Roush at work
European collectors are sometimes surprised by the relatively high prices of your blasts and rusticated pipes, compared with your smooth ones. For them, blasting and rustication are largely emergency techniques to save a block from the fireplace, and they expect prices to be accordingly low. What do rough pipes mean to you personally?
LR: The same workmanship is in every one of my pipes. I spend all the time required for that piece, I never cut corners just because of a finish. People will be surprised to hear it will probably takes me longer to make a rusticated pipe than it would a smooth. It also takes me much longer to make a sandblast than a rusticated. What you get with one of my pipes are superb smoking qualities and workmanship regardless of the finish. There is a bottom line I must get for my work, but a beautiful rare straight grain is much harder to come by - therefore more money. I guess other pipe makers may use the rustication to save a piece from the fireplace - but in my shop, if I feel a piece will not make a smooth like I want to see it, I will rusticate or blast it. Not many pipe makers will rusticate or blast a pipe that will make a smooth. I do that quite often just because of my standards.
For example, the billiard on my site could have made a smooth. By most pipe makers standards it would be a beautiful one, as well. I was not happy with it so I rusticated it. Sure, I could have had a smooth and probably got more money for it, but such are the standards I set for myself. Rough pipes - great rustications and blasts - make a very rare pipe and really reflect the pipe maker's art. A smooth is beautiful but that is nature - grain - no control of the maker. Beautiful rustications and blasts directly reflect the pipe makers attention to detail - the artistic creativity, dedication and time involved to create a piece that will set himself apart. If you look at my work, you will see that I just did not stumble across my techniques. Only through much experimentation did I develop them. The quality of my work reflects the desire to set my pieces apart from the others and set a high standard that reflects my creativity and drive. When you buy a Roush rusticated or sandblast you buy a piece of my personality and creativity - not just a pipe that I had to save from the fireplace.
How to you achieve your unique rustication effect - craggy, yet soft to look at?
LR: I achieve my rustications from many years of development. When I started to rusticate I looked at many pipes. The only one that was appealing to me was a Castello Sea Rock. As good as I thought it was, I wanted something better. I started to work on my technique and did not stop until I found something I would like to smoke and handle. With so many pipes out there to choose from, I knew I needed something that would set my pieces apart from the rest. I guess my secret would be that I care more about that piece and how it will be perceived by the collector than just saving a piece of wood. I am willing to spend all the time it takes for that piece even though it is not a smooth. I take my time to do it right.
You've been doing many blasts recently - with results that almost seem 'geological'. What's the secret?
LR: Again my secret in the blasts is......time. You cannot make a great blast or rustication in a hurry. I can blast a pipe in five minutes and it would be much better than most pipes out there, but I will not be satisfied with just mediocre - so I spend many hours to get my blast the way I want it.
Who else in the pipe-making world would you consider to be a master of blasting techniques?
LR: Trever Talbert in France. In the USA? Jim Cooke.
Finally, a question on shapes. The Pokerhawk is a design by Greg Pease, yet it fits your shape palette perfectly. Where else do you get design ideas?
LR: As you may have noticed I get most of my inspiration from the classic standard shapes. I feel that is what I am, and I do not try to make a Danish style pipe. That would not be me, I would just screw it up. Sure, I use some established 'masters' for inspiration, but I really try to put my own personality in it. I hate to see makers copy someone else's work. If I want an Eltang, Barbi or any other pipe like that I will buy one from that maker, not a look alike from someone else. I really try not to copy shapes. Sure I copy the standard generic shapes, but that is what they are there for. Classic shapes are an acceptable standard to use in my opinion.
I let Greg Pease design several pipes for me. He is about the only one I will work on a shape with. He knows who I am, what I am, what I am capable of creating. We work well together because he will not send me a design that he knows is not me. Some shapes I refuse to make because I do not like the design - and everyone else makes them. He would never send me a shape like that to create.
(October 23, 2003)