It was over a decade ago when Todd Johnson envisioned a pipe workshop that combined the efficiency and production of a high-level factory with the quality, precision, and design of handcrafted processes. He enlisted the help of Pete Prevost, and in 2013 they established BriarWorks. The workshop has since become a staple of pipe making in the United States, and 2023 marks BriarWorks' 10th anniversary — a milestone celebrated in October at BriarWorks' factory and lounge in Columbia, Tennessee.

Every BriarWorks pipe is first rough-shaped on CNC machines before being stem-fitted and finished by hand: Each stummel is finished and stained by a small team of artisans, and the shanks are personally shaped to match each pipe's specific stem, which are hand-modified for comfort and performance.

Over the course of its 10-year history, BriarWorks has cemented itself as one of the world's premiere modern pipe factories. Its pipes are regarded not only for their smoking quality but also for their distinctive renditions of timeless shape-chart standards — represented by the Classic series — as well as the artisan-designed shapes of the Original line. Moreover, BriarWorks' influence extends beyond the pipe world. The town of Columbia considers the factory and lounge a community landmark, and Pete and the rest of the BriarWorks team have been integral in the town's cultural renaissance of the past several years. Not only does BriarWorks make excellent pipes; it also provides for and fosters community in Columbia.

A New Home

In its early years, BriarWorks was located about an hour north of Columbia in Nashville. "We didn't have a retail store or anything like that. It was just a workshop, and it was a very low-key, almost-shed building," says Pete. "A lot of people were showing up at our doorstep in Nashville, though, so I started thinking how cool it would be if we could create an experience like a distillery, or a brewery, and let people hang out in a lounge space with a retail store, but be able to see the factory and even maybe take a tour of the shop space." By 2017, Todd had taken a step back from the workshop's day-to-day production to focus on his handmade pipes, leaving Pete as President, and Pete started exploring places that could accommodate BriarWorks' factory as well as a future lounge and retail space.

He was living near Columbia at the time and recognized it as a potential home for BriarWorks. "I had seen a few businesses open in Columbia over the years — Muletown Coffee being one of those places," he says. "I had seen this rebirth of downtown Columbia taking place." During a visit to Columbia, he stopped by Muletown Coffee, wearing a BriarWorks T-shirt. "I walk in the door and this guy stops me and says,

"'Oh, BriarWorks. They make really great pipes. I've got a BriarWorks pipe.'

"'Wait, what? You have a BriarWorks pipe?'

"'Yeah, I've got a couple of them. They're awesome!'

"'No way. I actually run BriarWorks.'"

Through this interaction, Pete learned about Porch Time: a weekly meeting of local business owners and entrepreneurs in Columbia, a time to connect and converse as friends over cups of coffee at Muletown. "I went to Porch Time the next Wednesday," he says. "And that's when I met Matt Johnson, the owner of Muletown Coffee, and a handful of other people." Matt and the others loved the idea of having BriarWorks in Columbia and wanted to help Pete find the perfect building. "Pete walked in one day and told me what he wanted to do," says Matt. "We sat down and had coffee at Porch Time, and I said, 'Oh man, I think this idea is so cool.'"

"They were all very excited about our business and the idea of us moving to Columbia," Pete says. "And everybody was definitely ready to help us out in any way they could." Such serendipity and newfound connections made it clear that BriarWorks was meant to be in Columbia, but Pete still needed to find a building that could help realize his vision.

"I started looking at buildings," says Pete. "And the one we eventually moved into was the first building I locked eyes on and thought, 'Man, that's the spot. That has got to be it.'" However, contacting the owners proved difficult. It was locally known that they were uninterested in leasing the building to anyone and weren't even willing to entertain phone calls. Thankfully, Pete met a friend of the owners who called them personally and begged them to at least hear Pete's idea. "On the phone with Susan, who owned the building, I explained that we were a tobacco-pipe factory and that we wanted to open a retail store and a lounge that people could smoke in — all the red flags and reasons for her to say no," he says. "To my surprise, though, that was exactly what got us in the door."

Matt and the others loved the idea of having BriarWorks in Columbia and wanted to help Pete find the perfect building

Susan's grandpa had built the building in 1946, and her family had at one time been among the county's long-time tobacco growers. "Columbia Machine Works had been the building's original tenant," says Pete. "And Susan loved the idea of bringing manufacturing back to the building and having a tobacco-related element because of the town's rich history of tobacco farming."

With a building, BriarWorks was finally ready to move.

BriarWorks Moves to Columbia

"In March 2018, we actually started the move to Columbia," says Pete. "We rented a box truck and started loading stuff up and cleaning out the old shop. Micah Redmond, Sam Adebayo, and I came down and worked on building our workbenches and all that. I don't think we had even set up the factory yet when we hit the first week of April."

As they were unpacking and setting everything up, passersby asked if BriarWorks planned to be open on Mule Day — the biggest festival in Columbia, which takes place the first Monday of April. "Everyone was asking us if we're going to be open for Mule Day," says Pete. "We were thinking, 'What is that?' so I looked it up and realized how big of an event it was. We decided not to worry about setting up the factory just yet and to instead focus on the retail store. Maybe we could get some cigars, some pipe tobacco, and some pipes so when people are out and about that day, they can pop in and we can do a soft opening. So that's what we did." BriarWorks' official opening wouldn't occur until September 1st of that year. "We spent the next few months getting the factory set up in order to resume production as soon as possible," says Pete. "Then we started doing the build out for the bar and lounge."

For the grand opening, Pete wanted to do something special — something beyond simply opening the doors. "I reached out to Jeremy Reeves [Head Blender for Cornell & Diehl] and told him it would be really cool if he could come and do a blending demo — a sort of seminar of 'Hey, this is how I blend tobacco,'" says Pete. "Jeremy had never done anything like that before, so he made a special blend for the event. He brought some that was all ready to go for people to smoke at the opening, but then he also brought the individual components for the blending demonstration."

"Everyone was asking us if we're going to be open for Mule Day," says Pete. "We were thinking, 'What is that?'"

The special blend would later become Muletown Mixture, an exclusive tobacco available only at BriarWorks' annual Muletown Pipe Show. "For our grand opening, though, Jeremy just called it 511 North Main after our street address," says Pete. "During the blending demo, someone asked Jeremy the name of the blend, and he said, '511 North Main.' He just made it up on the fly. It was a tasty tobacco, and everybody loved it. That became the blend for Muletown too, so our Muletown Pipe Show blend is that same blend that he did in the very beginning for us." Since that first blending seminar, Jeremy has done countless dozens of demos over the years and around the country. It's become a signature presentation beloved by pipe smokers, and it all started at BriarWorks.

The Muletown Pipe Show debuted the following year in 2019 and returned again in 2022 and 2023. Like all successful pipe shows, it draws hundreds of pipe smokers, collectors, retailers, and artisans, and BriarWorks has the perfect space for it: a full bar, humidor, indoor lounge, and outdoor patio — all smoking friendly. The 2024 Muletown Pipe Show is set for March 8-10; we hope to see you there.

Fittingly, the name "Muletown" is a direct reference to the town of Columbia, and it's as special a town as BriarWorks is a special factory. The two share an infectious charm that's difficult to describe but a joy to experience. Much of BriarWorks' success is thanks to Columbia, and Columbia has likewise been invigorated and elevated by BriarWorks' presence and their contribution to the community.

Columbia, Tennessee: The Town

Situated 45 miles south of Nashville, Columbia was founded as Maury county's seat and officially incorporated in 1817. Today, its population approaches 45,000, and the four-block downtown square preserves an idyllic nature. Flanked by the Duck River, this historic district is marked by beautiful Federal, Victorian, and Mid-19th Century Revival architecture; family-owned shops and restaurants; and a tranquility regularly interrupted by small-town buzz. Two blocks from downtown lies President James K. Polk's ancestral home, a landmark as notable as the over-one-century-old courthouse that defines Columbia's cityscape.

Nicknamed "Muletown," Columbia was once a hub for mule trade. The moniker has since been revived in recent decades by local businesses, e.g. Muletown Coffee and Muletown Pipe Show. Originally called "Breeder's Day," the town's largest festival is Mule Day, an event started in the 1840s as a massive mule and livestock market held on the first Monday of April. While the traditional date has been maintained, Mule Day has evolved substantially over the years and now encompasses a days-long festival comprising a parade, square dance, a mule-driving contest, arts and crafts, and other such town-uniting activities.

Columbia's Cultural Renaissance

Over the past decade or so, though, Columbia has experienced a "cultural renaissance" of sorts, with high-quality, family-owned businesses contributing an artisanal flare to downtown and elevating the town's appeal. Established in 2013, Muletown Coffee has been among this renaissance's leading pioneers. "Muletown has always had this down to earth approach of 'We want to have really good coffee that you could put up against any of the best coffee shops around but we want to drop the barriers of the snobbiness that you find in those coffee shops,'" says Pete. "Matt and I are very good friends and have gotten closer over the years. Some of that's just because we both have music backgrounds — we connect on a lot of the same things — but another part is that his business is similar to ours in the sense that Muletown does a little bit of manufacturing where they wholesale and ship out their coffee to other coffee shops or stores, but then they also have the retail side of it."

Flanked by the Duck River, this historic district is marked by beautiful Federal, Victorian, and Mid-19th Century Revival architecture; family-owned shops and restaurants; and a tranquility regularly interrupted by small-town buzz

When Matt opened Muletown Coffee in Columbia, he was simply trying to offer the best coffee available and invest in a quality product that he was proud of. What he didn't realize at the time was that Columbia was ripe for a revival of downtown, one that centered on artisan-crafted products combined with communal spaces. "We were just trying to create the kind of coffee shop that we would want to hang out in," he says. "We also got there at a time when Columbia was ready. I don't know if it knew it was ready at the moment, but the town was ready. It just needed something to ignite it and to encourage Columbia to become very proud of itself in a good way ... Columbia has been so good to us since we began, and our internal motto is, 'Work hard, have fun, make your city proud.'"

Since 2013, Matt has witnessed downtown Columbia grow from a quiet, almost quirky square into a vibrant "makers' corner" lined with businesses devoted to crafting exceptional products. "As you come down the hill off of the square, we're making batch-roasted coffee right there," says Matt. "Then there's Asgard brewery further down and BriarWorks is making tobacco pipes now across the street. This whole little makers' corner of Columbia has been developing over the last few years, and to have a vibrant makers' community is a rare thing, especially in a small town like Columbia. You sort of expect to find these sorts of things maybe in East Nashville or something, but for it to be here and just enough off the beaten path, it feels like a good secret. It's fun when people come visit, maybe with low expectations, and they go, 'Wow, man, have you been down to BriarWorks? It's the coolest thing. Have you been over to Muletown? Wow, it's cool.' It's fun to exceed people's expectations."

Like Muletown, BriarWorks has been integral to Columbia's cultural renaissance. "BriarWorks created a place that Columbia desperately needed. And I don't think Columbia even knew how bad it needed it," Matt says. "It's very similar for us: You create these gathering spots, but you just don't know how much it's going to mean to people. Yes, of course we work very hard to make sure our coffee is absolutely excellent, in the same way Pete works very hard to create the best possible product he can create, but then it's another thing to create a space and to see it grow and become something beyond simply offering quality products. I think BriarWorks planting a flag down there at the bottom of the hill and opening its doors was significant and unique. There wasn't anything like it at the time. There really still isn't in Columbia."

Moreover, Muletown's and BriarWorks' influence has encouraged other similarly minded brands to choose Columbia. "When someone brings a business like BriarWorks to a small town like Columbia, plants their flag, and does a great thing, and it's successful," continues Matt. "It brings so much momentum and encouragement to other entrepreneurs and businesses who say, 'This is fertile ground for small business, and people are receptive here.'" Bradley Mountain is one such business, having moved their headquarters from San Diego to Columbia just last year.

What he didn't realize at the time was that Columbia was ripe for a revival of downtown, one that centered on artisan-crafted products combined with communal spaces

"Bradley Mountain is a brand I've been running for 11 years," says founder and owner, Tyler Axtell. "We make wax-canvas bags and jackets from scratch just the old way, and the heart of the brand is very much like this idyllic old-town, small-town feel that we couldn't really find in California. We went looking for a place where we could support our family and also have really cool, small-town relationships." Tyler and Bradley Mountain found that perfect combination in Columbia, and his store — like Muletown Coffee and BriarWorks — combines artisan handicraft with hospitality. "We now have a retail store for people to come in and shop and see our products. They can look through the windows and see where our workshop is, how it's made, and we also have a coffee bar, beer, and food," says Tyler. "It's a great community space and place for people to come get together, share stories. Travelers can come through. That's the space we've always dreamed of."

To enhance the connection between these three companies, Bradley Mountain has handcrafted BriarWorks' branded pipe rolls for years, yet even after Tyler decided to move his business to Columbia, he wasn't aware that it was also the home of BriarWorks. Such a serendipitous connection, though, allowed Pete and BriarWorks to help Tyler and Bradley Mountain in their transition to Columbia. "I didn't know BriarWorks was in Columbia at the time, but I knew BriarWorks because we've been making pipe rolls for their store for years," Tyler says. "I was just blown away when I met Pete. He's the nicest guy, and he believes in what he does. He's so talented and such family to me. We started hanging out, and he introduced me to a bunch of guys in town. It opened up the whole town to me being able to know BriarWorks and see how they're growing this community and putting on events. BriarWorks to me is such an anchor in this town."

Another facet and progenitor of Columbia's cultural renaissance, though, lies more behind the scenes than public-facing businesses like Muletown, BriarWorks, and Bradley Mountain: Mike Wolfe of the History channel's American Pickers is among Columbia's greatest advocates, investors, and promoters. "When we moved to Columbia, Mike had just recently bought a few buildings here," says Pete. "Mike loves Columbia. He loves small town USA. That's his whole thing. He lived nearby, saw Columbia, and just said, 'This town has got so much cool history. The bones of this town are so cool.'" Mike began buying and restoring old buildings in Columbia and renting them to local businesses. "He's always out there promoting all of these unique local businesses around town," says Pete. "He's been a big part of this renaissance that's happened here in Columbia, and it's a combination of his work as well as that of local businesses that have led to this renaissance."

"It's a great community space and place for people to come get together, share stories"

For Mike, Columbia reminded him a lot of his hometown. "I was coming here to do business, and I just fell in love with the community, walking around downtown, and talking with people and such. It just really reminded me a little bit of where I'm from," he says. "I've restored a number of old buildings. I started doing that back in Iowa, where I'm from, and Columbia just had so many incredible buildings. The assets here as far as the properties and the type of architecture here are really great."

What also drew Mike to Columbia was how accessible and well rounded it was. "Columbia still has a very small-town feel to it, yet the downtown has just about everything that you could ever imagine amenities-wise. Within a block I can be at a record store, I could be at a bookstore, I could be at a family-owned health food store, I could be at an outfitter's place, I could be at a tapas place. I can be at a steakhouse, I can be at a music venue, I can be at a tap house," he says. "So, all of these things, the right kind of things, are here that feed the type of client, or the type of person that is coming to town, that is looking and yearning for a sense of community."

Mike also recognized others who were devoted to investing in Columbia and who were developing local businesses committed to quality and community. "This community takes everything to the next level as far as, if someone's restoring a building, or if someone's opening a retail space, or if someone's opening a manufacturing space, everyone is at the top of their game at what they're doing, and it's an incredible thing," he says. "BriarWorks has been influential because of what they do, which is extremely unique. I mean, they're makers at a very high level, and that's what it takes. It takes unique experiences and businesses like BriarWorks to get people to come and experience these areas."

Mike Wolfe of the History channel's American Pickers is among Columbia's greatest advocates, investors, and promoters

Muletown Coffee, BriarWorks, and Bradley Mountain have all been well received by Columbia, bespeaking the town's deep desire for authentic relationships, products, and spaces. It's a desire rooted in a yearning to be proud of Columbia. Places like Muletown, BriarWorks, and Bradley Mountain have contributed greatly to Columbia's self pride. They're proud and honored to be a part of this positive shift in Columbia and have felt that pride reciprocated by the town. "What's really cool about downtown Columbia and the Arts District, which is right outside of the downtown area, is the mentality of local, small business, not big, corporate-type businesses. All of these kinds of businesses have created this renaissance and contributed to what Columbia's becoming," Pete says. "This approach of just being a comfortable environment that people really can enjoy and really want to come back to has made Columbia a place that people who don't even live here want to come visit and want to come see." For Tyler, "it feels very welcoming here and the town is ready to bloom," he says. "The town feels warm to good growth and to things that are bringing good community and good, nice things to do. We're so happy to be here."

BriarWorks in Columbia

Two aspects that have made BriarWorks such a boon to Columbia are its lounge space and its employees. The lounge — full of couches, easy chairs, dart boards, tables, and a massive projector screen — is an alluring and infectious atmosphere that's impossible not to appreciate, even for those not local to the area, and the people who work there are equally inviting. "The biggest piece of our success and reputation in Columbia is our staff, the people that work here," says Pete. "The customers just love them. Our people that work behind the bar here, our customers consider them to be family almost. They love the way that they're treated, the way they're taken care of."

The lounge has been a consistent part of BriarWorks' identity ever since it moved to Columbia, and even though the early years were slow-going from a business perspective, Pete committed to maintaining the same schedule. "One thing that I was very adamant about from the very beginning is that whatever we decided our hours were going to be, I didn't want to change those," he says. "I wanted to be very consistent with that because I had seen, even in the short time we had been here, I had seen several businesses either come and go or open up and just continuously change their hours and the days that they were open. I just thought, 'We need to be consistent with that and eventually it will hopefully catch on.'"

"What's really cool about downtown Columbia and the Arts District, which is right outside of the downtown area, is the mentality of local, small business, not big, corporate-type businesses. All of these kinds of businesses have created this renaissance and contributed to what Columbia's becoming"

And catch on it did. Whether a weeknight or a weekend, loyal patrons frequent BriarWorks and consider it their regular hangout spot, and the benefits of a consistent schedule combine with the quality of BriarWorks' staff. "Customers love the consistency of, 'If I go on a Monday night, Micah's going to be there. I'm going to go hang out with Micah,' or, 'If I go on a Wednesday or Thursday or Friday, Lindsey's going to be there. If I go during the day, Brad's going to be there. Levi's going to be there,'" Pete says. "That consistency really drew people in."

It took baby steps, though, to get BriarWorks and its lounge space where it is today, as well as a steadfast commitment to gradual improvement even if the timing wasn't perfect. "One thing I've really learned is that we can talk about doing things and we can plan and we can wait until it's just right or it's perfect," says Pete. "What I've found is that if we go that way with it, we don't do it. We end up either missing an opportunity or we end up never doing it because we get too focused on, 'Oh, it's got to be just right.'" Instead, Pete and BriarWorks grew the shop and lounge gradually over the years, never overwhelming themselves with too many changes at once, which allowed them to complete each improvement successfully.

"In the beginning, the idea was simply that we should have a retail store where people can buy our pipes and can come see our factory," says Pete. "And then as we all came on board with that idea, that's when I really started thinking, 'Well, we could also do some cigars because that would make sense,' and then, 'We should probably have beer because that also would make sense,' and then the liquor license was a next step. It was a matter of us taking our time and trusting that we would eventually get there."

... loyal patrons frequent BriarWorks and consider it their regular hangout spot

In many ways, BriarWorks today is exactly how Pete envisioned it from the beginning, but he didn't expect the degree to which it would be welcomed by Columbia, nor how successful it has been. "To me, it was beer, liquor, cigars, pipes: I love all of these things. It would be so cool if we combined all of them, but in my mind, I didn't really see it all necessarily coming together the way that it has," he says. "We wanted to be every man's pipe and cigar lounge and a bar that anybody, no matter how much money they make or what they drive or the clothes that they wear, could come into our place and feel that they were welcomed into this community at BriarWorks. We wanted anybody to come in here and not ever feel like, 'Oh, I don't want to go there because someone might be judgemental.' We definitely wanted to be an approachable place for everyone."

BriarWorks does an excellent job at combining authenticity with quality. Pete and the rest of the BriarWorks team all have good taste, and they've outfitted their space according to their interests and passions. People are drawn to crafts and places that are curated by people with good taste and a passion for what they do. BriarWorks is a place like that, and it's drawn the Columbia community together under that banner of authenticity, acceptance, and character.

Many of the lounge's core traits are tied directly to Pete's interests and what he finds cool, two being Coors Banquet and darts. "When we decided to have beer on tap, I had recently gotten into Coors Banquet," he says. "So I said, 'We're going to have Coors Banquet on draft because I love it and I never see it on draft anywhere.'" Moreover, Pete wanted it as the centerpiece for the bar. "I found this cool fridge from around the 1940s that became our Banquet tap, and now it's a staple of the lounge. Everyday someone says, 'That Banquet fridge is so cool! I've never had Banquet on draft. I've got to have that.' It's our number one selling beer," he says. "It's one of those organic things that I never really envisioned in the beginning, but it became a big part of who we are and the place that we are. It's funny how sometimes things like that just come together somehow."

Similarly, hosting a weekly darts night wasn't a part of Pete's original vision for BriarWorks' lounge space, but it developed organically and is now a core aspect of their identity in Columbia. "I had been playing darts with friends in a neighborhood dart league. We'd get together in each other's garages," he says. "So for the lounge, I thought, 'Oh, we should have a dart board because that'd be cool.' But now darts has become a big part of who we are, and that was definitely not something I anticipated. I have to give credit to John Orman, who's one of our customers. He was someone who said, 'Hey, you guys should do a dart night, and I'll help out with that.' He helped get that going and then said, 'You should get another board or a couple boards.' So we added more dart boards, and it was another one of those organic things that just came to be. I would also give credit to Dart Night being one of those things that anchored us as a popular local establishment."

BriarWorks has transformed from a workshop that only makes pipes to now a vibrant, all-encompassing venue with a full humidor and bar, beer and liquor, TVs and dart boards, and indoor and outdoor seating. Food trucks regularly park on the street out front or behind; people rely on BriarWorks for community and a good time. Even with these advancements, though, the factory has never faltered in its core identity: making quality pipes. As with everything they do, BriarWorks is committed to openness and being down-to-earth, especially regarding tobacco, and Pete and his team are passionate about helping fellow pipe smokers and investing in the pipe community.

People are drawn to crafts and places that are curated by people with good taste and a passion for what they do

"We made it our goal to be as approachable as possible. We know that people are going to come to us and think, 'These guys make pipes. They must know about pipes,' As soon as they walk in that door, I want people to realize, yes, we do know a thing or two about pipes, but don't be intimidated," says Pete. "Let us show you a way you can pack a pipe, and here are some tobaccos you might want to try. If Aromatics are your thing or if you like unflavored tobaccos or whatever it might be, we wanted everybody to not feel intimidated. That was the biggest thing for us. We wanted everybody to feel welcome at our place."

Patrick Gilliam, a Columbia native and a long-time regular at BriarWorks, was one such burgeoning pipe smoker who benefitted from BriarWorks' gracious tutelage. "I had a pipe that I'd had for a long time, but I never really knew how to smoke it. I'm an ex-cigarette smoker and had always wanted to smoke a pipe. Pete brought me one and a bag of some bulk that he had and we broke bread, so to speak, and he showed me the ins and outs. Then I fell for it all the way," says Patrick. "Pete and Brad were my mentors and guides in getting into the hobby, and one thing that neither one of them has is pretentiousness. Those two were really instrumental in showing me the different kinds of tobacco too. Not only how to smoke and the very few 'do's and don'ts,' but also encouraging me to figure out my own tastes and preferences."

Born and raised in Columbia, Patrick has also personally witnessed BriarWorks' positive effect on the town and the cultural renaissance it's helped propagate. "I would say Columbia had kind of a small-town renaissance about 10 years ago, and it started with our friends at Muletown Coffee. They were kind of the jumping off point. Then BriarWorks came in, and they were another jumping off point of bringing things downtown," he says. "Before then, there was nothing downtown but lawyers and the courthouse." BriarWorks has provided a reason for people to stay in Columbia when they want to go out with friends, and Patrick is an example of that. "I don't know that I would go to Columbia as often as I do if BriarWorks wasn't there. I'm a lifer, and I live 15 minutes out of town. For social events, I can't think of a time I've gone to Columbia to hang out with buddies in public and it not involved BriarWorks," he says. "It anchors the nightlife in downtown because you can go a number of places to get something to eat, but then where are you going to go afterwards? We always just end up at BriarWorks. And then you include Dart Night, the events they have, and food trucks out front and the patio, and it's a well-rounded, fun place to have in a town like Columbia. Plus, it's an open-arms place. It's full acceptance. The staff is great, the clientele is great. Everybody that goes in there is nice."

Matt Johnson also speaks to this transformation of Columbia pre- and post-BriarWorks:

BriarWorks has grown into so much more than a pipe factory. It's a local sanctuary and a facilitator of good memories. In my opinion, it's the best bar and lounge in the world.

BriarWorks' 10th Anniversary

For BriarWorks' 10th anniversary and the lounge's fifth anniversary, Pete and his team hosted a day-long celebration on Saturday, October 21st. Columbia showed its support, and the lounge was packed the entire day. With a food truck outside, football on the projector inside, pipes, cigars, and drinks, what better place was there?

"Pete and Brad were my mentors and guides in getting into the hobby, and one thing that neither one of them has is pretentiousness"

Pete admits, though, that the milestone almost passed by unnoticed. "We're a small company. There's only a handful of us that work here, and it's really easy for us to get caught up in the day-to-day that we forget, 'Oh, we should really take a moment and acknowledge this milestone,'" he says. "So, it all came together a little bit last minute over the past month or two, but one thing that I definitely wanted to do was have a big one-day event for locals to come out for, which I think is great." It was a success, to say the least. Outside of the Muletown Pipe Show, the 10th anniversary celebration was BriarWorks' second-best sales day of the entire year. "It was a really good day," says Pete. "From when we opened at the start of the day to when we closed, it was busy in the lounge the entire day. We had a really good turnout."

Moreover, BriarWorks debuted their limited-edition 10th Anniversary pipe at the event: The C10 Zulu shape. It's a brand-new design not found on the factory's regular-production shape chart and was created exclusively to celebrate this special milestone. "I definitely knew that we had to design something special, I just didn't really know for a while what that would be," says Pete. "The Zulu shape has been requested by our customers over the years now. It's one of those shapes that I feel was once a popular shape and everybody produced them, but it's not talked about as much anymore. It's not as common." Pete worked on the design with help from Bill Shalosky, and then the template was programmed into the factory's CNC machines for production. "We released a limited batch of these at the anniversary event," Pete says. "I love the way that the shape came out. I think it's a really nice version of the shape, and it does exactly what I think of when I think of a Zulu, which is it blending those worlds of a slightly bent Dublin and a Horn. It's a good size, too. It is not too big, not too small. It's neutral in that sense, and I wanted to make that as appealing as we could."

Available in BriarWorks signature selection of finishes and acrylic stem colors, the 10th Anniversary C10 is also specially engraved "10 Years" to mark the occasion. Check out our selection available on Monday, December 4th, and stay tuned for more as BriarWorks continues to make them for a limited time.

Outside of the Muletown Pipe Show, the 10th anniversary celebration was BriarWorks' second-best sales day of the entire year

Celebrate 10 years of BriarWorks pipes with us and five years of the BriarWorks lounge in Columbia. It's noteworthy when pipe brands extend their influence beyond the pipe world, and BriarWorks is an example of how quality people and intentional hospitality can leave an indelible mark on a community, transforming it for the better. If you're ever in middle Tennessee, Columbia is worth the visit, and BriarWorks there with it.

Bibliography

• Columbia: A Top Ten Best Small Town, The New Residents Guide
• Local Info, Visit Columbia Tennessee
• Columbia, Tennessee, Advisory Counsil on Historic Preservation
• Mule Day, Visit Columbia Tennessee