Briarworks brings new life for the art of hand-crafted pipe making.

BRIARWORKS

NEW LIFE FOR THE ART OF HAND-CRAFTED PIPE MAKING

BY: LUCAS RYAN CHAMBERS

There are some things in life that remain timeless classics—good music, fine wine, movies that touch the soul, and now thanks to a team of skilled craftsmen in Columbia,Tennessee, the art of hand crafted pipe-making is climbing to the top of that list.

BriarWorks is the brainchild of Pete Provost, who throughout the company’s development has full-heartedly embraced his passion and vision for the future of the industry. Pete, who originally came from Bakersfield, California, brought his vast knowledge and experience in designing handmade pipes along with him and has been making waves ever since. He and his talented team at BriarWorks created a path for what they saw as the future of the industry, and with that, have been influencing the public’s perception of what has long been seen as somewhat of a lost art.

Knowing what they wanted for the future of the pipe-making industry wasn’t enough for the BriarWorks team though. They also saw a desire in the market from everyone from aficionados to novices who were looking to get into the fine art of hand-made pipes, so they took their ideas and created a new benchmark for the industry here in Tennessee. That tenacity ultimately led them to building a full production pipe factory in Nashville, where since 2013 they have created some of the finest quality pipes that have ever been made in serial production. Providing customers with a high-end experience wasn’t their only

goal though, keeping them affordable to the everyday customer was also something they wanted to keep in mind throughout the entire process.

For the industry of pipe-making it was somewhat of a rebirth. There just weren’t any pipe factories left in the U.S., especially any that dealt with large-scale, high-end manufacturing. So, they set out putting together a team of some of the most skilled carvers from throughout the country. These were artists and skilled hand-carvers, whose own work stood out among the rest in their field.

While painstakingly designing a catalog of high end pipes (which retail

for around one-hundred and fifty dollars), they hand carve each and every one so that the finish and detail is second to none. Each pipe that comes from BriarWorks can last for decades, and many pipe users even pass these down throughout the generations.While they admit that people are sometimes surprised at the cost of a hand-carved pipe, once you consider what you are buying, you realize that you’ve likely just purchased the last one you’ll ever need in your lifetime.

BriarWorks has recently expanded their product line, and is now offering their clients new products from around the world. With that growth in mind, they also recently moved to Columbia, Tennessee. The new home of BriarWorks was built during the Industrial Revolution and is located right in the heart of Colombia’s Historic District.

The new space also brought with it an outlet for the team to offer an even more unique experience to their customers. They now have a walk-in humidor for their ample cigar selection where you can find selections from over eight brands, everything from Fuente cigars to cigars from Nashville-based company, Crowned Heads. The new space is also the perfect place for you to sample all of their in-house pipe tobacco. They have a special BriarWorks blend that has become a local sensation and even comes in a mason jar. However, if you’re looking for something a bit more exotic, or maybe even something with a specific profile, they offer an array of hard-to-find tobaccos from around the world, like Esoterica and Gawith, which are rare tobaccos imported from Great Britain.

One of the most interesting things about the new building is the location. It sits adjacent to Asgard Brewing, who have been wonderfully welcoming neighbors and even offer a few craft beers on tap inside of BriarWorks.

The atmosphere they’ve created in their new building is nothing short of welcoming. Provost, who is the president of BriarWorks says, “We wanted to bring a welcoming feeling to our patrons. Cigar lounges have long been seen as intimidating to new customers, and our hope is that even though we kept the original feel of the building, that we’ve found a way to make it more inviting to everyone. We understand that there’s a learning curve with pipe tobacco, and that in itself can be somewhat intimidating, but our goal is to help educate people on the process and along the way break down some of those walls. Our goal is to pair our customers with a product that’s a perfect fit for them, all while making it an enjoyable experience.”

Each and every day the team at BriarWorks creates with the future in mind, whether it’s in the durability of the products, bringing new products from around the world for their clients, or finding new ways to make a visit to BriarWorks an even more memorable experience. Currently they are open seven days a week, and with everything from craft beer and darts to their world-renowned pipes, every visit is sure to be an unforgettable experience. You can also find a full selection of products on their website at: BriarWorksUSA.com.