, what’s the sense?

See you in the Windy City.

Just a note…

As Moxie is a rather new pursuit and a departure from past work, I’d love to know what you think.  No, I’m not looking for a pat on the back, nor am I looking to be bitch slapped.  I’m just interested in your honest opinion.  I happen to like working with briar, mammoth/ivory, and bamboo and am hoping to make a go of this, but I certainly would like to know what folks are thinking.  I know that the initial shapes are based on past shapes, and that new shapes inspired by these natural materials will be coming down the road, but for now it would be most useful if I had honest opinions as to my efforts with these materials.  I’d ask that anything that you have to say be forwarded privately via email at mingkahuna@aol.com.

 For years the direction of my craft has been in large part steered by the comments of the folks who watch, acquire, or care about my work.  Those opinions are more valuable to me than you could possibly know.  Folks know that I don’t encourage people to talk up my work on the Internet forums (some might say that I discourage it) but your comments directly to me are always most appreciated.

 Thanks so much.

A first look at Bonito Moxie

 

(shown rough carved)

 

Last Friday the first words that I thought when I awoke were “Bonito Moxie”.  I knew right then and there that it was the day to make the tamper happen.  I had been planning how to go about creating the tamp since the second week in January.

Some tampers happen with little or no forethought.  Others will take months, weeks or days of planning before the first cut is made.  With a piece like Bonito Moxie the months were justified by the extremely fine nature of the material alone.  So much had to be decided before I could begin.  Atlanta traffic jams and moonlit evenings smoking a fine cigar offered a perfect opportunity to contemplate the choices to be made.

The shape of the tamp had already been determined.  It would be a windswept Katsu variant.  The piece of ivory to be used was also determined.  I was able to slice off a piece to make Kat Moxie, and the resulting piece was perfect for Bonito.  But then, I had to decide which end would be up.  Up in the air was whether the natural bow of the material would be erased with a sanding disk or accentuated becoming a defining element of the piece (as thankfully ended up being the case).  I had to decide where I would begin on the piece gauging the width of the scallops and how the natural concavity of the material would be dealt with.  Would I use the whole piece of ivory or would I shorten it a bit?  And, what would the tamper surface be: brass, wood, or virgin ivory?  So much had to be decided before last Friday morning could happen, and some of it had to wait until I had already begun.  The decision to go with a briar tamp surface came along late in the game.  Some decisions have to be made as you go with the flow.  Other decisions need to be made beforehand to create the flow.

So, what you see above is Bonito Moxie after rough carving and prior to sanding.  At 4.39 inches she’s a lot of tamper and a lot of ivory, be it mammoth or otherwise.  The photo tends to exaggerate the lower portion of the tamp but the windswept scallops above are really quite striking, about as good as it gets.  You may note that the piece sort of drapes over the arm of the couch, and that is because I have taken the natural bow of the material and incorporated it into the piece.  The bend to the tusk is preserved in the shape that I have imposed upon it, softening the human touch.  As of right now I can unqualifiedly say that I have never created anything that even approaches the beauty of this piece.  I suspect that I may well look back on my career and see this as a peek of sorts, one that I would like to maintain for many years to come.

The only difficulty that I’m having is getting up the resolve to sell it.  I’ve had difficulty mustering the resolve to sell pieces before, but never such as this where even the thought of a sale saddens me.  Maybe ultimately the price tag for Bonito Moxie will take care of that issue, but for now I am both looking forward the magical transformation of sanding and buffing, and at the same time dreading it as the decision to actually sell Bonito Moxie may be impossible to make.  If you could hold this tamper in your hand and view it from all angles you would understand exactly what I’m talking about.  I’m sharing this photo with you so you will begin to understand how a tamper could make me so happy and downright miserable, all at the same time. 

NOTE: In response to numerous inquiries, the anticpated price of this tamper will be between $900 and $1100.    

Moxie has wood.

As some of you may know, I have been working with briar since early 1998.  I first started out as an amateur pipe maker making kit pipes, and then moved to tampers.  The very first tampers that I made were from scraps left over from my pipe making exploits.  Over the years my briar and other wood tampers have been seen from time to time, but most of my efforts have been in synthetic materials.  Much of my work with briar in recent years has been as an amateur pipe maker and a number of tampers, most never seen on the site selling beforehand.  Now as my efforts with briar really take off in earnest with Moxie, the contrasts with working with synthetics like acrylic acetate are numerous and interesting to note.

First off, compared to hard acrylics, working briar is like cutting butter.  Where I use tool speeds of up to 30,000 RPMs (to the utter amazement of a pipe maker friend of mine) this is not the case with briar.  With acrylic speed is used to compensate for the hardness of the material.  Less pressure need be applied so a finer touch can be used.  Further, with briar at those speeds little is gained and the wood tends to burn quite dramatically.  So, with briar being so much softer I can slow my Dremel down to well under 5000 RPM and let the course drums do the work with a minimum of pressure applied.  Applying too much pressure with a tool leads to poor execution and mistakes.  The secret is to find the proper proportions between tool speed, cutting ability of the tool, and the hardness/nature of the material.  Briar is a material that offers a nice light mix that isn’t too hard on the hands and the tools.

One place where briar and acrylics differ is in terms of the working properties.  When I carve briar there is basically a one-to-one correlation between application of the tool and the material loss.  The result of applying the tool to the material is controlled and very consistent.  Yes, sometimes trying to carve against a pattern can be a bit tricky, or attempting to create a concave or convex surface, but all in all the tool does what you would expect it to do with the type and amount of pressure applied.  With briar the correlation can be less than perfect.  Sometimes the results can be quite different than those intended.  I suspect part of it having to do with variable graining and hardness and hitting different areas at different times.  It’s very hard to describe, but one must constantly be evaluating the result of each stroke rather than having a bit of a buffer, or a comfort zone.  Ivory is much the same way as briar, but that is a subject for another time.

Sanding is another difference.  No matter what material you are using, going to buffing too soon is the kiss of death for a finish.  That said, some materials require different amounts of sanding before one goes to buffing.  With acrylic and ivory/mammoth I sand to 1500 grit before the piece even gets near a buffer and end up giving it a 2000 grit going over at a key point in the buffing process.  With briar that is, for the most part, overkill.  I’m happy to go to buffing after 1000 to 1500 grit, and even the that is a bit much.  800 would be just fine.  The key is to sand adequately at each prior stage at say, 120, 220, 320, 400, and 600.  If the piece has been sanded to the maximum with each of those grits, the 800 stage will offer a perfect platform for any finish obtained through buffing.  

Finally, I would also note that a rough carved briar tamper looks very different from a rough acrylic tamper.  Acrylic can be carved to a very fine finish with successively finer grit sanding drums, but briar goes into sanding in a much more coarse condition.  There is only so smooth that you can get briar prior to sanding, and it isn’t nearly as smooth as acrylic.  But, to make up for that differential, I find briar to be much more easily sanded with the ability to do more shaping in the sanding stage.  This variance allows for a greatly different experience when working with briar as opposed to synthetics. 

So, there you have it.  While my emphasis on briar and other natural materials is recent, my experience working with these materials is not.  If you come back to the Ming site a little later today you will see the first completed briar tampers offered for sale. (the first piece, “Arcanum” Moxie, sold off of the blog unfinished).  With these first pieces you will see some Ming and KazeTamp shapes as a demonstration that I can bring briar to virtually all of my past shapes.  That said, I will also say that to me the most exciting part lies in the new shapes that these natural materials will inspire.  Time will tell.