B.A. Weaver Pipes

Note: It is with great sadness that I report my friend, Bruce Weaver passed away in his sleep on July 26th, 2019. In addition to being a world class pipe maker, he was also a good friend and mentor to many, and a fantastic and dedicated father and grandfather. He will be greatly missed. --sethile (talk) 08:21, 30 July 2019 (CDT)
Andrew Wike wrote a beautiful tribute on the smokingpipes.com blog: A Farewell To Bruce
Bruce Weaver was born in 1951 and is a pipe maker living in Brentwood, Tennessee, which is located just outside of Nashville. He first began making pipes after being a collector of Dunhills for most of his adult life, because he got the itch to make something for himself. His mom was an artist and Bruce wanted to see if he had any artistic ability, or was simply a craftsman; as it turns out, he is both. Taking some time to learn some about pipemaking from Lee von Erck, Bruce began making pipes loosely based on the English classics with preform stems and styling similar to Lee. Later, in 2009, he started learning about making handmade pipes from Todd Johnson who moved to Tennessee. From Todd, Bruce learned how to make handcut stems and use Delrin tenons, as well as shaping a pipe on a sanding disk.
His shaping blossomed and he has since been known as an affable guy who makes pipes that are aggressively blasted to show very intricate growth rings. Indeed, Bruce fiddled with blasting techniques before finding one that was different from everyone else. Though very time-consuming, they are easily recognizable. All of his pipes feature handcut stems from vulcanite rods, or bakelite, and all feature Delrin tenons. Some of his accents can include ivory, bamboo, boxwood, and other hardwoods. Courtesy, Smokingpipes.com
From the B.A. Weaver Website:Just to bore you, a little history regarding my pipe past and present.
While on a business trip to Lexington, KY, I stopped at the Tinder Box and was immediately enthralled by the pipe collection displayed. I had originally gone in to get a couple of cigars. There I purchased my first pipe; a Comoy’s which I have to this day. After that I became acquainted with Mr. Ed from Ed’s Pipe shop in Nashville. He introduced me to Dunhill pipes, new and estate. I was hooked as a collector and pipe smoker. Along the way Edsel James was also instrumental in my passion for pipes.
 
My excursion into pipe making came when I attended the course in Chicago, taught by Lee von Erck. Immediately I was hooked and wanted to tap, hopefully, the creative persona within. Following the course I studied with Tim West and then followed up with an extended visit with Lee von Erck. 
There is something new with every piece of briar and I will constantly endeavor to create something new with clean aesthetics and offer the collector, quite simply, a pleasurable and relaxing smoke.
I would be remiss not mentioning the help received from Todd Johnson. Simply put, he is a great teacher and more than willing to share in the process.
You might also like to listen to Brian Levine's interview with Bruce on the PipesMagazine.com Radio Show
 
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Contact information:
 Bruce A. Weaver (1951 - 2019)
 Brentwood, TN 37024-1081
 Website (not sure how long it will remain up): http://www.baweaverpipes.com/home.html
Category: Pipe makers by nationality
Category: United States