Steve Weiner 1999 Partially Sandblasted Liverpool w/ Ivorite Estate Briar Pipe, American Estates

Description

Steve Weiner was an American artisan based in Cleveland, Ohio. While Weiner first began experimenting with pipe-making in 1989, his development as an artisan radically progressed after spending time learning from American master Mike Butera in the subsequent year. By 1994, he had won the coveted Pipe Maker of the Year award from the Conclave of Richmond Pipe Smokers (CORPS)—not just once, but twice. Weiner established himself throughout the 1990s as one of America’s finest artisans, with his sudden passing in 2002 being a profound loss for the pipe community.

Scandinavian pipe historian Jacob Groth talks about how, in post-war Denmark, there were entire “schools” of pipe makers whose styles and techniques could be connected to a central “teacher” figure. There were those pipe makers who had studied under Sixten Ivarsson, for example, and those who had studied under Poul Rasmussen; a few years down the line, there were, similarly, pipe makers who had worked under Former at WO Larsen, and others who had worked for Preben Holm. Though artisan pipe making has become much more international, and design philosophies have cross-pollenated far more than they used to be able to, one could still make the case that a similar phenomenon occurs in American pipe making, even toward (and, indeed, after) the end of the 20th century. One might speak of a “Todd Johnson school,” for example, especially given how prolific he’s been as a mentor to contemporary American artisans. Though he didn’t have quite as many students, another reasonable example would be Mike Butera. If one looks at the pipes of, say, Michael Frey, Larry Roush, and Premal Chheda, there are varying degrees of Butera’s influence that can be felt in their pipes. Steve Weiner is another pipe maker whose work strongly evokes his mentor, Butera, and he and Frey were likely the closest in style. This pipe from Weiner’s last years has much of the heft, height, and hybridity in form found in Butera’s work, as well as the more subdued approach to sandblast finishing seen in the latter’s Vintage series. That’s not to say it’s derivative, of course, rather that there’s a certain pedigree and family resemblance to it, with the quality of its construction following suit. One could go further, in fact, and argue that a line can be drawn from a pipe like this one, through Butera, right the way to Castello’s Great Line pipes. Does this one belong to a Carlo Scotti School or a Mike Butera school? A difficult question. Is it an excellent pipe? Much easier: yes.

The condition is very good. Some rim darkening and a little finish fading.

Details:

Length: 6.0″ / 152.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.79 / 20.06mm

Bowl Depth: 1.73″ / 43.94mm

Weight: 1.8oz / 52g