Why Briar Wood For Tobacco Pipes?
Briar is highly sought after for many reasons.First, the wood is naturally fire resistant. Briar can withstand temperatures exceeding 700 degrees F...
Determining High Quality Briar
The highest quality briar wood for tobacco pipes has a tight and uniform grain. In addition, the pattern will have a combination of swirls and stra...
Why Briar Usurped Clay and Meerschaum
Now that we know what briar wood is, we can easily see why it would usurp other materials for making tobacco pipes. Clay pipes may smoke clean, but...
Briar 101, The European Production
Mac...The subject of briar in Europe has been researched and told by better people than me. DRB and TM could give lessons in briar. I've been there twice and this is what I know.
Briar 102, Briar Selection, Grades and Use In Dr. Grabow Pipes
The following information about briar mainly covers the area from the 1960s to maybe the late-1980s, but other than the prices, probably has at least some application to the period prior to that as well as after.
Short Shanks, Chip Top, and Panels
Okay, we have covered "A" through "H" and "3" through "7". Now we proceed to SHORT SHANKS (5/8" and 7/16"), CHIP TOPS, PANELS and eventually "8".
What does John Deere make?
He works solely at home, turning pipes on the lathe, and also produces bowls, pepper mills, rolling pins, pencil holders, tampers, candle sticks, napkin rings, match holders, and pipe cleaner holders. Some of the bowls are on his web site, but they are primarily intended for local craft fairs.
Where is Tim's wife from?
They are originally from Maine. Tim's wife is in her second year of law school at the University of Idaho in Moscow, and his son, who does all Tim's web site work, is in his third year at the University of Idaho. They bought a house in Troy with an oversize two-bay garage, and Tim set up shop in half of it.
Is briar wood good for smoking?
Briar is hard to beat for the sheer beauty of the grain, its smoking qualities, and its durability, but other species of hardwood will give a good smoke. Whenever I get my hands on a chunk of hardwood out of which I can squeeze a stummel, I build a pipe. It provides a welcome break from chasing sandpits in briar.
