how many of these pipes are still made?

[Pete VanderLaan]

This is a 20 year old observation from the archives and I wondered how useful it is today?
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While at the G.A.S. conference I bought a selection of Pipes and Punties.
I like the Cutting Edge Special. They work great. No bends. Had students do some early on overheating of the pipe and threw a little scale. Learned to watch in order not to over heat the pipes. Much better now. Good matching punty.
Pipe from Palmer. Lighter weight. Easy to blow. Rubber handle is a good change. Matching punty is great. Light weight but strong.
Pipe from CRMachine. I do not remember the call number for the pipe. Really very good. Ligher weight. Bit shorter. Student did get a slight bend in the head. Step Down matching punty is great. Nice handle.
Pipe from HUB. Not sure of model # either. I really like this one. Great weight and easy to blow. I like the head length. Punty is prone to rust.
Two small straight punties from Sprial Arts are great. Ran out of the $$ to get a Sprial Arts pipe.
Ordering a Steinart as I received a gift certificate for my birthday.

I was just wondering what people were using and what they like. I looked at the archives and saw a couple of folks are making their own as well.

[Victor Chiarizia]

i loved cutting edge but jeff's not making them any more. v

[Pete VanderLaan]

Well, so, who is currently making pipes, what cost and what quality.

I'm living in "404 Page Not Found" land.

[Andrew Boatman]

It looks like CRMachine is making pipes/punties again and is posting on ebay for sales. https://www.ebay.com/str/crmachinemanufacturing

[Fredi Vilina]

I have Spiral arts work horse pipes in the mild steel with plastic mouth piece, they work great have had for years and no spitting.

have some older Steinart light weight stainless ones for small work and they are nice but they bend easily so have to do a quick check/straighten before the day.

punties - always made my own except for weighted ends by Spiral arts. have their goblet one which is amazing and a large one in the mild steel. for really heavy stuff (heavy for me) I made my own from 3/4" solid stainless with radiator hose on it. same with step down just hollow stainless with some solid welded in. I find they lose heat too quick if you are working something for extended time so dont use it much.

I have a home made punty that you can turn the handle to tighten the bronze jaws (from a large grabber) that you can hold beer bottles and work the mouth. if anyone wants to see I can post a pic

[Richard Huntrods]

My Pipes and primary puntees were made by a fellow local to the Calgary area - Ken Seitz, who I doubt is making them anymore, and besides they were custom and low volume production. Awesome pipes though (Randy has a set as well).

However, for gathering bit puntees, I just bought a long length of 5/8" SS rod and had them cut it into appropriate lengths. I didn't measure but just had them cut the long rod into 3rds which gave just under 5' each (approx). I used a belt sander to bevel the ends a bit and have been using them since 2004.

[Art Freas]

Carlo Dona pipes are available at 5th Ave now.

[Fredi Vilina]

so checking Steinert and Spiral arts it would appear that I have a small fortune in pipes and punties.

[Pete VanderLaan]

Originally Posted by Art Freas

Carlo Dona pipes are available at 5th Ave now.

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OK, I'll bite..

[Art Freas]

Originally Posted by Pete VanderLaan

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OK, I'll bite..

Just Info, I thought the thread was to figure out who is still making pipes and where they are available.

[phil taylor]

is putsch still selling tools?

[Pete VanderLaan]

The first. The worst ( in my opinion)

[David Patchen]

I've always felt Spiral made the most reliable P&P on the market. Always beautifully designed, robust and well made.

All Steinert pipes are too lightweight and/or have weird gross mouthpieces (I don't like plastic). They always seem to be bent. I also learned the hard way that gaffer duro *will not stick* to whatever steel alloy Steinert uses for punties. Doesn't matter what you do--it won't stay on. Odd.

Despite the plastic mouthpiece, Jeff's pipes are solid. I don't care for the squishy grip, but they were well-made tools.

The CR Machine stuff looks pretty but knurling on pipes? Counterproductive if you ever marver or turn at the bench.

[Eben Horton]

knurled pipes will tear up your hands on larger work. also, i once had a pipe that was knurled all the way down the thing and it slowly one gather at a time filed away at my furnace sill and my bench rail.

[Pete VanderLaan]

I love the notion of a disintegrating bench. I too disliked the knurling when I was still active. I have always thought that Steinert offered a pipe for fairly new glassblowers at a rare price. Further, Sending a pipe back to them to have it reversed and a new head put on was a plus. David's right about them always being bent and Ed Skeels had a great little video on straightening pipes back in the day. That brings me to KeithOrr. I know Ed quit glass to drive a truck but is KeithOrr still around?

So the question hasn't really been answered completely.
If you were buying a new set of pipes tomorrow, what would you get?

[Richard Huntrods]

I'd probably buy Spiral Arts if I had to buy new pipes right now.

Unless I was able to score a great deal on some used pipes from someone bailing on the business/hobby. :-)

[Josh Bernbaum]

Originally Posted by David Patchen

They always seem to be bent. I also learned the hard way that gaffer duro *will not stick* to whatever steel alloy Steinert uses for punties. Doesn't matter what you do--it won't stay on. Odd.

Despite the plastic mouthpiece, Jeff's pipes are solid. I don't care for the squishy

Interesting. I don't have any Steinert punties, but I do use their blowpipes for all my cane pulling and haven't had any issues with duro colors not sticking. I just let them stay clogged all the time. This is the only thing I like Steinert tools for. They are all a bit bent but I like the lighter weight and have felt that slight bends in the pipes don't bother me much for cane pulling and that saves the nice straight ones I have for things where straightness is more important.

If I were buying any new pipes or puntys going forward they'd be Spiral Arts. And I just make my own bit rods out of solid stainless lengths.

[Greg Vriethoff]

Originally Posted by Pete VanderLaan

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OK, I'll bite..

Untitled.jpg

This is a fairly common syndrome, Pete. Having spent some time immersed in the culture, it's just de facto that if you're a glass blower you will know absolutely everything about what goes on in Seattle.

The name of the business is Hot Glass Color. In the same building as Seattle Glassblowing Studio. The address of which is on (drum roll, please)... 5th Avenue.

They became the local Kugler distributor about twenty years ago when OCR lost it. You probably already know that.

[Pete VanderLaan]

Well, I don't quite recall it as Olympic lost it as much as I recall Phil trying to get them to take back a shitload of color that simply didn't fit, or was broken, blah blah blah. Kugler refused to take it back. At that time Gaffer was the darling of the dance and was still getting along OK with Olympic. That changed too.
The street name had never come to my attention.

[Josh Bernbaum]

Originally Posted by Greg Vriethoff

Attachment 6275
This is a fairly common syndrome, Pete. Having spent some time immersed in the culture, it's just de facto that if you're a glass blower you will know absolutely everything about what goes on in Seattle.

Well put Greg. And the only Dona pipes I'm seeing on their website seem to be mini ones for flameworking.

[Greg Vriethoff]

Originally Posted by Josh Bernbaum

Well put Greg. And the only Dona pipes I'm seeing on their website seem to be mini ones for flameworking.

The Carlo Dona section says there are new items coming in, so I assume they just haven’t updated the website. All the cool kids will get first dibs anyway. Might just have to call.

[Kenny Pieper]

[quote=David Patchen;156138]

All Steinert pipes are too lightweight and/or have weird gross mouthpieces (I don't like plastic). They always seem to be bent. I also learned the hard way that gaffer duro *will not stick* to whatever steel alloy Steinert uses for punties. Doesn't matter what you do--it won't stay on. Odd.




Well that is interesting. I use Steinart's more heavy weight pipes and do my larger work on them. I like the weight distribution. I also like their larger punties, although I have them make special not to taper the ends??? not sure why they would do this.
I do use them on a regular basses with duro all the time. No problem with the glass slipping coming off? I use the 3/4" steep down for goblet reticello cane, The regular 3/4" for thicker duro cane. Later to be twisted up. And the 7/8" for long, 130 foot pulls with duro in the center for larger reticello pieces. Never had an issue with duro not sticking.

[Brian Bradshaw]

About 6 months ago I bought a backup pair of oval jacks and short shears from Putsch as they only had a small number of items left in inventory for offhand glassblowing. As most know, they are out of the US market for the future. I also bought a CR Machine pipe with the knurled section (on which I haven't formed an opinion yet) that I really like. I have used tools from just about everyone that has made or is currently making them and I have found that it is more the way you use your tools rather than the maker that makes the difference. I blow mainly by myself so that could color my opinions. Gotta say, back in the late 80's my friend Keith Cullen was making some great blowpipes when he was a studio tech in Seattle. Just my 2c.....

[Kevin McLeod]

I've only ever used Steinart and Spiral arts pipes, and I love my spiral arts ones, won't buy a Steinart. The spiral arts ones (particularly the carbon steel) seem bulletproof, but every Steinart pipe i've ever used has been a pretzel.

[Art Freas]

I like spiral but availability has had some issues from time to time.