The Pipe Maker

My name is Ron Fairchild and I live in the greater Houston, Texas, area.  With over 25 years in creating Fairchild handmade smoking pipes, I am dedicated to providing my customers with a meticulously crafted pipe that delivers an exceptionally good smoke.

My annual production is only 80 pipes due to the attention to detail I give to each creation throughout the pipe making process.  I personally select the finest Greek and Italian briar for my pipes.  I then determine the best design for each block of briar and work it to achieve the highest quality possible. 

There are no fills in my pipes.  In fact, there are not even sandpits as I discard the briar if the finishing process does not eliminate them.  Also, there is no charcoal coating to the interior of the bowl as I want my customers to know exactly what they are buying.

My pipes are handsanded to 400 - 500 grit.  For the smooth finishes, 3 to 4 different stains are applied and then taken off.  The final stain application is buffed and waxed.  Each pipe is finished with carnauba wax, no lacquers or chemicals. This ensures that the pipe breathes naturally and thus gives the best smoking experience possible.

Canadians are a specialty of mine.  Their average shank length is 3 inches.  4-inch lengths are really good pieces.  Rare lengths of 5 to 6 inches sometimes require that even part of the briar tree trunk is included. Be sure to see my current selection (and note the rare set below).

I enjoy traveling and, when possible, tours of pipe factories are on my itinerary.  I have visited Charatan, Mill Ville, Ferndown, and James Upshall in England.  Of course, I always strive to pick up a trick or two during these tours!

Ron at the Romeo Briar Mill
in Taggia, Italy

SET of CANADIANS
Made in 1984