Rare Vermont Freehand (Steve Norse) UNSMOKED Strawberry Wood Billiard Artisan Pipe. Made in Vermont, USA 2017. Rare & Hard to Find.

I NEVER USE AI DESCRIPTIONS. 👍
I truly care about your time and money. No expense (or time) is spared safely packing your pipe.

⬇️PIPE DIMENSIONS & MORE INFO ⬇️
Length: 5.20”
Bowl Height: 1.90”
Bowl Width: 1.38”
Chamber Diameter: 0.74”
Chamber Depth: 1.60”
Weight: 1.28 ounces
Filter: Unfiltered
Stem: Acrylic
Age Estimate: 2017
Nomenclature: VERMONT, VF (logo), FREEHAND, USA, 2017

Here’s a very nice and unsmoked Vermont Freehand Billiard using Strawberry Briar aka Strawberry Wood and you won’t find it very often at all.

Strawberry Briar comes from a similar shrub as briar (Erica Arborea) and is found in the same Mediterranean region. Strawberry wood (Arbutus unedo) shows off a pink hued color of brown which is probably where the name comes from. It’s used in some wood turning and special items, mostly for tobacco pipes as far as I can tell. It’s more temperamental to cracking when drying and curing and you have to know what you’re doing. Once in finished form, it’s stable and a beautiful medium. All the more compelling for my own collecting interests.

My personal experience with this pipe is very nice. I think the 3rd pipe I ever bought was this Billiard in Morta wood and I love it. It has sentimental value now and it still looks new despite smoking all the time.

It’s one of the few pipes still in my rotation from the beginning. A couple years ago, I ran across one of these in straight grained briar format and got that.

However, once it arrived I decided to keep it rather than sell as is always a problem in this business. I really like the shape. I emailed Steve on what a great job he did and how much I’ve enjoyed this pipe. It’s a simple, very comfortably sized with no flash or ornamentation. It has a masculine beauty in that and the lines are very nice.

I didn’t know it was even offered in Strawberry until I saw this one for sale and now, I feel compelled to buy them when I see them. Not a problem as they don’t show often and not many made.

In 2017-2019 (as far as I’ve seen in stamping) he made a limited number run and back at that time, I saw them selling for $200 and it would be a good bit more in today’s economy. The Manno sourced blocks aren’t cheap but high quality and I wouldn’t know where else to find it. Here’s what is described for the pipe maker on VF: “Strawberry briar is softer than regular briar and the ring grain is usually wilder and produces a very unique premium blasted pipe.”

With that said, I’d read up on smoking practice just as there are differences when smoking a Morta pipe vs. briar.

If you want to know more about the medium, you can find plenty with a quick search.

If unfamiliar, Steve Norse runs Vermont Freehand, the largest seller of pipe making supplies with a large amount of briar and other woods sourced from the best place in the world and he has plenty he can select from in his store. He’s a talented pipe maker and very nice guy!

This Billiard is a nice one and the first Strawberry I’ve had. It has a sandblast finish that looks nice with good grain patterns. The pipe is fitted with an unfiltered acrylic stem. For me, it’s a smoke anything, anytime size and shape, comfortable to hold or clench.

I did not wax this pipe or alter it in any way as I think it looks best natural. Thanks for looking and sorry for the long, personal description as usual. - Peter


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MORE INFO / STORE INFO +
If this listing is not an “or best offer” type, then the price is firm. I run on thin margins but try to do what I can with established customers.

Signature Required on Delivery - For high price items and if you are a new customer, a signature on deliver may be required to prevent loss.

PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE CLOSED ON WEEKENDS. (I DO TRY TO RESPOND / SHIP IF POSSIBLE ON WEEKENDS WHEN TIME ALLOWS.)

*If the pipe comes with an original box and / or pouch, I will certainly mention it in the description and usually shown in photos. Otherwise, it is for the pipe only, though I do package every one with a generic sock / pouch.

PIPE PREPARATIONS & INFO:
Estate pipes, smoked or unsmoked, always have the small chance of minor handling marks. The 10-20 photos show the pipe well. Use them as your guide to condition as with any item. I’m happy to answer any questions.

PACKAGING:
I’m sure I take more time than almost everyone in packaging and I do not spare any expense. Each pipe takes me 10-15 minutes to pack. I’ve yet to hear of any pipe arrive damaged. With few exceptions, my pipes are always shipped as one piece. It requires larger boxes and more materials but the most famous pipe makers insist it’s better during shipping for climate acclimation and not having pipes apart for too long.

» You get what you pay for.
At a minimum, I do everything possible to make sure the pipe is at its best and packaged well. All pipes are carefully inspected, cleaned, gently buffed, waxed with Carnauba and the stems are hand polished and oiled as needed. For a decade, I’ve put all I have into these pipes, packaging and more. I really enjoy it and my fellow hobbyists.

BY PURCHASING A TOBACCO PIPE OR RELATED ITEMS FROM THIS STORE, YOU ATTEST / AFFIRM YOU ARE AT LEAST 21 YEARS OLD.

I do not have the time to reply to messages asking for deals. If I have room to move, I’ll list the pipe as “Or Best Offer.” Prices are firm. Please consider the large seller fees, taxes and equipment investments. If I don’t reply, no offense intended. It’s just time consuming to explain all this in each message. I appreciate your consideration.

All info such as filtered or no, dimensions and info is listed above, most of it at the beginning of the ad in bullet points.

AFTER YOUR PURCHASE & INFO:
I spent a lot of time planning every little part and unboxing experience is important too. I’ve never had a pipe arrive damaged either.
Pipes are almost always shipped as one piece. This is far better for the pipe, particularly with climate changes during shipping.

Expect replies during normal business times. I reply as fast as I can, but if it’s the weekend or middle of the night, it may be a bit before I’m able to read and reply.

ABOUT RADIANT PIPES VINTAGE RESTORATIONS & CURATED BRIARS:
Due to a broken back and multiple injuries leaving me bed-ridden more than a decade, as well as raising a very awesome and brilliant special needs child, I had to be home 24/7. I took up restoration and pipe making as a hobby around 2019 to feel some satisfaction of work and to help fund some activities / therapies needed. This quickly turned into a full obsession and I’ve spent every day since working on, researching, making and enjoying pipes. I’m as much of an avid enthusiast as the best of them with serious PAD & TAD. This is not a profitable venture but it’s fulfilling and I really enjoy hearing the great feedback from you guys.

My margins are often very narrow for the amount of work, the cost of the item, seller fees, taxes etc. I barely break even annually doing this. I spend a lot of time deciding prices that are fair for both of us. I cannot reply to requests for discounts. If there is room, I will lower the price. If we have built a rapport, you know that I will do all I can to work with you though.

Many call cleaning a pipe “restored.” It hurts those of us that put years of time and effort into these. There are some great restoration artists out there. Sometimes the pipe just needs a detailing job. I don’t sell pipes that had any cracks or major issues. If I was to, it would be well described. (Like selling lots of pipes that didn’t meet my criteria etc)

I do this professionally, full time. When it says Restored, it is truly restored. Pipes that don’t need any restoration are detailed and waxed. I have spent almost single every day for years working on pipes and making them. My goal is that you get above and beyond what you expect.

*I COMBINE SHIPPING. Easy way: Add multiple items to cart and check out. It will apply discounts automatically. If you purchase multiples separately and I notice, I’ll refund any and all excess shipping costs.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING:

Usually it’s automatically tallied and you know prior to purchasing. Depending on which store this is, I set a fixed cost that covers 95% of countries. (I refund any excess shipping)

However, some countries cost much more or cannot ship sometimes due to global issues. If this is the case, though this rarely happens, the additional cost for shipping will need to be paid or I can cancel the order. If all stores had automatic pricing, it would be easier but one does not. I hope you understand as I’d much rather be able to ship cheaply to everyone. - P

I try to ship within 1-2 business days. If purchased on a Friday, I’ll ship Monday. Tuesday on very busy times but I try my best to get them out fast. USPS times can vary and it’s outside my control.
USPS DISCLAIMER: I have NO control on delays or knowing where a package is any more than you do with the tracking number. Sometimes USPS tracking doesn’t work but the pipe always shows up.
RETURNS:
If you’re not 100% happy, please let me know before filing any dispute or feedback. I’ll do everything I can to resolve the situation. It’s quite rare but I want you very happy with your purchase. Returns must be in the exact same condition as sent to you. If they’re smoked or damaged, I cannot accept it back. Buyer pays shipping back unless it is my mistake and I’ll cover all costs. Thanks so much for reading all of this if you got this far!! Best regards, Peter