Never say never, so they say. Not advice I have ever really taken to heart, though I should perhaps give it a lot more consideration. The same could be said about much of the ‘Olde Worlde’ wisdom handed down through the ages – who knows, perhaps I will, one day.
Why do I say this? Well, a long time ago I said to myself, and anyone mad enough to pay any attention to anything I say, that I would not be carving any more pipe tampers. I meant it, and I was true to my word for a long time.
However, earlier this year, a friend asked me to recant and carve a few more. He has a couple already and some of his friends, having seen them, expressed an interest. So, what’s a fellow to do?
Sure, came the reply. I’ll get straight onto it.
Well, I finally got around to it this weekend. It was a damp, overcast couple of days, and I was kicking my heels looking for something to do. Having procrastinated for a few months – brief by my standards – and slowly getting ‘juiced-up’, I picked up the Opinel and set to.
Pilgrims – Hand Carved Beech Pipe Tampers
Before long I was getting absorbed and making steady progress. The music playing quietly on the stereo receded into the background as I worked away, trying to remember how to do them; thankfully muscle memory is a wonderful phenomena and I quickly got into the swing of things.
Pilgrims – Hand Carved Beech Pipe Tampers
Jon Anderson’s ‘Mayflower’ washed against my senses and the little faces began to reveal themselves – until I had as many as were needed. I set them to one side to dry over-night, then went about other business, content in my work, and humming the pilgrims tune in my head.
Early the next morning, before the birds were up and about, I did the final finishing and waxed them.
Pilgrims – Hand Carved Beech Pipe Tampers
Tomorrow, they set sail for the new world. Well, more accurately, Minnesota – and they won’t be sailing rough oceans, into the unknown, on a small ship. They’ll be going in the post – airmail!
They will, I hope, become life-long companions, embellishing those brief moments of relaxation in the company of good briar and fine leaf.