Quinton Wells

Quinton Wells is an American pipe maker working in Overland Park, Kansas. His bench yields only a handful of pieces a year, so pipes bearing his signature circulate not among serial work but among pieces treated one by one. His standing within the community, however, comes much less from the pipes he makes than from his work organizing club life around Kansas City and promoting American makers.

Bench and Learning Path

Wells learned the trade more through his own trial and error than from books or an apprenticeship system. Even so, he did not remain entirely on his own; he received guidance from several noted makers of his time. Lee von Erck, known for his freehand work; Michael Lindner, known for his chamber and bite-end solutions; and Tonni Nielsen, who came from the Danish tradition and settled in Kentucky, number among these names. On the repair side, he is said to have drawn on George Dibos, considered an expert in that field. Such a scattered education left room in his work for both measured classic shapes and the freehand approach that follows the grain of the briar.

Club Work

Wells's real weight within the community is built through the Greater Kansas City Pipe Club. During the period he was active, the club's direction gathered around a clear heading: supporting and giving visibility to American makers. According to records, Wells served for a time as the club's president and also took on responsibility for organizing the club's annual pipe and tobacco show. Because the years cited for the club's founding are not consistent, no date is given here.

The American Carvers Competition

The most lasting product of this direction is the American Carvers Pipe Making Competition, running since 2009. The competition's aim is not to name a single winner; what results is a "seven-day set" made up of seven pipes, presented in a purpose-built box. The pipes that go into the set are chosen by a three-person jury from among the entries submitted for the theme the club announces that year. The box is then raffled off, with the proceeds going to the makers selected. Both the sets and the other entries under review have been featured in the pipe magazines of the day. A pipe made by Wells himself went into one of these sets: according to Pipedia alone, this was the year 2011, when the theme was set as paneled (surfaces shaved into flat planes) shapes.

Thanks to the club's stance, the Kansas City area is considered one of the notable hubs of American artisan pipe making. Among the makers recognized in the region, secondary listings also cite Scottie Piersel, who has also produced jointly signed pipes with Wells.