In my (other) professional life, I’m a briar cutter – running Romeo Briar in Taggia, Italy. Since the age of 18 I have worked in the briar mill where my father gave me the skills and experience, and today I know quite a lot about cutting perfect blocks for pipe making. The right block is a vital part of pipe making, but there is quite a process from the raw block to the final pipe. My good friend - the Danish pipe maker, Teddy Knudsen - taught me the techniques of pipe making – how to drill the smoke chamber, how to make the stem and mouthpiece, how to stain etc. Teddy also taught me the basics about shapes and style. A fusion of the knowledge and experience I got from Teddy and my father mixed with my oven enthusiasm and many hours of hard work brought me to this point in my life where I finally will consider myself a pipe maker. Click to view briar video I love to work with the briar and it’s always a challenge to find the pipe in the block that will satisfy both the eye and hand and the expectations of a good smoking-tool. The biggest thrill is that no two blocks of briar are alike. It’s fantastic to work with briar that I cut myself, maybe 3 tears ago - and to know that someone out there some day will enjoy and treasure my work.