Thomas James Pipes
Handmade Briar Tobacco Smoking Pipes
Email with comments or questions:
thomas@thomasjamespipes.com
Thomas James handshapes his drill bits to get the tobacco chamber exactlly perfect.
A Freehand with natural plateau bowl top.  The
hand cut black acrylic stem is next to be shaped.  
Sanding will bring the pipe to a more refined shape
before rustication.
Tobacco pipe bowl in rough form.
Can you invision the finished stem?
The micro lathe is holding 7/8 inch acyrlic rod, cutting has begun.
Shaping the pipe tobacco bowl is done before the stem is cut.
Creating a decorative ring made
out of mammoth ivory:
Above: A before and after shot all in one.  
The ring starts as a block of ivory, then it is
shaped down into it's target thickness and
applied to the acrylic rod during the stem
cutting process.  Below: Stages of creating a
decorative ring.
Handcut drill bits used for drilling tobacco chambers.
Sanding disc used to shape briar pipes.
Tools of the pipemaking trade:  Sanding disc used to contour the briar blocks into traditional pipe forms and freehand
smokers.  Thomas James also hand shapes the bits used for drilling the pipe tobacco chambers. A Micro Lathe is utilized
for cutting the stem work.
A micro lathe used to cut and shape cast acrylic and cumberland rods for stem work.
Repaired Antique
Meerschaum Tobacco Pipe
This antique Meerschaum Tobacco Pipe
belonged to the grandfather of a friend of
Thomas James.  It was in an unsmokable
condition, so the pipemaker handturned a
new curly maple stem and handcut a new
mouthpiece out of black cast acrylic rod.  
Although it is not historically correct, it  
will make for a much better smoke.
Antique Meerschaum restored pipe with curly maple military mount.
3 piece pipe - hand cut mouthpiece, curly maple stem, and antique merschaum bowl.
Repaired Meerschaum tobacco pipe with two tins of McCelland's Christmas Cheer.
Workbench features XL Billiard, Bulldog, and Oliphant in black and white.
The Oliphant, full of grace and a button that is impecable.
The handcut stem is in rough form.
Hand carving pipes takes a little time to get them just right.
Underside of the Oliphant.
Getting a little bit more refined...
Compare the stem of this picture and the one above.
The XL Billiard, Bulldog, and Oliphant on the workbench.
Thomas James handcut Cumberland stem belonging to nosewarmer #5110
Cumberland stem handcut by
Thomas James. This mouthpiece
accompanies a rusticated
nosewarmer. Click on the pipe
mouthpiece to see more details
and pictures of the stem.
Thomas James Pipes - American handmade briar smoking pipes.
Small Freehand pipe is just over 4 inches long. The Hawkbill Hatchling is almost 5 inches long.
PA pipemaker Thomas James holding the Small Freehand with a pipe cleaner.
Small tobacco pipes on Thomas James work bench.
The shape of the Freehand rim was inspired by fellow pipemaker Bil Shalosky from Columbus, OH
Fancy cut black acrylic mouthpiece in the final stages of James' pipemaking.
On the Bench...
You need Java to see this applet.
Get a glimpse of upcoming available pipes, custom orders being completed,
or repairs and restorations.  Some pipe carving steps are also revealed.
Pennsylvania pipemaker Thomas James began a group of small-sized smoking pipes. Due to many requests for
smaller sized pipes as custom orders, the pipe artisan handmade a couple of elegant pipes less than 5 inches in length
and 2 inches in height.  The bottom pipe pictured turned out to be a Baby Blackhawk
These tobacco pipes fit nicely in your
hand, are very light in the mouth, and still
have an adequate sized tobacco chamber
for smoking your favorite pipe tobacco
blend.  The pictures show the rough
stages of the handcarving pipe procedure.
 Notice the Small Freehand with black
acrylic fancy cut stem in formation, and a
Baby Hawkbill with the acrylic
mouthpiece uncut.
The rim of this Small Freehand was inspired by the works of pipe artisan
Bill Shalosky.  Bill is a friend and fellow pipemaker out of Columbus, OH.