Mike Ameling Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 (edited) Here's a pic of the latest batch of sheet iron pipes. These were hammered up cold using a V-shaped trough in the end of an oak block to start them. And then hammered around a re-worked punch for an inside mandrel to true up the bowl portion. I form them as a long tapered cone, then bend the bowl part and trim the edges. The tricky part is to bend the bowl enough to narrow it down to help keep the tobacco in it, while not kinking it too tight so that it pinches off the draw. The seam up the side is not soldered. I gave it an initial bead of elmer's glue to help seal it. In use it will gunk up naturally from the inside, and seal itself. They are a fun project to ... tinker with. And historically they date from the early/mid 1600's on up into the early to mid 1800's - in sheet iron and in sheet brass. You can see the clay versions at most Living History events and sites, but seldom see the sheet iron versions. In use they do heat up a bit, but not much more than the clay pipes. The little ... projects ... we play around with... Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands Edited May 17, 2009 by Mike Ameling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 (edited) That is really neat. I had no Idea that there was any such thing as sheet metal pipes. I knew about clay, and of course various woods. I've see what I thought were cast brass hokas but sheet metal, let alone Iron!!! I learn the darndest stuff here. :) Edited May 18, 2009 by Charlotte spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 those are nice! wgat gague metal are you useing? and what price do you sell um for? we probably dont have the same coustomers but ide like to be in the ballpark... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quenchcrack Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 OUCH! those have got to be too hot to hold onto when actually being smoked! I smoked conventional pipes for years and one has to learn how to gently draw the pipe or even wood or clay will become very hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Ameling Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 (edited) I ran across these sheet iron and sheet brass pipes while searching for other historical fur trade era iron work to replicate. Like so many things, once I found one, I started to find others in books and museums. Yes, they are in the same general shape as those clay pipes so many people are familiar with in Living History circles. But they started showing up in the early/mid 1600's down in the Tunica Indian village sites along the Gulf Coast of Georgia and Alabama. Then I found some brass examples in a museum in Upstate New York - from a mid/late 1600's Seneca Indian village site. And one still had remnants of cattail leaf wrapped around the stem! Then there were examples in Maryland dated to 1725, around the Great Lakes from the late 1600's up into the early 1800's, late 1700's in the upper Ohio River valley, and even an account in Minnesota near present day Mankato at a Fort Huiler dated 1700. Some French officer was trying to negotiate a truce/treaty between two Indian tribes, and brought ... presents. I make these up from some "scraps" of about 20 gauge steel. The "scraps" are from the cut-out on a steel house door for where the mail slot goes. I use the sanding/flap disk on my angle grinder to sand/grind off the baked on paint coating. So the sheet ends up being slightly thinner than 20 gauge by the time I get down to bare metal on both sides. The scraps are free, and work well. I cut the pattern out using a Beverly B-2 shear, clean up the sharp edges, and then start hammering. Yes, they can and do rust. But they also develop that nice old iron patina with time and handling. Yes, they can get HOT in use. But so can the clay pipes just like them. So you do need to develop your own method of holding them. A friend puts that "sailor graffiti" on them - fancy knot work and needle hitching. It works well to insulate things, and makes them really stand out. Others just put a couple wraps of leather thong around the stem by the bowl. The other thing friends keep mentioning to me is how they DON'T BREAK like the clay pipes do all too easily when you drop them on the stone floor! I sell them for: $20 for the pipe bowls for use with a reed stem, $25 for the regular length stem pipes, and $35 for the long stem versions. Kyle Willyard the knife maker usually has a number along when he goes to the CLA show (Contemporary Longrifle Association). And he also has them on his web site - but for a higher price. Last year he sold out the first day. I offer dealers a $5 per pipe wholesale discount on quantity orders - from my normal retail price. In my photo gallery, I have another picture or two - including one with the simple pattern. I ain't worried about any ... competition ... on these. I know the work involved, and anybody willing to do that work has my blessings. Plus there's no great secret to them. Most anybody can figure out a pattern for making them with a little thought and tinkering. Plus you can't get a Patent on anything so old. But I do need to pick up some brass sheet, and start making a few from that. Of course, I expect to have to anneal the brass at least once, if not more often during the hammering to shape. It's a fun project. And this November I will be talking some participants through hammering up their own version - at the annual NAVC Fall Conference near Madison Wisconsin - North American Voyageur Council. I hope I know what I'm getting myself into ... Just another little item to help keep me from having to ask you if "... you want fries with that?" Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands Edited May 18, 2009 by Mike Ameling bad spellin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Very cool Mike, thanks for sharing. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Ameling Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 I don't have a caliper or feeler gauge, but the original sheet iron is around 1/16 inch thick. The scraps measure 2 1/8 by 8 5/16 inches. Out of each piece I can cut 3 pipe bowl patterns, or two regular length pipe patterns, or one long-stem pipe pattern. The long-stem pattern is the same as the regular stem pattern, just extended out the full length of the metal piece. The regular pattern runs from each end and runs up to where the flair for the bowl starts on the other pattern piece. So you only really need one pattern. Just cut it off for the length of pipe you want to make. 2 1/2 inches long for just the pipe bowl, 6 1/2 inches long for the regular stem pipe, and 8 1/4 inches long for the long stem version. Here's the thumbnail link to that pattern pic. Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands p.s. And here you thought ... larnin history ... ended with grade school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azIRonSmith Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 OMG, I read the title and my mind went to a different place. Looking at those I saw golf club "irons" made of pipe and thought wow, those are neat old fashioned golf clubs!!! Is that how they made them way back then? LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Ameling Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 I've never looked at golf clubs - either new or old. So I would not know how they were originally made. I see "golf" as a 4-letter word. Know why they called it "golf"? Because all the GOOD 4-letter words were already taken! Mikey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Budd Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I've seen your pipes here (I think?) before, very cool objects! Do you know if they are seen elsewhere in the world other than the US? I'm guessing Holland for some reason, but not being a smoker I haven't thought about them before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Gotta agree with you on golf Mike. I never did understand "pasture pool" myself. Finnr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Ameling Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 I've seen your pipes here (I think?) before, very cool objects! Do you know if they are seen elsewhere in the world other than the US? I'm guessing Holland for some reason, but not being a smoker I haven't thought about them before. Well, they were made for trade to the Indians here in North America. So they would have originally been made over in Europe somewhere. The ones that were found down in the Tunica Indian village sites on the Gulf Coast were associated with a French colony and traders. Those found up at the Seneca Indian sites were trading with both France and the Dutch out of their colony of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island - before the British conquered it and renamed it New York. Around the Great Lakes was mostly French trade goods - even after the British won the 7-Years war and took over Canada from France. They still use French trade goods, or made their own based upon French goods. So the Dutch/French/Flanders areas are the most likely original source of them as "trade goods". Now, I keep hearing stories about them also being "sailor's" pipes. Don't have any specific documentation, but I hear it often. Early 1600's on up into the early 1800's is a long time for them to be traded here in North America. Yet they never were as popular or wide-spread as the various clay pipes. Another little ... detail ... lost to history. Mikey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt87 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I've seen your pipes here (I think?) before, very cool objects! BCUK probably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Gotta agree with you on golf Mike. I never did understand "pasture pool" myself. Finnr aha the "fun " of hitting a little ball into a little hole in the ground! actually i figure blacksmithing is a good compliment to golfing ... bolth look easy if your just watching and bolth take a long time to get good at... and ya i golf but will never be as good at it as blacksmithing ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
781 Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Too bad Mike is also now lost to history He was a wealth of information QUOUTE Early 1600's on up into the early 1800's is a long time for them to be traded here in North America. Yet they never were as popular or wide-spread as the various clay pipes. Another little ... detail ... lost to history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Too bad Mike is also now lost to history He was a wealth of information Did something happen to him?? Sorry, I've been out of touch and pre-occupied for a spell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkunkler Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 (edited) Yes, Sad to say. http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/mike-ameling-dies-15229/ Edited November 19, 2009 by dkunkler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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