23,094
edits
Materials and Construction: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
→Calabash
| (11 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
=== Briar === | === Briar === | ||
[[Image:costello1.gif|thumb|[[Castello]] Old Antiquari GG, courtesy of pipes2smoke.com]]The majority of pipes sold today, whether hand made or machine made, are fashioned from briar. Briar is a particularly good wood for pipe making for a number of reasons. The first and most important is its natural resistance to fire. The second is its inherent ability to absorb moisture. The burl absorbs water in nature to supply the tree in the dry times and likewise will absorb the moisture that is a byproduct of combustion. Briar is cut from the root burl of the heath tree ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_heath Erica arborea]), which is native to the rocky and sandy soils of the Mediterranean region. Briar burls are cut into two types of blocks; ebauchon and plateaux. Ebauchon is taken from the heart of the burl while plateaux is taken from the outer part of the burl. While both types of blocks can produce pipes of the highest quality, most artisan pipe makers prefer to use plateaux because of its superior graining. | [[Image:costello1.gif|thumb|[[Castello]] Old Antiquari GG, courtesy of pipes2smoke.com]]The majority of pipes sold today, whether hand made or machine made, are fashioned from briar. Briar is a particularly good wood for pipe making for a number of reasons. The first and most important is its natural resistance to fire. The second is its inherent ability to absorb moisture. The burl absorbs water in nature to supply the tree in the dry times and likewise will absorb the moisture that is a byproduct of combustion. Briar is cut from the root burl of the heath tree ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_heath Erica arborea]), which is native to the rocky and sandy soils of the Mediterranean region. Briar burls are cut into two types of blocks; ebauchon and plateaux. Ebauchon is taken from the heart of the burl while plateaux is taken from the outer part of the burl. While both types of blocks can produce pipes of the highest quality, most artisan pipe makers prefer to use plateaux because of its superior graining. | ||
*[[Saint Claude Briar, c.1855]]: A very early example from the time and place of the first briar pipes. | |||
*[http://pipedia.org/docs/CharacteristicsOfBriar.pdf Characteristics Of Briar] is a very thorough and interesting research paper in .pdf format by G. Tsoumis, N. Kezos, I Fanariotou, E. Voulgaridis, and C. Passialis documenting the various characteristics of briar. | *[http://pipedia.org/docs/CharacteristicsOfBriar.pdf Characteristics Of Briar] is a very thorough and interesting research paper in .pdf format by G. Tsoumis, N. Kezos, I Fanariotou, E. Voulgaridis, and C. Passialis documenting the various characteristics of briar. | ||
*See, [[My Visit to A Briar Sawmill]], [[What Makes a Good Briar Pipe]], [[The Art of Sandblasting]], and [[Curing]] all excellent articles by R.D. Field. Also see [[100 Year Old Briar?]]. Also Trever Talbert's excellent blog posts[http://talbertpipes.blogspot.com/] [[Sandblasting - Circles and Shanks]] and [[How to Read your Sandblast]]. | *See, [[My Visit to A Briar Sawmill]], [[What Makes a Good Briar Pipe]], [[The Art of Sandblasting]], and [[Curing]] all excellent articles by R.D. Field. Also see [[100 Year Old Briar?]]. Also Trever Talbert's excellent blog posts[http://talbertpipes.blogspot.com/] [[Sandblasting - Circles and Shanks]] and [[How to Read your Sandblast]]. | ||
| Line 51: | Line 52: | ||
=== Clay === | === Clay === | ||
[[Image:pollockclaypipes1.jpg|thumb|right|75pxl|Fox & Grapes, [[Pollock Clay Pipes]]]] Clay in this case is almost always a very fine white clay. Low-quality "clay" pipes are actually made from porcelain forming techniques known as slip, and poured into a mold. These are porous, of very low quality, and impart unwanted flavors to a smoke. Top-notch clays, on the other hand are made in a labor-intensive process that requires beating all air out of the clay, hand-rolling each pipe before molding it, piercing with a fine wire, and careful firing. Traditionally, clay pipes are unglazed. Clays burn "hot" in comparison to other types of pipes, so they are often difficult for most pipe-smokers to use. Their proponents claim that, unlike other materials, a well-made clay pipe gives a "pure" smoke, with no flavor addition from the pipe bowl. In addition to aficionados, reproductions of historical clay styles are used by some Historical re-enactors. Clay pipes were once considered disposable items and the large quantities discarded in the past are often used as an aid in dating by industrial archaeologists. | [[Image:pollockclaypipes1.jpg|thumb|right|75pxl|Fox & Grapes, [[Pollock Clay Pipes]]]] Clay in this case is almost always a very fine white clay. Low-quality "clay" pipes are actually made from porcelain forming techniques known as slip, and poured into a mold. These are porous, of very low quality, and impart unwanted flavors to a smoke. Top-notch clays, on the other hand are made in a labor-intensive process that requires beating all air out of the clay, hand-rolling each pipe before molding it, piercing with a fine wire, and careful firing. Traditionally, clay pipes are unglazed. Clays burn "hot" in comparison to other types of pipes, so they are often difficult for most pipe-smokers to use. Their proponents claim that, unlike other materials, a well-made clay pipe gives a "pure" smoke, with no flavor addition from the pipe bowl. In addition to aficionados, reproductions of historical clay styles are used by some Historical re-enactors. Clay pipes were once considered disposable items and the large quantities discarded in the past are often used as an aid in dating by industrial archaeologists.<br> | ||
[[File:Selmec.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Selmec Clay, courtesy Geoffrey Mogilner, [http://www.racineandlaramie.com/ Racine & Laramie Tobacconist]]]The Hungarian clay pipe is famous. The illustration (to the left) is a 19th Cent. example with the seal of the town of [[Selmec]] on the front. The seal represents two salamanders which legend tells us led residences to the gold deposits. Hammer and pick are also represented. These clays represent an entirely different clay pipe tradition from the English clay pipes. These shapes are based on Turkish clay pipes which entered Europe from the East. | |||
*See [[Selmec]] for additional information on Hungarian clays | |||
*For additional information see, [[A Short History Of Clay Pipes]], by Heather Coleman | |||
*An excellent article from the Colonial Williamsburg Journal entitled "[http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Winter03-04/pipes.cfm Hunting for a Little Ladle]", Tobacco Pipes by Ivor NoÔl Hume | |||
==== Porcelain ==== | |||
[[File:Meissen .jpg|thumb|200px|This pipe head in the Rococo style was made by Meissen about 1760. Courtesy [http://www.racineandlaramie.com/ Racine & Laramie Tobacconist]]]The first type of porcelain produced by Johann Friedrich Böttger was a refined and extremely hard red stoneware known in Germany as Böttgersteinzeug. It retained very crisp definition in its cast and on applied details. The Bottgersteinzeug could be polished to a gloss before firing. Models were derived from Baroque silver shapes and Chinese ceramic examples. Meissen's production of a hard paste white porcelain that could be glazed and painted soon followed, and wares were put on the market in 1713. Multicolour enamelled painting was introduced by Johann Gregorius Höroldt in 1723, with an increasingly broad palette of colors that marked the beginning of the classic phase of Meissen Porcelain. '''See [[Meissen Porcelain]]''' | |||
---- | ---- | ||
=== Calabash === | === Calabash === | ||
[[Image:Gourd09_Right.JPG| | [[Image:Gourd09_Right.JPG|left|thumb|Calabash Gourd Pipe With Meerschaum Bowl Insert & Removable Bamboo Stem Extension Courtesy of Frank]]Calabash gourds (usually with meerschaum or porcelain bowls set inside them) have long made prized pipes, but they are labour-intensive and nowadays quite expensive. Because of this expense, pipes with bodies made of wood (usually mahogany) instead of gourd, but the same classic shape are sold as calabashes. Both wood and gourd pipes are functionally the same. They both have an air chamber beneath the bowl which serves to cool, dry, and mellow the smoke. There are also briar pipes being sold as calabashes. These typically do not have an air chamber and are named only because of their external shape. | ||
Calabash gourds (usually with meerschaum or porcelain bowls set inside them) have long made prized pipes, but they are labour-intensive and nowadays quite expensive. Because of this expense, pipes with bodies made of wood (usually mahogany) instead of gourd, but the same classic shape are sold as calabashes. Both wood and gourd pipes are functionally the same. They both have an air chamber beneath the bowl which serves to cool, dry, and mellow the smoke. There are also briar pipes being sold as calabashes. These typically do not have an air chamber and are named only because of their external shape. | |||
The construction of a calabash pipe generally consists of a downward curve that ends with an upcurve where the bowl sits. This low center of gravity allows for the user to easily hold the pipe by the mouth alone, leaving his hands free. This advantage was often used by actors who wanted to depict their character smoking while permitting them to do other business simultaneously. That is why the character Sherlock Holmes, who never used this kind of pipe in the stories, is stereotypically depicted as favoring it because early dramatic productions, especially those starring William Gillette and Basil Rathbone, made this artistic decision. In fact, Holmes, who preferred very harsh tobacco, would probably have disliked the calabash because of the above-mentioned mellowing effect. | The construction of a calabash pipe generally consists of a downward curve that ends with an upcurve where the bowl sits. This low center of gravity allows for the user to easily hold the pipe by the mouth alone, leaving his hands free. This advantage was often used by actors who wanted to depict their character smoking while permitting them to do other business simultaneously. That is why the character Sherlock Holmes, who never used this kind of pipe in the stories, is stereotypically depicted as favoring it because early dramatic productions, especially those starring William Gillette and Basil Rathbone, made this artistic decision. In fact, Holmes, who preferred very harsh tobacco, would probably have disliked the calabash because of the above-mentioned mellowing effect. | ||
| Line 103: | Line 111: | ||
---- | ---- | ||
=== ''the pipe'' (pyrolytic graphite/phenolic resin) === | === ''[[the pipe]]'' (pyrolytic graphite/phenolic resin) === | ||
[[File:pipedia_thepipe.jpg|thumb|left|Billiard Maroon '''''the pipe''''' with white Fashion Stripes, | [[File:pipedia_thepipe.jpg|thumb|left|Billiard Maroon '''''the pipe''''' with white Fashion Stripes, | ||