Ernie Markle is a great example of the new movement in American artisanal pipes. Now working full-time from his home in Pheonix, AZ, he's really cultivated his craft over the last few years. But what separates Ernie from other modern American carvers? Read on to find out.

Beginnings

Ernie's introduction to pipes began without him even knowing it. His grandfather smoked a pipe, you see, yet he wasn't aware of this fact until much later. When he was 15, he read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for the first time and was instantly fascinated by pipes and pipe smoking.

An avid cigar smoker from the time he was 18, he began to transition into pipes and pipe tobacco as many of us do — through a humble cob. He didn't smoke it all the time, and actually put down the pipe for a few years until he picked it back up during college. It was then, around age 24, when his curiousity began to inspire his creativity and he began to view pipes from the lens of a pipe maker.

Getting started

That lens actually found its way to Smokingpipes.com, where he noticed one of Alex Florov's wilder creations and wondered, "How... did he do that?" He began to look to others for advice and direction. While pursuing a career in finance, he began slowly purchasing all the necessary equipment and resources he would need. And before he knew it, he was making pipes.

Ernie, though having no prior experience with woodworking or carpentry, always had an artistic streak. As a boy, he was rarely found without his sketch pad — taking it everywhere he went, even to the grocery store. That artistic side proved quite useful in later years as he cultivated his craft and began to establish his own personal style.

Now a full-time pipe maker, his workshop is filled with over 500 blocks of briar, each sourced from reputable vendors like Mimmo and Manno.

First Pipe Success

As Ernie started putting his creativity and curiousity into action, he spent a lot of time in the workshops of Jeff Gracik and Brad Pohlmann. It was in Jeff's workshop, in fact, that Ernie created the first piece he was comfortable selling.

After inspecting the finished product, Jeff was impressed and passed on words of encouragement. Only the ninth pipe he'd ever made, it was in that moment that Ernie knew he could actually make pipe making his vocation, rather than just an avocation.

Method: No Shortcuts

Since then, he's developed and cultivated his own unique style and method — both meticulous and thorough. Simply put, Ernie doesn't take shortcuts. Every aspect of Ernie's creations are hand-shaped and handmade. From his vulcanite stems to his exquisite silverwork, it's all done by hand — never using preformed casts or anything of the like. Though he will occasionally use delrin for its support and durability, he even prefers to turn his tenons from Ebonite. The point is, when you inspect any Markle pipe, rest assured that each aspect of the design has been executed with meticulous detail — never cutting corners.

Signature Aesthetic

It's not just the quality of his craftsmanship that sets him apart, it's just as much his signature style and aesthetic. Drawing heavily from the Danish tradition, his compositions often feature some degree of flow and dynamism, often incorporating quick lines and stout proportions to imply momentum and movement in profile. Though he has produced some more sinuous and elegant designs, the majority of Ernie's work focuses on powerful stance and that aforementioned dynamism, rather than a lightly graceful aesthetic.

Having finished his undergrad with a degree in Philosophy, Ernie suggests there's more to his signature look than lines and proportions. He equates it to our perception of the world. Given his fondness for squat, stout shapes, he might call a certain shape a Billiard, for example, where others might name it a Pot. "It has to do with the geometry of our hands," he says. Jeff Gracik, for example, might move his hands a certain way on the wheel. Similarly, Adam has his own technique as well. Ernie, likewise, has his own method. In this way, kinesiology then also plays a part in establishing his signature aesthetic.

Inspirations

Of course, Ernie's inspirations have played just as important of a part in creating his style. Brad Pohlmann, Adam Davidson, and Jeff Gracik have not only proven extremely helpful in cultivating his craft and skill set, but they've become close friends as well. In fact, Ernie recently attended Jeff's Annual "Pipe Making Seminar by the Sea" along with Adam and a few other promising carvers.

If truth be told, it would be difficult not to exclude someone from this list of inspirations. Obviously, the Ivarssons and other legendary "pipe masters" deeply affected his style and technique, through a careful study of their most venerated forms. But Ernie admires any artisan who "clearly pursues excellence in execution" — something he attempts to emulate in each and every pipe that leaves his workshop.

Finishes

Ernie has proven his deft execution time and time again, but what determines which pipe will receive a smooth polish or don a sandblasted finish? Simply put, it's the grain. Some shapes, of course, lend themselves more to one finish or another, but for the most part, it's up to the briar to decide. If the block suggests a rather dense growth ring pattern, for example, he'll opt for a sandblast in order to accentuate all those tightly stacked, undulating rings. Smooth or sandblasted, accented with silver or a more organic boxwood... each was carefully selected to make the most of each composition. And each was executed with excellence.

Want to see some of Ernie's work? Click here to visit his product page.