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Curing: Difference between revisions
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(New page: ''Originally Published in Pipes & Tobaccos, Fall 2000, this version is unedited, used by permission'' '''CURING, Another in an infrequent series of articles concerning THE BRIAR PIPE, by ...) |
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“Wait a minute! What d’you mean by mean and nasty soil?” | “Wait a minute! What d’you mean by mean and nasty soil?” | ||
Briar is a shrub, and varieties of this shrub grow throughout the world; why there’s some comes from North Carolina that was tried for pipes while the war was on in the | Briar is a shrub, and varieties of this shrub grow throughout the world; why there’s some comes from North Carolina that was tried for pipes while the war was on in the 1940s. Wasn’t any good though, because the soil it came from was too good. Didn’t develop the characteristics that were needed to hold fire. For that the shrub needs to sort of undergo torture, to struggle. Bad soil is what it needs, and a bad climate. Not bad cold but bad hot, and with very little water around. Under these conditions briar grows real real slow- sort of just inching along year by year. If it’s not dug up too quick- say give it 40 or 50 year at least- it can make pipes. Some think that the grain has tightened enough so that, if placed in the right hands, it can become a useful smoking chimney. Me- I don’t think that’s it. I think there’s something else in the wood that leads to this special character, but I don’t know what it is. That’s up to the plant doctors to figure out. | ||
Well, this stuff’s been in the ground a real long time, and there’s all kind of stuff in the burl- that’s the part growing below ground that is used to make pipes. It kind of looks like a ball with roots below and branches above. Anyway, there’s all wonder of things inside that ball- and before anyone can even think of making briar pipes a lot of stuff has to be done. First the forester or woodsman or digger or whoever he is has to get that ball out of the ground in one piece with no injuries. Wouldn’t do to have the end of a pick axe rammed into the ball, exposing the inside to whatever before it could be brought to the briar sawmill. So the guy first has to find the shrub, which isn’t hard because in the area he’s working it’s all over the place. Next he has to gauge the age of the shrub before he digs it; wouldn’t do to dig up a little bitty burl. Not for pipes anyway. Might make a small ashtray or match holder is all. Then, if he feels he’s got something to work with he sets to work. Cuts off the branches low as he can so the stumps are just above the soil. Digs around the burl with pick axe and spade- slowly uncovering it. Hard mean work. No one around to talk to. Maybe a radio. After that ball is uncovered there are still roots underneath. Have to separate the burl from the roots with a saw and then put that heavy sucker into the cart. Or else just leave it and go on to another. Come back with the cart and donkey later. Did I mention that all these guys are old- | Well, this stuff’s been in the ground a real long time, and there’s all kind of stuff in the burl- that’s the part growing below ground that is used to make pipes. It kind of looks like a ball with roots below and branches above. Anyway, there’s all wonder of things inside that ball- and before anyone can even think of making briar pipes a lot of stuff has to be done. First the forester or woodsman or digger or whoever he is has to get that ball out of the ground in one piece with no injuries. Wouldn’t do to have the end of a pick axe rammed into the ball, exposing the inside to whatever before it could be brought to the briar sawmill. So the guy first has to find the shrub, which isn’t hard because in the area he’s working it’s all over the place. Next he has to gauge the age of the shrub before he digs it; wouldn’t do to dig up a little bitty burl. Not for pipes anyway. Might make a small ashtray or match holder is all. Then, if he feels he’s got something to work with he sets to work. Cuts off the branches low as he can so the stumps are just above the soil. Digs around the burl with pick axe and spade- slowly uncovering it. Hard mean work. No one around to talk to. Maybe a radio. After that ball is uncovered there are still roots underneath. Have to separate the burl from the roots with a saw and then put that heavy sucker into the cart. Or else just leave it and go on to another. Come back with the cart and donkey later. Did I mention that all these guys are old- 1960s and 1970s. No kids want to work all day in the woods by themselves. Kids are in the towns working where the action is. Lonely job here in the woods; I guess you got to be sort of at peace with yourself to do it. | ||
When the digger has enough burls he takes ‘em to the saw mill. Gets paid on the spot. Cash business. Now no one at this point knows what’s in those burls, if the wood is good or not. So the pay is for weight- nothing else. | When the digger has enough burls he takes ‘em to the saw mill. Gets paid on the spot. Cash business. Now no one at this point knows what’s in those burls, if the wood is good or not. So the pay is for weight- nothing else. | ||
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So now we have these blocks of wood, all in sacks according to first grading. What happens then? The wood, sack by sack, is boiled. Although the wood is dead it still has all kinds of nasty stuff in it that would turn the mouth of a pipe smoker inside out if this step wasn’t taken first. You see, boiling removes most of the sap and other impurities and replaces it with water. | So now we have these blocks of wood, all in sacks according to first grading. What happens then? The wood, sack by sack, is boiled. Although the wood is dead it still has all kinds of nasty stuff in it that would turn the mouth of a pipe smoker inside out if this step wasn’t taken first. You see, boiling removes most of the sap and other impurities and replaces it with water. | ||
After boiling the blocks are spread, each in their own grade area, to surface dry after which time they are re-graded. Grading is very subjective because no one knows what is in the block. At the present moment plateau is considered very high quality whereas in the | After boiling the blocks are spread, each in their own grade area, to surface dry after which time they are re-graded. Grading is very subjective because no one knows what is in the block. At the present moment plateau is considered very high quality whereas in the 1920s one famous pipe manufacturer claimed that “The centre of the root yields the most perfect pipe that can be obtained.” [1] | ||
After the second grading the blocks are supposed to continue to dry for an additional eighteen months before they are ready for selection. Actually this doesn’t always happen- depending on the need of the pipe maker(s) in question or on how badly the sawmill needs cash. | After the second grading the blocks are supposed to continue to dry for an additional eighteen months before they are ready for selection. Actually this doesn’t always happen- depending on the need of the pipe maker(s) in question or on how badly the sawmill needs cash. | ||