Glen Ben Freehand Pipes

Glen Ben Freehand Pipes is one of three pipe lines carrying Richard Baggenstos's signature; the other two are named Jean Alexis and White Dog. Of the three, Glen Ben is the most open to free form. What year the line began, which city the workshop is located in, and whether production continues today cannot be determined from the records; by contrast, how the work is carried out is described in detail.

It is noted that Baggenstos does not earn his living from pipemaking, and does not work to commission or from ready-made drafts. This explains both why the line stays small in volume and why every piece comes into being by the maker's own decision.

Method of Making and Approach to Shape

Glen Ben bowls are cut from briar plateau blocks whose edges retain their natural bark. The bowl is not shaped on a wood lathe but on a grinding wheel and with carving knives. The same maker's Jean Alexis line, being lathe-based, counts as handmade, while Glen Ben falls fully into the freehand class. The line never enters the classic shape repertoire; every piece finds its own form according to the grain flow of the block at hand. Records indicate that a single pipe takes fifteen to eighteen working hours to reach finished form.