Blazing. A Trail of BFP’s through Minnesota and Wisconsin.

With NCECA, National Conference for the Education of Ceramic Arts, underway in Kansas City and an exhilarating Iron Pour experience completed, I headed northeast. My goal is to make friends and sell BFP’s, Big Fucking Pipes. It’s obvious that some states don’t have the infrastructure for smoking tools and accessories. I generally use google maps to find “Head shop” all along the way. As soon as I crossed the state line between KS and MO there was a shop named Smoke Tokz Head Shop. Now, that name sounds promising. I’ll use this strategy along the way. I guess I could call ahead, but My goal is to get them to hold it. I do hit them all up, just in case. Can’t judge a book by its cover.

SMOKE TOKZ

So what happens is the clerk has no power to Purchase. This is a one time thing, Sure you can order from me online but here is your opportunity for a deal. He says he will let his boss know. I’m like, “let’s take a picture of you holding it so your boss can see what he missed.” I usually take a pic for them with the Pipe using their phone and then one with mine. I think it’s a no sale and go to the car. I sit there looking at google maps for a destination and decide to bypass Kansas City and go northeast throughout the late evening to arrive in Minneapolis/St. Paul by morning. And… he comes out and taps on my hood and waves me to come back inside. He tells me he wants one. So I bring in a selection for him to choose from. One Down, Feeling Good. I head North.

Sunset Z4
Mile High Potter

Minneapolis

Know Name Records
Bruce

I arrived in Minneapolis, got a little rest in the car then Hit the stores. I’m a fan of Jim Croce’ song I Got A Name. Well, the first store in Minneapolis happened to be Know Name Records. Met Bruce, showed him my Big Fucking Pipes. This place has history its filled with cool music stuff, even a sign to encourage people to play the guitars. I saw a record that was so big I had to ask whats the speed on it, 33 1/3, it was huge. So Bruce picked a sweet BFP and I was back at it.

Clown Glass

Clown Glass scooped up a red BFP. This place has nice wood and glass display cases for their artworks. I was asked where it should be displayed. Behind the counter since the displays were full was my thought. His idea involved putting it right in the main area. mentioning he will have to move a few things around. It’s going to look great there, I just know it.

Hideaway Dinkytown

Hideaway was busy and they have a large staff for this reason. I was directed to wait for Bruce and Andrew kept me company. This place has hot chicks everywhere. It’s right next to the University of Minnesota.

Puff Puff Glass

Puff Puff Glass is a hippie happy store. Must love cats. I think they have three of them. Disc golf selection is amazing, well stocked with glass and pipes reasonably priced. A true mom and pops kind of store and well kept. I was so happy that I drove out of my way to meet them. From here I’ll race to Green Bay, WI. and get some much needed sleep.

Greg at Glass Monkey Smoke Shop

I’ll end up at Glass Monkey Smokeshop. here I will meet Greg. He is the guy that makes and sells Vape Apes. He chose quite a bit of inventory and we priced it but he kept trying to barter with me. Here I’m a sucker for someone selling their product. I totally understand his point of view. he made a generous offer and I will reluctantly accept it. However, I’m not completely familiar with the products and I prefer smoking weed as Buds. But the Silverback Vape Ape does flower, wax and vape oil. And I feel like I know people who do like to dab and vape, so this might work out.

I went to a park by the shore of Green Bay and thought of any other possible landmarks to have a picture taken. Lambeau Field popped up and off I went. Dropped the Top on the Z4, Put on a hat from my new line of hats. got out a Big Fucking Pipe and snapped a few at Lambeau Field. From here I’ll hit shops to the west of Lake Winnebago and work my way south.

Marley’s Smoke Shop

In Oshkosh I stopped at Marley’s Smoke Shop. I loved their tapestries, huge fabric Grateful Dead, Bob Marley and Marijuana Leaf banners. I may just draw Lynard in wax on some sheets and tie dye them. very colorful. would like a tie dye cloth tent. I did stop at Lions Den Adult Superstore and they, not knowing my product gave me sound advice and expectation should I land a contract with them. Thank you Lions Den.

I like walking into a store empty handed, talk to the person in charge of purchasing, see if their interested in having a look at my Art. I don’t sell pipes, they sell themselves. Once they get them in their hands, they realize the uniqueness of my Pipes. So I go into this store, Torched Glass. I talk to a guy that has no purchasing power for the store, hell it’s late. Three young guys are shopping. I ask the attendant if I can bring a pipe in for him to see just what I got. I tell him If he likes it, tell the Owner. If not, Don’t tell him. He agrees. I go fetch a BFP and return. Trying to get back before the customers leave. I make it and show the group. They immediately recognize it from the 2Chainz Show Most Expensivest Shit and want a pic. you bet, buddy.

recognized from 2Chainz Show

By now, I’m feeling discouraged, I’ve traveled farther than I expected and still have about a third of the pipes left. Grant it, some cities I’ve visited are not as large or have tight regulations on paraphernalia sales. My plans are as follows. Sell in Milwaukee, then change course for home via Madison, Cedar Rapids, Omaha, and Denver with hopes of selling out somewhere along the way. As it turns out, I have a friend in Chicago, Il. We went to college together and he’s a Potter also. He sold pipes for me on the streets in Denver. So I thought he might be able to help me out. Maybe I could bypass Milwaukee and drop the rest on him in Chicago. I did call him and propose the idea. He agreed. But, As I drove past Milwaukee, I felt that I was passing my burden onto him. So I back tracked thirty miles and started doing Milwaukee from the north to the south as planned. My first stop, Puff n Up Smoke Shop. I can’t recall his name. But, This guy was by far the most influential person on my trip. I showed him a box of BFP’s and he looked them over and asked do you have more? Sure, I have some other colors and patterns, let me get them. I bring in all the BFP’s. He asks, do you have anything else? I have some vaporizers, Vape Ape SilverBacks and Vape pens, I say. Let me see them, he replies. I get the Vape Ape Gear out and show him. His response wasn’t exactly favorable.

Puff n Up Smoke Shop
Gold AK47 Hookah

Now there are vaporizers for just blowing smoke which tastes great and is generally nicotine free. With that said, when the Silverback was designed it was for smoking weed and its concentrates like wax or shatter. It does come with a smoking attachment, but it was meant for nicotine infused oils and not for the formation of clouds. It’s really about the batteries and the gage of wires for the elements. He showes me around his store, very impressive.

Puff n Up Smoke Shop

Hand blown artworks everywhere, Opulence is how I would describe his inventory. 14k Gold plated vaporizers. Amazing glasswork, Ak 47 gold hookah, ect.. His Resident Artist passed away recently. He told me how he sent him to workshops in California and he came back blowing glass. He admits the first 50 were not that great, but the kid continued to improve. Now they sell for several hundred dollars apiece. Sorry for your loss my friend.

By the way, he offers to trade the three silverbacks for a high-end cloud maker. I declined, but asked for a bottle of smoke juice to try with the one I got. He was happy to help me. He ended up Buying all the BFP’s off me, to my surprize. We settled up and it wasn’t ten a.m. yet. So, I decided to go to Chicago and have a Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza with Joey.

I’m leaving Milwaukee and I see this kid looking out his window at me and the Z4. Now I just sold all the BFP’s I’m on top of the world. Radio in playing 80’s music, I’m singing along. Driving faster than I should from light to light. that’s when I see the kid, watching me. I feel like a celebrity. I look at him but not for any great length of time. Now, I want to hot rod this mother fucker, you know for the kid. I miss a turn just so I could be admired for a second longer by the kid. Again, paying him no obvious attention. Until his driver, probably his mother, changed lanes for an exit. as he existed I made eye contact and casually waved to him. That boy waved so fucking hard back to me. It kinda choked me up. I’m no fucking role model for a kid.

Along the way, Mostly interstate and toll roads, I will find a champion of speed. This champion came in a volvo station wagon, light gray in color. She was a big boned white woman, maybe forty years old. since she passed me i would let her lead for a while. It seemed the law was elsewhere cause if she slowed down or got caught in traffic I would pass her. then blow her away. only to have her pass me again. this continued for over an hour. We made good time. It turned out the fast lane was slow and the slow lane was the fastest. I blew through the first toll area without notice, lol. after that it slowed to a crawl in places.

I made it to my buddies apartment. We smoked a few joints and talked, while on the balcony I spotted The Joker.

Made friends in Chicago

I asked if I could get their picture. Then they waved me over. It looked like they were about to leave. I raced through the house and met them outside on the street. I asked them, “where are you going?” they said, “to Dinner.” I was shocked, “you dress up like that for dinner, That’s awesome!” “No”, they replied, “we were at comic con and now we are going to dinner.” I asked them if they smoked pot. they replied with, “No thanks, we dont want any.” I said, “hell I ain’t got any either, But I’m the Mile High Potter. I make pipes. check this out” and I show them Pics of my BFP’s. The Joker replies, “that’s a Big fucking pipe.” “Ding, Ding, Ding! you win. that’s what I named them.”Come to my car and I’ll give you a small one, and I did. They were so much fun.

Here are a few places that currently carry BFP’s, Big Fucking Pipes.