Welcome to Briar Books Press
Fine books for the pipeman
Expectations for 2012 and Beyond
Dear Pipeman,
Keeping my promise to you, The History of the Calabash Pipe, Second Edition, has been realized, is in stock now, and ready to sell for the fast approaching holiday season. I hope you appreciate the effort that went into the effort. All modesty aside, if you think making a fine briar pipe is hard, try producing a book of such magnitude. Seriously though, this is a book about pipes which all pipemen will find a real treat even if you rarely smoke the gourd calabash because it's a great pipe story and pipemen of all shapes and sizes need more good stories about pipes these days.
For those of you on the Briar Books Press mailing list, around December 1st you'll receive by post a neat little booklet of our complete list of titles. In it you'll see two startling works we're planning on releasing in 2012. First, and probably out in time for the Chicagoland Pipe Show in May, is Scandinavian Pipemakers by Jan Andersson. Andersson's first work, Bo Nordh, Pipemaker, was published a few years ago by us and was well received by the pipe-collecting community. This new title is 10 times better. It will be the be-all end-all work, the ultimate guide to everything Nordic there is to briar. In fact, the stories of 60 carvers are covered in the fine photographic display Andersson is known for. This work has been a massive literary undertaking, with no one better able to capture the spirit of these dedicated craftsmen than archetype-Nordic pipeman, Jan Andersson, co-founder of the Pipe Club of Sweden. Even if all you smoke are Ashtons or Kaywoodies (bless you) you'll want to get into this story, so rich in the telling by Andersson.
The other book is an enigma of sorts. I won't reveal a publisher's trade secrets other than to say that noted collector, pipeman, and blogger Neal Archer Roan has chosen Briar Books Press to publish his Magnum Opus, A Passion for Pipes. As yet there is no release date, but I suspect it will be readied for the holidays. I will go so far as to say that what Hacker's Ultimate Guide was in the 1980s and '90s, Roan's work will be for perhaps the next 15-20 years. And dude, there is no one in the coterie as skilled as Roan is at writing, photographing, and telling his story so gently and empirically, and all with just the Queen's 26 letters available to him.
Beyond 2012? That's spooky, possums. Perchance I've bitten off more than I can chew. We'll see. I'm guessing I'll be two years late. It's Kaywoodie; I've undertaken to write the history of this storied American brand. Wish me luck!
Visit with me next at the West Coast Pipe Show in Las Vegas, November 5-6 and then Chicagoland in May.
Thank you for your continued patronage. And as always, I am at your service.
Best wishes,
Gary B. Schrier
Pipeman & Publisher
Keeping my promise to you, The History of the Calabash Pipe, Second Edition, has been realized, is in stock now, and ready to sell for the fast approaching holiday season. I hope you appreciate the effort that went into the effort. All modesty aside, if you think making a fine briar pipe is hard, try producing a book of such magnitude. Seriously though, this is a book about pipes which all pipemen will find a real treat even if you rarely smoke the gourd calabash because it's a great pipe story and pipemen of all shapes and sizes need more good stories about pipes these days.
For those of you on the Briar Books Press mailing list, around December 1st you'll receive by post a neat little booklet of our complete list of titles. In it you'll see two startling works we're planning on releasing in 2012. First, and probably out in time for the Chicagoland Pipe Show in May, is Scandinavian Pipemakers by Jan Andersson. Andersson's first work, Bo Nordh, Pipemaker, was published a few years ago by us and was well received by the pipe-collecting community. This new title is 10 times better. It will be the be-all end-all work, the ultimate guide to everything Nordic there is to briar. In fact, the stories of 60 carvers are covered in the fine photographic display Andersson is known for. This work has been a massive literary undertaking, with no one better able to capture the spirit of these dedicated craftsmen than archetype-Nordic pipeman, Jan Andersson, co-founder of the Pipe Club of Sweden. Even if all you smoke are Ashtons or Kaywoodies (bless you) you'll want to get into this story, so rich in the telling by Andersson.
The other book is an enigma of sorts. I won't reveal a publisher's trade secrets other than to say that noted collector, pipeman, and blogger Neal Archer Roan has chosen Briar Books Press to publish his Magnum Opus, A Passion for Pipes. As yet there is no release date, but I suspect it will be readied for the holidays. I will go so far as to say that what Hacker's Ultimate Guide was in the 1980s and '90s, Roan's work will be for perhaps the next 15-20 years. And dude, there is no one in the coterie as skilled as Roan is at writing, photographing, and telling his story so gently and empirically, and all with just the Queen's 26 letters available to him.
Beyond 2012? That's spooky, possums. Perchance I've bitten off more than I can chew. We'll see. I'm guessing I'll be two years late. It's Kaywoodie; I've undertaken to write the history of this storied American brand. Wish me luck!
Visit with me next at the West Coast Pipe Show in Las Vegas, November 5-6 and then Chicagoland in May.
Thank you for your continued patronage. And as always, I am at your service.
Best wishes,
Gary B. Schrier
Pipeman & Publisher
