Thomas J. Lips Pipeworks

It’s been a while sense I’ve posted a new pipe. It’s not that
I haven’t been working on anything, rather I made this pipe
and I love it. I’ve spent all my “pipe time” smoking this pipe
instead of posting it up here. I made this pipe back in early
December with Christmas in mind. This pipe has an “old world”
feel to it. I’m enjoying walking around the neighbourhood
with my dog Samantha, smoking this pipe, and thinking of
warmer months ahead.

$190.00 US

Mid June I went to the best place in the Northern Hemisphere, Whistler BC. I went up there with a very good friend of mine “Joe from Poulsbo” maybe you know him. We spent a day riding our mountain bikes at the world famous Whistler bike park, and neither of us had to go to the clinic! After a long day we left the mountain to set up camp at a near by campground. After a delicious dinner consisting of two cup o’ noodles each we got down to the evenings entertainment. Joe had bought two expensive English beers, and I brought some of my own blended tobacco, and we proceeded to drink what can only be described as liquid pleasure, smoke our pipes, listen to the near by river rush by our campsite, and discuss what ever came into our very tired minds.

I made this pipe with that weekend in mind. It has a very deep bowl   2 3/16″ which allows for a great long smoke. The Briar stummel fills my whole hand. I used Wenge for the band and inlay. And Cherry for the stem which will take on a dark redish brown color over time. I’d be glad to make one for you too.

$210.00 US

Living in the Pacific Northwest I see mountains regularly, but the one that most grabs my attention is Mt. Saint Helen's. On clear days I see it on my trip to work and back. What amazes me the most about that mountain isn't the destructive force that cut it in half back in the 80's, but rather the rate in which it's rebuilding it's self now. I guess I'll sit here, pipe in hand and watch the rebuilding process.

$160.00 US 

I made this pipe out of Jatoba because I wanted to see how difficult it would be to carve a pipe out of a wood that is twice as heavy as Oak. And I'm here to tell tell you there's a reason Briar is the choice of pipe makers, not Jatoba! That said, this is a very nice pipe to hold and smoke. But from here on it will only be made from Briar.

$130.00 US 

I recently spent an evening with my wife and a couple of old friends in our back yard smoking pipes, sippin’ Jack Daniel’s and discussing Theology and church history. The nice thing about old friends, even with the passage of time, and the separation by miles, when you get together again it’s like you start up right where you left off. I have a tendency to place sentimental value on objects. This pipe has taken on the memory of that evening. Now when I smoke it I smile and remember an evening I got to spend with my friends, and I look forward to a time when we can get together again.

Of all my pipes this is the one I spend the most time with. It’s a shorter Churchwarden than the “Captured egg”, about 10″ in length. I think the thing I like the most about this pipe is the contrast between the polished body and the natural, untouched crown. It mimics my life – I’m polished in areas but I’m pretty rough around the edges.

$150.00 US

This is the first pipe I made. This is my "outdoor" pipe. Not that I smoke any of my pipes in the house, but when I picture myself away from the city I have this pipe in my hand. I enjoy walking through the woods with my dog Samantha and smoking this pipe. I will take my kayak, bible, and this pipe and paddle up the Columbia to "my log" on Government Island. In that place I find a great escape from the distractions of my life.

$130.00 US 

This Leaf is the second generation of this design. The stem is diamond shaped where it meets the Briar. This allows for delicate ribs to run from the stem to the bowl making it a pleasure to hold and view. This was the first pipe I was commissioned to make. My employer saw one that I had that was similar to this one and asked me to make some changes to the shape and size. This pipe was the end result. The original pipe, the one my employer first saw resides in Tennessee with a good friend. Take good care of it Kirby.

$190 US

My neighbors have referred to me as Gandalf while smoking this pipe. At 12" in length this is an extremely comfortable pipe to smoke. While sitting at my picnic table the pipe rest in the hand with no thought of positioning, it's just there.

This pipe is made from Sapele, a beautiful wood harvested in Brazil. While I enjoy the look of the wood I wouldn't do another pipe in this wood. The grain is to straight and prone to splitting (which this one did). But the shape of the "Captured egg" is a very nice shape and a real challenge to carve.

$180.00 US