A little context...
Grant Batson comes from an artistic, inventive heritage. Through the years, Grant has carved quite an eclectic career path. From youth, pencil sketching and clay sculpting consumed him, and at the age of 15, he built his first electric guitar. Since, he has worked in the custom cabinet & furniture industry, provided design & drafting services to architects and designers, done civil engineering, built homes and buildings, and an acoustic guitar company.
Eventually, Grant immersed himself into the art of pipe-making. He traveled the globe, working with some of the world’s most-esteemed pipe makers, and today, continues to serve pipe enthusiasts around the world with his high-grade work. Grant also teaches guitar-building and pipe-making classes.
Most recently, Grant's son, Michael, has begun learning these crafts in his dad's workshop. Michael is no stranger to the shop, having worked on pipes and pipe parts through the years as a child (and often cleaning the shop), as well as taking part in the acoustic guitar-building classes his dad has led. Michael has found a love for making, like his dad.
Grant and his family live quietly in the woods of Tennessee with their ever-growing family.
Some kind words from some satisfied clients
Ashley
"As I scroll through today's pipe advertising, I see all sorts of beautiful pipes. Of course, the blowfish always catches my eye. The curvy flowing lines and use of the different size circular panels....But as I look at closeup views of those pipes, I see little details that aren't just right. Even in your hometown neighbor's products!
I tell ya, Grant, you've spoiled me (and ruined it for the other fishy makers). I love my Batson Blowfish pipes.
Big Fat Thank You!"
Fran
"Are you kidding me!?! This pipe smokes like a dream! I collect Alfred Dunhills and I'm seriously thinking about selling them on eBay! They don't smoke nearly as good as yours! I don't know what the problem is with my Dunhills, but they won't stay lit. Your pipe stays lit! Angled walls? Depth of bowl? Size of bowl? There's some magic combination of factors involved, because your pipe stays lit! Amazing little detail!"
Brandon
"It smoked Fantastically!!! I mean almost unnaturally well! Don't give up on Crazy cavaliers, because to smoke one is to love one. …Your cavaliers smoke so well that every smoker should smoke one! In fact, in all seriousness, you need to make yourself one. Really! It smokes that good!"
Damon
"Dumfounded!
I don't know what to say....this pipe is such an exquisite art piece I don't even dare load it, let alone smoke it....It's sitting next to my acoustic guitar just hogging all the light. I am so happy with this beautiful little baby, I can't express it!
I wanted to thank you again for taking the time to create this pipe for me - I just stare at the damn thing. So awesome!!!
I am very grateful!"
Chandler
"This pipe is so good at its job, it’s redefining what I expect out of pipes. No other pipe I own, and I own some very serious pipes, perform like this one.
My excitement about owning this pipe was through the roof and now the experience goes beyond the feeling. This is a beautifully constructed and excellent pipe that will take care of me as I take care of it. There’s a lot we identify with while looking to purchase a pipe, very rarely is it an intangible like it’s function. We can’t find attraction in that regard, but we can admire its appearance. I’m very happy to say your pipes are both and to the highest degree. I cannot wait for my next purchase of one of these powerhouses of briar.
Thank you, very-very much."
Chris G.
"Grant, I own about 100 pipes. I really like the vast majority of them. With that said there is a small sub-group that just have that unknown quality that makes whatever tobacco that is put in it taste outstanding. This new pipe from you has that "something". I am a smoker first & a collector second. This little pipe smokes GREAT. It just raises every tobacco I put in it to a new level. I know it sounds a bit nutty, but it really does."
John
"This pipe really is superb. It does indeed have the capacity I wanted for it, 3" tall with 1" int. dia. The wondrous characteristic you have pulled off is that it smokes evenly and coolly all the way through. It is under 100g, and I feared when I saw it that it would smoke hot. But that is not at all the case. Aesthetically, it is a tour de force of craft, I think. That was what attracted me to your pipes in the first place. Beauty, originality--sense of one of a kind, and a very cool stem!"
Kelii
"First off, this thing is BEAUTIFUL! The grain has tight globs of bird's eye. The coloring was exactly what I was looking for, also. It really makes the pipe look classy, something a gentlemen would smoke. The horn is also beautiful, my friend. It has a different gloss and depth than the ebonite:) Cornelius Maenz is making me a bent brandy with light horn to complement this pipe! So they will be cruising around in my cabinet together.
Keep up the great work, I'll be telling all of my pipe buddies about you ..."
Chris M.
"I currently have three pipes from Grant and they are all three, without a doubt, my favorite and best smoking pipes. Grant’s attention to detail and craftsmanship are top notch. My first pipe from Grant was a commision and he absolutely hit the mark, even beyond my expectations. I plan to add several more Batsons to my collection."
Murle
"Pipe arrived safe and sound. I've had a couple of short bowls of C&D Night Train to start the break in. I really like the size, the draft is incredibly easy and open. The way you did the rustication is really new and different. It makes the pipe look like it came out of the old west. Great choice in the name Cool Cowboy. Fits it well!
The first smoke was very smooth and pleasant. The RC pipes (to me) allow slower easier puffs to produce a cooler and more flavorful taste. And this one is no exception for its size it's a heck of a smoker right out of the box!
Another Great Pipe Work! "
Neal T.
"Dead on. Nothing else I can say.
Your work is impeccable."
Thomas S.
“Hey Grant I just wanted to tell you that this pipe smokes like a Cadillac. I'm on my second bowl and it's fantastic.”
Fred T.
"Grant Batson has become one of America’s premier pipemakers in a short time. He has the distinction having studied with the great Teddy Knudsen. I own several of Grant’s pipes, and they look and smoke great! I think that his diminutive stems are as good as it gets. I’ve asked Grant to make a series of pipes for me incorporating my favorite of his designs, combined with ornaments of various semi-precious stones, including jade, lapis, and carnelian. The pipes are turning out beautifully. Grant’s pipes are the centerpiece of my pipe collection, offering me many hours of pleasant smoking, while at the same time giving me the proud distinction of owning pipes by America’s best maker."
Bob G.
"I received the pipe this afternoon. It gave me concern because the box looked like it had been through a soccer game but due to your careful packing, no damage done. The pipe is so beautiful and artsy that I don't know if I should frame it and hang it on the wall or smoke it. This is much better than the pictures of the pipe. To actually hold it in hand and look at it from different angles I find this to be a true expression of the pipemaker's art. I am so pleased to have it in my collection. Thank you so much Grant for sharing your talent with us."
Big Bill
"It’s breakfast time here in the Highlands, i’ll be headed off to work in a few minutes.
I am sitting at my kitchen table, fondling my new pipe set as I drink some freshly brewed black coffee.
Just out the window, there is a 400 foot Canyon filled to the brim with mostly geriatric Monterey pines trees.
As they grow, they twist and turn unconsciously - every which way - to compete for light.
Some remain forever wispy, while others become impressively large. Either way, their structure is always poor.
But from afar, this canopy of ugly trees, set against the forever empty ocean below is simply majestic.
A sandblasted pipe has always reminded me, in a way, of the age old Monterey pine.
Every once in awhile, there would be a blasted pipe that was so peculiar or distorted that it would catch my eye.
I would think to myself, that pipe is so ugly - a real beauty! But then, I always held onto some reservation that
these blasted pipes were in someway - somehow - less than those with a smooth and polished finish.
Their appearance disillusioned me, made me skeptical of the structure hidden below."
Mark D.
"Something about this carefully blasted briar, accented by a simple contrasting ring is just breathtaking.
The rim is smooth finished with a jagged imperfection - front and center - reporting shamelessly for duty.
The hand cut ebonite stem is short and of equal parts whimsical and functional. This pipe was my pivot point.
With some combination of greed and vision, I immediately contacted you to bring life to my idea - I wanted a set of three.
But I didn’t just stop there: I wanted a matching tamper and a custom made travel case as well.
I encouraged you not to rush, to enjoy this project - after all, pipe smoking is one of the few relaxing parts of my own life.
A few months later, this set arrived at my doorstep. I felt like a kid in a candy shop.
Correction - I still feel like a kid in a candy shop.
These pipes are the epitome of rustic elegance.
And as a set, they are simply majestic.
Thank you, Grant."
Kerry W
"The RC Calabash made it safe and sound, along with the (treasured) personal note and DE samples. Please know that none of these are lost on me, and I appreciate every bit of what you packed into that box.
The pipe is spectacular. Kind of funny how it wound up in my care, but she's with her rightful owner, now. God must have been shielding her from the lascivious eyes trolling about the floor of that show knowing that Uncle Buccs was this baby's soul mate (though I am a pipe-polygamist).
Anyway, thanks again, Grant. You took care of me in every way you could."