Briar Art (Brian Ruthenberg)

Briar Art is the name of the one-man bench American pipe master Brian Ruthenberg ran in Michigan. Ruthenberg's original trade was machining and tool-and-die work; the habit of working to tight tolerances later carried over into his pipe craftsmanship as well. The number of pipes coming out of his workshop north of Detroit was never high, yet the brand nonetheless became one of the recognised names in the American handmade pipe community in the 2000s.

Founding the Bench

Ruthenberg's first contact with the craft came through a ready-made pipemaking kit he obtained from American maker Mark Tinsky. His move into regular production followed a trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula; records indicate he obtained his first briar blocks there from Lee von Erck.

A significant portion of his technical knowledge came from an IRC chat channel that brought together pipemakers of the era; Ruthenberg has stated he received help in these years from Robert Vacher and Dale Adkins. He learned the hand-cut mouthpiece technique from Michael Lindner, and won second place in the amateur category of a carving competition at the pipe show held in Richmond. The bench was founded in 2001 as a part-time pursuit and turned into full-time work after 2005; until that date Ruthenberg made his living as a long-haul truck driver.

Craftsmanship

Briar Art pipes used plateau-cut briar, with blocks sourced from Italy and Morocco. Mouthpieces were not bought ready-made but cut by hand from vulcanite and cumberland rods. The smoke channel was drilled 4 millimetres along the shank, narrowing toward the tip within the mouthpiece; for pipes with a larger bowl diameter, the channel would also be widened. This wide channel, polished on the inside, forms the basis of the brand's approach to easy draw and a cool smoke. Annual production stayed between one hundred and one hundred fifty, with the brand's real reputation within the community earned through its sandblast craftsmanship.

Marks and Grades

Autumn 2002 marks a turning point in the marks. Records indicate that up until October 2002 the pipes carried the BAR mark, formed from the master's initials, after which the switch was made to the curved RUTHENBERG script; beneath the mark are lines indicating the country and that the piece is handmade. The pipes are also dated by the last two digits of the year of manufacture. The name of the top tier the master reserved for his favourite pieces is Caliper; this mark was used for select blocks with grain sitting evenly or in a ring pattern.

Current Status

The Briar Art bench has not produced for some time now. The brand can today be traced only through pipes returning to circulation from their former owners, and these pieces are counted among the examples of high-grade American craftsmanship.