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What Makes a Good Briar Pipe: Difference between revisions
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c) weight - it has been said that lightness in a pipe equals perfection. Many pipemakers strive for lightness in their product, and many pipe smokers feel that a heavy pipe is a bad pipe. I do not agree. Besides the obvious facets that may make for a heavy pipe (size, shape, wall-thickness, etc.) it is important to note that there are two types of briar burls from which pipes are made. One comes from the male plant and is tall, rather thin, and light. The other, coming from the female plant, is short, round, and more dense (this type of burl is invariably the one used in photographs of "100 year, old briar root'. Each burl has its attributes. For, those who wish a light pipe and do not smoke "hot" the briar from the male plant is excellent. but the briar from the female plant is made to order for those who smoke a "hot" pipe and who tend to have pipes burn out. Being more dense this briar is harder to destroy with heat. There are also those (perhaps many more than have admitted so) who like the "heft" of a heavy pipe. | c) weight - it has been said that lightness in a pipe equals perfection. Many pipemakers strive for lightness in their product, and many pipe smokers feel that a heavy pipe is a bad pipe. I do not agree. Besides the obvious facets that may make for a heavy pipe (size, shape, wall-thickness, etc.) it is important to note that there are two types of briar burls from which pipes are made. One comes from the male plant and is tall, rather thin, and light. The other, coming from the female plant, is short, round, and more dense (this type of burl is invariably the one used in photographs of "100 year, old briar root'. Each burl has its attributes. For, those who wish a light pipe and do not smoke "hot" the briar from the male plant is excellent. but the briar from the female plant is made to order for those who smoke a "hot" pipe and who tend to have pipes burn out. Being more dense this briar is harder to destroy with heat. There are also those (perhaps many more than have admitted so) who like the "heft" of a heavy pipe. | ||
d) curing - after receiving the briar blocks from the briar broker a pipemaker has two choices - to air-dry for a long period (years) or to kiln-dry for a much shorter period (days). Most makers of premium pipes prefer to air-dry under controlled conditions because it is a natural way of curing and also minimizes the chance of cracks or splits developing in any block. The amount of time required to air-cure briar depends a great deal upon where the briar was unearthed. Calabrian briar (southern Italy) comes out of a sandy soil in a rather dry state and requires 1-3 years of drying (with | d) curing - after receiving the briar blocks from the briar broker a pipemaker has two choices - to air-dry for a long period (years) or to kiln-dry for a much shorter period (days). Most makers of premium pipes prefer to air-dry under controlled conditions because it is a natural way of curing and also minimizes the chance of cracks or splits developing in any block. The amount of time required to air-cure briar depends a great deal upon where the briar was unearthed. Calabrian briar (southern Italy) comes out of a sandy soil in a rather dry state and requires 1-3 years of drying (with more time being given the larger blocks); Tuscan briar (north central Italy) is dug from a soil containing large amounts of clay and so requires drying for 3-5 years. | ||
Kiln drying is obviously much faster, but, apart from the loss incurred with this method it is thought by some that the natural resins are baked into the briar instead of evaporating. | Kiln drying is obviously much faster, but, apart from the loss incurred with this method, it is thought by some, that the natural resins are baked into the briar instead of evaporating. | ||
That brings us to a good stopping place. Remember . . . whenever you purchase a fine smoking pipe, whether, it be here or, abroad, new or pre-smoked, your satisfaction depends on where the briar was grown, how old the piece was and whether it was from a male or, a female plant. All of these factors, in conjunction with the handling of the ebauchon (the roughly cut pieces of briar) from curing to the finished piece, and the experience and talents of the pipemaker, go into the end result... which is a "good briar pipe". In the next issue we will discuss the process of actually making a pipe. | That brings us to a good stopping place. Remember . . . whenever you purchase a fine smoking pipe, whether, it be here or, abroad, new or pre-smoked, your satisfaction depends on where the briar was grown, how old the piece was and whether it was from a male or, a female plant. All of these factors, in conjunction with the handling of the ebauchon (the roughly cut pieces of briar) from curing to the finished piece, and the experience and talents of the pipemaker, go into the end result... which is a "good briar pipe". In the next issue we will discuss the process of actually making a pipe. | ||