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Clay tobacco pipes are made in a two piece mould. First the pipemaker rolls out a series of tadpole shaped blanks. Taking one of these, he draws it over an oiled wire, thus forming the stem bore. The mould is then oiled. The blank with wire in place is put into one half of the mould, the other half laid on top and the whole put into a quick acting vice which forms a fixed part of the 'gin'. The handle of the gin is pulled down forcing a stopper into the mould to form the interior of the bowl. The stopper is withdrawn and the mould removed from the vice. Clay extruded from the bowl mouth is cut off with a knife inserted into a slot in the mould. The mould is opened, the pipe removed, the wire withdrawn, and the pipe laid on the board to dry to a leather hard state after which the seams can be trimmed.
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