Happy Holidays 2018

It’s the morning of Christmas Eve 2018, and as I sit down to enjoy a bowl of Haunted Bookshop with some fresh brewed coffee, it occurs to me that it has been too long since I wrote anything for you. I had great intentions when I started writing at the beginning of 2018, and for a while I was able to keep up the pace. But life never goes exactly as planned.

This has been a busy year in the shop. I am grateful for the many customers who have trusted us to repair and refurbish their pipes and I hope that we have delivered results that have made you happy that you choose CaneRodPipes. In addition to the pipe restoration work, we have had several other projects going culminating in a still planned overhaul of the shop space. More on that below. And my “day job” has been keeping me busier than I recall in many years. This is a good thing too because it means that the specter of layoffs, a common occurrence in my field these days, has retreated. And there have been the inevitable problems with personal and family health (I wish I had listened to my grandfather when he told me that I should never get old). But I’m happy to report that all are well as we move into the New Year.

For the blog, the plan remains the same, just with less frequent updates. I will complete the “What is a Pipe” series this year. All that remains is a chapter on briar, which has been outlined and researched, and a final summary. I’ll probably be writing a bit more on tobacco, and have some thoughts on a few interview type installments. For the YouTube channel, I like the way that things have evolved and will keep the weekly chats as is. The shop videos are always popular and many of you have asked for more. Unfortunately these videos take a lot of time to do well, and it is just not feasible to plan on a weekly shop video. But fear not, as unique or interesting challenges come along I will be sure to record them for the channel. I’ve also been flirting with the idea of an occasional live stream since these have become very popular in the YTPC. If I do this, I would want the focus to remain on pipe work, so I’m not sure yet how to pull it off. Suggestions are always welcome.

In the shop, I am planning a major reorganization that will involve building a run of benches and shelves along one wall that will centralize all the pipe work, new lighting through the whole shop, and an overhaul of some of the existing machines (bearing replacements etc.). In addition, I have been building a sanding wheel station that will finally allow me to do some proper pipe carving. I have no plans of selling pipes anytime soon (if ever). It will be a long road to reach the point where the quality of anything I make will be worth anyone’s hard earned cash. I see this more as a natural extension of what I have been doing. Taking what I have learned about the engineering of pipes over years of repair work and applying it to pipe design. It is a way for me to experiment with ideas and learn from the results. And I will be sharing the experience on both the blog and my YouTube channel.

So my friends, I sincerely hope that you will all come along with me on this adventure. I am very grateful for the the business, support, and friendship that you have provided over the past year and will look forward to continuing our relationship in the New Year. I wish you and your family a very merry Christmas (or holiday that you prefer) and New Year filled with health and happiness.

Mike.