By swapping his chisel and hammer for a chainsaw, beachfront djembe drum-maker Richard Pipe has doubled his output of the instruments he fashions from stumps of wood.
Pipe, 47, who also gives lessons in the art of drumming, sells the drums he affectionately calls “bloomsies” to the international market as well as to South Africans who come across him at backpacker gigs countrywide.
And, to attract more attention to his creations, Pipe has moved his drum-making operation from the garden at Sugarshack Backpackers to the pavement outside.
The move has attracted the attention of Eastern Beach surfers and passers-by, and paid off in orders. “At the moment I am making a big drum for a surfer. Working on the pavement attracts lots more attention.”
His chainsaw allows him to shape and hollow out a stump of blackwood or sneezewood in a matter of hours, as opposed to the two or three days it took with a chisel and hammer. “Making a drum is still a three-month process from start to finish, but I can now make double the amount,” said Pipe, whose drums sell for between R2000 and R6500, depending on size and the type of wood used.
Pipe is mindful of the noise his work creates, and only powers up his saw at about 11am – after check-out time at the Sugarshack.
His drums are smooth and even thanks to a lengthy sanding and drying process, which is followed by a rub down with shea butter to protect the wood. The finishing touch is water-softened goatskin that is carefully stretched over the top.
While he describes the physical labour as tiring, Pipe’s face softens when he talks about the de-stressing benefits of playing drums, which he fell in love with when working at Amapondo Backpackers in Port St Johns about 12 years ago.
“People from Germany, France, Holland buy my drums, but I also get orders from South Africans. I delivered three drums to Johannesburg by bus after customers saw me play in Coffee Bay in December. I include an instruction DVD in the price.”
While the Daily Dispatch was talking to Pipe, one of his pupils brought him coffee. “He is reskinning my friend’s drum,” said Riona van der Merwe. “He teaches four of us to play at weekly sessions, and we have all upgraded to his bloomsies.
“It’s a very spiritual experience. It teaches you to be in the now.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Richard brings new buzz to his drums
Pipe, 47, who also gives lessons in the art of drumming, sells the drums he affectionately calls “bloomsies” to the international market as well as to South Africans who come across him at backpacker gigs countrywide.
And, to attract more attention to his creations, Pipe has moved his drum-making operation from the garden at Sugarshack Backpackers to the pavement outside.
The move has attracted the attention of Eastern Beach surfers and passers-by, and paid off in orders. “At the moment I am making a big drum for a surfer. Working on the pavement attracts lots more attention.”
His chainsaw allows him to shape and hollow out a stump of blackwood or sneezewood in a matter of hours, as opposed to the two or three days it took with a chisel and hammer. “Making a drum is still a three-month process from start to finish, but I can now make double the amount,” said Pipe, whose drums sell for between R2000 and R6500, depending on size and the type of wood used.
Pipe is mindful of the noise his work creates, and only powers up his saw at about 11am – after check-out time at the Sugarshack.
His drums are smooth and even thanks to a lengthy sanding and drying process, which is followed by a rub down with shea butter to protect the wood. The finishing touch is water-softened goatskin that is carefully stretched over the top.
While he describes the physical labour as tiring, Pipe’s face softens when he talks about the de-stressing benefits of playing drums, which he fell in love with when working at Amapondo Backpackers in Port St Johns about 12 years ago.
“People from Germany, France, Holland buy my drums, but I also get orders from South Africans. I delivered three drums to Johannesburg by bus after customers saw me play in Coffee Bay in December. I include an instruction DVD in the price.”
While the Daily Dispatch was talking to Pipe, one of his pupils brought him coffee. “He is reskinning my friend’s drum,” said Riona van der Merwe. “He teaches four of us to play at weekly sessions, and we have all upgraded to his bloomsies.
“It’s a very spiritual experience. It teaches you to be in the now.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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