Which wood for making smoking pipes?

on 10/20/2007 7:26 PM Phisherman said the following:

Ask Brer Rabbit. He lives in a briar patch. :-) Actually the wood comes from the White Heath tree, and from the roots.

Pipes can be made out of a variety of materials, wood, clay, stone, corn cobs, glass and the list goes on and on. Any dense wood without toxic properties will work. I like cherry and hickory myself, I have known people who swear by oak and others who love corn cob. Try a few different woods and come up with your own favorites.

During WWII when the US was at war with Italy (where the briar wood for pipes comes from) pipes were made from manzanita wood, which grows over much of California.

--Steve

I have several made from walnut, with stems from persimmon. They look good and smoke good. But cherry sounds like a good wood.

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Bruyere is the rootstock of a mediterranean small shrub related to heath/heather/erica. I used to buy pre-drilled blanks with matching mouthpieces and carve my own pipes 30odd years ago when I was still smoking (still have them some place actually, I was so proud of them). I used to get the blocks from a specialist pipe shop. The wood can have enclosures full of sand - not nice when you strike one while carving and that can also lead to the pipe failing if not discovered.

I was always under the impression that "briar" actually refers to wild rose bushes or brambles?!?

-Peter

If you will recall, Corn Cobs work for the business end. ;~)

lignum vitae makes a nice pipe.

some woods to avoid: purple heart walnut apatong padouk