In 2006, I bought my first pipe and was immediately obsessed. The following years were spent studying briar pipes, especially the Danish and Japanese aesthetic, collecting all that I could while I pursued a career as a freelance designer for live theatre. While I loved what I was doing at the time, briar was calling to me.
In 2010, I ordered a few blocks of briar and several preform
stems. With simple and limited tooling, I shaped the pipe and carved every hole by hand. It took me a little over two years to make a pipe for the first time, but by the end I was hooked.
Moving to Durham, NC in 2014, I shifted to a career making luxury briar pipes and never looked back. I am honored to have received a number of awards for my work and to have studied with several acclaimed pipe makers, including Jeff Gracik, Joao Reis, Tom Eltang, Per Hansen, Ulf Noltensmier, Hans “Former” Nielsen, and Nanna Ivarsson.
Today, I can be found in my workshop at the Liberty Arts Sculpture Studio pursuing my passion for making the finest briar pipes available and teaching what I’ve learned to the next generation of pipe makers.
Register for your spot in one of my classes here:
Liberty Arts Classes
Working at my passion every day is one of the great joys in my life.
I hope my work will bring added joy to yours.
