How close to the source of parts providers are you when it comes to making a pipe?

I mean, the metal bowel and the metal stem/bit design seems to be unchanged since at least the ancient Egyptians.

Do you know who actually makes those metal parts and do they make any other style? Who decided that was the official metal bowel of all small pipes?

The shank designs do look cool though.

I think you could make good money if you found somebody who could redesign the metal parts.


Wait, should I have just given away that idea?
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--Some of us look for The Way in opium and some in God, some of us in whiskey and some in love. It is all the same Way and it leads nowhither.