Hi there! I'm Pipe Mike or Pipes4Mike Tampers and Turnings. I've been collecting pipes for about 17 years, and enjoy smoking them while relaxing on a cool evening, or taking a break when working in my shop. My favorite tobacco is a latakia blend, and have some pipes dedicated to such, and others purely for my aromatics, as well as some dedicated to my burleys, while others are solely enjoyed with vapor blends.

My pipe collection is rather small at 26 compared to others, which number in the hundreds - or more. I have Savinelli's, Petersons, Butz Choquin, Meerschaum, Dr. Grabow, a couple hand mades, and even a few with no names. They each have a purpose, and all of them smoke well, while some smoke wonderfully - and soon, I'll begin expanding my collection of smokeable art.

I've been in the business of making custom, hand crafted pipe tampers professionally for over a year now, and have done pretty well since Pipes4Mike Tampers & Turnings started out as a hobby. I have several repeat customers, which is a sign that my work is well received. Pipes4Mike strives to make sure each one is meticulously assembled, and each and every part of the tampers are hand shaped by me.

I use many types of exotic woods such as Ebony, Cocobolo, Bubinga, Zebrawood, and Bethlehem Olivewood as well as many different types of burl woods. White Tailed Deer antler is sometime used as an insert to my tampers that are crafted from the various wood materials. It adds a very nice touch of class and really sets off the grain patterns in them. I also enjoy using Lucite materials for their intriguing swirls and varying patterns. There are so many color styles or Lucite to choose from at Pipe Makers Emporium, and it's so much fun to make various shapes with the different acrylic medium combinations. My tamper feet are available in aluminum or brass, which can be either a satin finish, or buffed to a high gloss shine. Pipe Makers Emporium shines when it comes to finishing products as well - their service just can't be beat, and they're all so nice to work with!

I've also begun crafting wine stoppers and pour-through spouts for your Scotch, Whiskey, Tequila or other fine spirits. These pieces are made of the same materials as the pipe tampers - only with larger sizes, and have a variety of different stopper options. It's so nice to sit down and enjoy a favorite pipe with a buddy, use a hand crafted pipe tamper, and be able to imbibe in a nice glass of Scotch, from which the bottle displays a beautiful, hand turned pour-through spout which may match your tamper, or simply compliment it.

The pipe tampers, as well as the different bottle stoppers are available on my website, and can be custom ordered if anyone would like to pick and choose their shape, size, and materials. Custom orders are great fun, and sometimes very challenging. Although I'm not a "natural," by any means, when it comes to art - I love the aspect of creating something truly unique, one-of-a-kind, and beautiful that will passed down as part of pipe collections to future generations of hobbyists.

Please visit the website at www.Pipes4Mike.com to see our selection of gorgeous pipe tampers, and beautiful bottle stoppers. You won't be disappointed!

We had a great time at the West Coast Pipe Show. You can see some pictures on my home page at: www.pipemakers.org