The topic of clay pipes is very extensive. Better carvers are unlikely to waste time carving composite meerschaum. Also look for the quality of the carving. Be wary of inexpensive pipes from untrusted sources. With no uniform grading authority, it is difficult to be sure in the case of an unknown maker, unless you are purchasing it from a trusted, well informed tobacconist. Some collectors believe that some pipes marked "solid block meerschaum" may not be genuine. These products are not absorbent, do not color, and lack the smoking quality of the block carved pipe. In selecting a meerschaum pipe it is advisable to determine if the pipe is indeed carved from a block of meerschaum, and is not made from meerschaum dust collected after carving and mixed with an emulsifier then pressed into a pipe shape. See Meerschaum: Lost in Translation: The Linguistic Hodgepodge of Mg4Si6O15(OH)2♶H2O by Ben Rapaport.Old, well-smoked meerschaum pipes are prized for their distinctive coloring. Meerschaum is a very porous mineral that absorbs elements of the tobacco during the smoking process, and gradually changes color to a golden brown. The word "meerschaum" means "sea foam" in German, alluding to its natural white color and its surprisingly low weight.
Along with clay, meerschaum represented the other common medium for pipes before the introduction of briar as the material of choice in the mid-19th century. It was used as early as the 17th century in Turkey in the production of various utilitarian articles, but the first use as a pipe was not earlier than, according to translated documents, about 1725-1750. Meerschaum (hydrated magnesium silicate), a mineral found in small shallow deposits mainly around the city of Eskişehir in central Turkey, is prized for its plasticity which allows it to be carved into many decorative and figural shapes. So you think you're a "Briar Afficionado"? This is a short but extremely informative article by Rainer Barbi available here:.Hamlin has also written an interesting article on this subject called The Briar Factor.
Also Trever Talbert's excellent blog posts Sandblasting - Circles and Shanks and How to Read your Sandblast.
Briar is a particularly good wood for pipe making for a number of reasons. The majority of pipes sold today, whether hand made or machine made, are fashioned from briar. Pipe Parts Charts, by Bill Burney, Copyright 2003-2011 (used by permission all rights reserved)Ĭastello Old Antiquari GG, courtesy of Pipe Parts Charts showing the parts and nomenclature of the pipe: have kindly permitted us to use the A.S.P. The basis for this section is from the Wikipedia entry Smoking Pipe (tobacco).įor an excellent overview of these shapes see Pipe Shapes by Bill Burney.Ī comprehensive list of pipe maker material and suppliers can be found here: Materials and Supplies.īill Burney and A.S.P. Tobacco pipes come in many shapes and styles. The material and shape of a pipe has a profound influence upon the aesthetics and smoking qualities. 1.13 Brylon (High Temperature Resin and Wood Flour).1.12 The pipe (pyrolytic graphite/phenolic resin).1.3 Alternative Woods Used For Pipe making.