Friday, October 9, 2015

Interview w/ Riccardo Santia of Ultimate Corn Cob Pipes

It was a dark and stormy morning. I on my Pacific Northwest porch/office, Mr. Santia at work in his Ontario manufacturing facility/shed. Too, it was the best of times and it was the coldest of times. A cup of not hot coffee and a cob full of Half & Half at my side, I jumped right on in after a flourish:
Kaplowitz: Before we get into the hows of what ya do -- let's cover why. Why pipes? Why pipe making/cob customization, sir?

RS: I was making briar pipes back in 1990, but wanted to do something different. Something no one has done. I picked up a cob in an antique shop and voila -- the idea came.

Kap: Where are you on the cob vs briar issue? Which do you feel offers a better smoking experience? Which is superior to work with as far as crafting?

RS: I have purchased some of the best briar pipes in the world, Vesz, Eltang, Gio and many more, I enjoy smoking them when I have time to sit and relax. I really don't want to be in a car or doing odd jobs to smoke these pipes, I'm afraid I may drop them and most of all appreciate the quality and smoking experience. With my cobs I'm still able to be a little rough with them and enjoy the limited time I have, so be it in a car, coming home from work or cutting the grass and not be worried to damage my pipes. To say briars smoke better then cobs, each has it preference. I will smoke more my cobs or MM cobs then the briars. I have set up my pipes to absorb the moisture, making it a dry smoke where if I smoke a briar, I'm usually using a pipe cleaner.

Regarding crafting, it takes much less time to make an ultimate cob. But the quality is what I strive for. If someone is not happy with their cob, I will replace or fix it. I've had a couple come back that were dropped and I repaired them, with no questions asked.

Kap: Care to tell me what an "ultimate cob" is? What's the process entail?

RS: I start of with the best cob in the world from MM [Missouri Meerchaum]. I add my own finish to the bowl. I predominately use bamboo and occasionally briar shanks, either acrylic or vulcanite stem. Basically a souped-up cob. There are times I will make cobs that no longer exist such as the bulldog (or we call the corndog). Costs are much more due to the time it takes to make.
Kap: Ever have an idea for a customization that you just couldn't make happen? You mentioned bringing back an instinct bull(corn)dog. What other creative sources do you pull from? How do you get your ideas?

RS: Most custom requests are reasonably in my scope, it's usually the products that may be difficult to find such as the corndog stems. If unable to find I have to make them and there is where the costs go up.

Kap: The majority of your designs come from customer requests?

RS: With regards to new ideas, I will usually lay in bed and when I'm most relaxed, it seems to come. Other times just looking at other briar pipe makers, with their new creations and I try to visualize how a cob would look. Or I have FB friends suggest an idea and go for it.

Kap: Is there a design in particular that you were surprised to pull off?

RS: The calabash insert and the corndog. The toughest was the corndog. I continue to improve them and learn each time I make them, The secret to the corndog is the drill bit, it has to be tapered big time for the bowl. Once the bottom of the outside bowl has to be sanded, it will get very close to the heel and it may sand right through.
Kap: What are the tools of your trade?

RS: Band saw, drill press, electic sanding motor, and customs tools made by my cousin Bruno who is a tool maker ... without him I would be in the manufacturing facililty for hours. lol

Kap: You have other trades, as well, no? Something about boxing and music. I have long had a question which you're uniquely suited to answer: Paul McCartney v Krist Novoselic at catchweight -- who ya got, and how?

RS: Yes I have been boxing on and off for 36 years. Won Golden Gloves here in Canada and United States a few times. I rarely compete maybe once or twice a year now. I coach the boxing team and traveled with the Olympic Boxing team all over the world as a sparring partner and Registered Massage Therapist. I just started back playing in a band called Bad Habit, in the last year. We just released our first CD, working on a 2nd and just finished our first video. Should be ready approx. one month.
Kap: Yeah, I say Paul out works Krist w his apparent superior footwork and hand-eye coordination. I seem to recall Krist throwing a guitar up in the air and knocking himself out with it. 10 rd decision. No title on the line.


Kap: Back to seriousness, though. I like to make connections where they might not be apparent... can you connect the dots and find out what these three seemingly varied interests have in common? In other words -- for our purposes, how (if) do boxing and music lend to your pipe-making?

RS: I would have to say boxing is my way of releasing tension. Music [is] another outlet. These two are such a natural high. Maybe it allows me to free my mind for new ideas. Now massage has helped me with the pipes big time. My fingers are sensitive to feeling knots ... like nodules. I can feel if the briar is off or rough.

Kap: How do you work around off or rough briar, and what the heck do those terms mean? Also, corn cobs have a somewhat frowned upon reputation of being ugly or disposable. Care to make a case against that? Keep in mind I'm a cob fan, so you'll be preaching to the choir.

RS: Usually with a circular shank if its off.. not completely round I can feel it, most can see if its off quite a bit, but lets say visually you can't see it, my hands of 23 years practicing Massage therapy, have become hypersensitive. So the sanding begins once more to make sure, its as smooth as possible and circular depending on the piece. 
Regarding Cobs being frowned upon. There is a piece in 2012 Pipes and tobacco Mag. It goes like this. "Everyone loves corn cob pipes- they're practical, they smoke great and you don't cry when you accidentally drop one of the a cliff." However, you might sob a little if you lose a Riccardo Santia ultimate corn cob pipe. I thought that was a good way to answer that. We now are seeing more and more pipe makers making modified corncob pipes. They are solid, look good, cost a bit more and are using the best cob possible from MM.

Kap: I know I'm personally looking forward to receiveing my very own Riccardo Santia Popeye Special and plan to avoid mourning it at all costs. For my buck, there's no better smoker than a CC and briars are prissy things that oft complicate matters. (Or perhaps I'm confusing the pipe with their smokers.) 

Anything else you'd like to add, sir? The microphone is yours:

RS: We all have our preference, I'm going to say, what may be good for one, may not be for the other. That's what makes life so grand, We have choiceses. We can mix it up, back and forth. No restrictions. By the way, enjoy that pipe. Fun to smoke anywhere. 

Thanks, Kap

Just saw the bass hit Nirvana ouch.

Kap: Yeah, maybe McCartney by KO. Late rounds.
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YOUR ATTENTIONS PLEASE, GENTLEPERSONS:
The Kaplowitz by R. Santia Ultimate Corncob Pipes.
That is correct, gentlemersons. Mr. Santia is nice enough to now carry an authorized Kaplowitz model Ultimate Corn Cob pipe offering. Briar-bottomed bowl, customer's choice of vulcanite or acrylic/lucite stem, and bamboo shank.

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Stop by his site and get yerself a me! Or one of his other fine handmade handcrafted artisan tobacco pipes.