Talbert Pipes Ligne Bretagne FAQ Frequently Asked Questions How do you pronounce Ligne Bretagne? "LEE-nyuh Bruh-TAN-yuh" People keep asking me this! What is Ligne Bretagne? The Ligne Bretagne pipe is the end result of a variety of factors that came together in a fortunate way. For some years I have wished for the ability to offer some sort of more affordable alternative to the Talbert Briar line of handmade pipes but it's been quite impossible due to the limitations of my old workshop. A big part of our business purchase in Bretagne has been the acquisition of a large quantity of factory-turned stummels and molded stems. These, combined with the addition of Emily's full-time help in the workshop and vastly improved pipemaking tools, have enabled me to create this new line of briar pipes. We have a set number of stummels and stems and we will be combining them based on our own creativity, drilling them to the same principles that guide Talbert Briars, finishing them to a high-grade luster, and offering them at what we hope will be an attractive price to the collector on a budget. I do not intend for Ligne Bretagne to be a well-known brand present in pipe shops everywhere - I have neither the time nor the production ability to turn out such volume. Our first priorities here will continue to be the handmade Talbert Briars and Talbert Mortas, and Ligne Bretagne pipes will only be produced as time allows. My hope is that they will become and remain a low-key secret brand that will garner a loyal following without a lot of press.  If all you're doing is sticking pre-turned stummels together with molded stems, why aren't the pipes cheaper?  This sounds like ten minutes' work.  This question is based on several incorrect assumptions:  That pre-turned stummels are cost-free (They're not!  Whether I turn them here or someone else turns them, the work must be paid for), that molded stems are work-free (They're not - tenons must be turned or fitted, airholes redesigned, bits adjusted, and often full sanding or reshaping is required), and that the shaping and drilling of a stummel is the largest part of work in making a pipe.  It isn't.  Of the 10+ hours it can take me to make a Talbert Briar, usually only 45 minutes to an hour of this time is shaping and drilling the stummel.  Staining, buffing, polishing, sanding, and most importantly, *tweaking*, take the bulk of pipemaking time.  Ligne Bretagne stems must be redrilled with tapered bits for smoother airflow, the bits must be opened for better flow the bits must often be filed thinner or reshaped, the stummels nearly always require some reshaping...  In short, there's quite a bit of work involved, and it isn't just sticking together two readymade pipes to create an insta-pipe. Are Ligne Bretagne pipes Talbert seconds? No. Ligne Bretagne pipes are produced from entirely different briar, using different stems of different material. Ligne Bretagne pipes have been factory-turned from aged Algerian briar by the professional artisans of Saint Claude, France and use molded vulcanite stems, while Talbert Briars are shaped by hand from extra-extra grade Greek, Italian, and Corsican plateau briar and have handcut stems of acrylic or ebonite rod. However, the exception is the Ligne Bretagne Collector Grade pipe, which does qualify as a Talbert "second". These pipes were shaped by hand to be Talbert Briars but some flaw or grain deficiency caused them to be downgraded from the Talbert Briar line and become the only handmade Ligne Bretagne pipe - the Collector grade. These pipes will exhibit a mixture of finishes, from rustication to sandblasting to smooth, and should inject a little randomness into the Ligne Bretagne factory shape assortment. The last key difference between Ligne Bretagne pipes and Talbert Briars is in treatment of the wood - the Ligne Bretagne stummels have been naturally aged for many years and that is the extent of their curing, whereas Talbert Briars receive additional boiling and drying here before finishing. How are the Ligne Bretagne pipes priced and graded? Please see the Pricing and Grading page for this information. How do I pay? I hope to eventually add online purchasing to this site but time constraints have forced us to open the site before this could be fully investigated, so for now purchasing will be handled as in the past. If you see a pipe you'd like to buy, just email me with the catalog number of the pipe and I will mark it held for you. Payment can be by check, Paypal, or credit card, though I suggest that credit card orders should be telephoned or faxed in for security purposes. Full info can be found on the individual pipe pages. Do you take special orders? NO. I don't like to be vehement about this but the fact is that the Ligne Bretagne line does not have the flexibility of the handmade pipe brands in terms of creativity or price. I've set the prices as lean as I can and specifically have not left in the "fat" required to cover the extra labor hours involved in exchanging emails, ideas, etc, that accompany special requests. The pipes themselves resist special orders, as they are only available in set stummel shapes and set stem shapes and are designed to be efficiently finished in artisan fashion without modification. Our main passion here remains with the handmade briar and morta pipes and devoting extra time to individual Ligne Bretagne pieces would detract badly from our available time for our main brands - ultimately I would cancel the entire Ligne Bretagne line and sell off the stock rather than allow them to negatively impact our working time with the Talbert Briar and Morta lines. I'd like a Ligne Bretagne pipe with a handcut stem, and I'm willing to pay the extra labor. See the answer above. If you're after handcut stems, it's time to talk about a Talbert Briar. Can I special order a Ligne Bretagne Collector? Again, I'm sorry but no - the Collector grade is strictly a Talbert Briar "seconds" line and they are not produced intentionally or with any plan or reason. They appear only as they emerge in the carving. Can I reserve a shape, such as the next grade 5 billiard you produce? Again, see the answer on special orders above. I don't want to get buried in dozens of pre-sold pipes that leave the website and pipe shops starved for inventory. They are available as they are made and posted. Geez, this all sounds arrogant as hell -do you actually want to sell these things? Yes, of course, and I want to enjoy it too, and make the line something to be proud of and something that will be known as an excellent pipe in its price class. We are still a tiny workshop though, and this price level is open to a vastly larger buying segment than the relatively rare high grades. We could very easily be overwhelmed with orders and special requests and pre-sold merchandise and the Ligne Bretagne line would devour all of our working hours, pushing the Talbert briar and morta pipes into virtual nonexistence. This pipe is selling in the price range of factory pipes produced by the thousands but it is worked and finished in our little artisan shop without the benefit of assembly lines or extra employees to handle the workload. We will make a limited amount each month and that will be that - I would rather anger a few people and continue making a high quality product that I personally take pride in and enjoy, than try to please everyone and end up hating the brand for the volume it demands. Will these pipes be sold in retail shops/Can I sell them in my retail shop? Currently the Ligne Bretagne pipes are represented in two brick and mortar shops - our shop here in France and Pipe & Pint, in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. If we can produce enough volume to handle both of these outlets plus the website sales, we will seek out other retail outlets. I'm not sure if this will happen though, since the output is limited by design. What kind of warranty is on these pipes? One year from purchase. Why do you use bowl coatings? The bowl coatings used in the Ligne Bretagne line are the same formula used in Talbert Briars, and this has served me very well for years now. Opinions vary on bowl coatings but my personal experience has been that this formula offers a very neutral smoking experience without the bitter flavor often associated with coatings, and it is extremely durable against burnout. It is important to note that if the bowl coating is removed, the warranty on the pipe is immediately void. What will happen when your existing stummel stock is exhausted? Good question! The success or failure of the Ligne Bretagne pipes over the next few years will determine this - if the pipes don't sell or become more trouble than they are worth for their profit margins, the line will be quietly discontinued and that will be the end of it. If, however, things go well and the pipes become the "underground" success that I hope they will be, I would be happy to continue making them indefinitely and possibly even arrange to continue the brand beyond my retirement. This will entail seeking out new sources of stummels and stems just like any other factory line, but I'll do my best to keep the smoking experience as consistent as possible.