Wayne Teipen Made Me An All-Briar Pipe
- Thread starter misterlowercase
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Yep, the tenon is delrin,
I think?
Also, the briar wood is not exactly raw, it gets a special treatment to give it a little more protection,
Wayne told me the specific finishing technique he used, but I don't wanna step on his toes and reveal any possible maker secrets, so I ain't gonna say how he does it.
Harris,
I think you'd love a briar stem, I think it's actually a little softer than ebonite. Bite marks happen instantaneously upon the first clench, but never seem to get worse than the initial imprint unless you really really chomp or chew --- in this way it's sorta like one of those foam mattresses where it conforms totally to your dental imprint and one reason why it's so grippy too...
...if you look at this thread you'll see some of the historical examples, and you'll also see some 50+ year old briar-stemmed pipes that look a much damn sight better than old vulcanites of the same age:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/are-wood-stems-better-than-plastic-stems
PS
I think he actually has another one available at the moment,
if it ain't sold yet.
:P
(...it's the black one pictured in the above thread,
Wayne usually shoots for a 3.8mm bit thickness
so that's right in your wheelhouse!)
Sable,
I was looking thru an old ish of P&T and saw a Butera AllBriar that was just gorgeous, they look really amazing when all smooth with a natural finish, then I looked at the old Kaywoodies and I thought they were cool as hell, but I wanted a blast version, so I contacted Wayne and he was as enthused about the project as I was and it all came together --- but I did learn a valuable lesson, I contacted him for a commission like a month anda half before the Chicago show, duh? I was clueless, that's like the busiest time of the year for any pipemaker!
He was very gracious and easy to work with!
Wayne sure is carving great stuff these days... and that pipe is simply outstanding!
Congrats,
Pipestud
Congrats,
Pipestud
Thanks for all the very kind words.
The stem is finished with Danish oil and it's not a real big secret that some high end pipemakers use it to finish their pipes. The actual technique for applying it is a proprietary secret that I learned from a very high end, respected pipemaker that learned it from another very high end, respected European pipemaker to whom I promised I would never reveal. The process takes a week but the benefits are great especially for this particular application because the Danish oil penetrates and hardens the wood offering some protection. It's still going to be a touch softer than ebonite so chomping/chewing is a bad idea. I think it will hold up fine for someone who is a light clencher though.
The tenon is Delrin. A briar tenon with a briar mortise would be a bad idea because both woods can swell when moist and lock together. There are tricks to stabilize a briar mortise which I do on all my pipes already that you could use to stabilize a briar tenon but a wooden tenon wouldn't be nearly as strong as Delrin.
misterlowercase, it is possible to make a billiard with a conical chamber. In fact, you can make any shape with a conical chamber but not every shape can be made with a cylindrical chamber. At least not of a standard diameter.
The stem is finished with Danish oil and it's not a real big secret that some high end pipemakers use it to finish their pipes. The actual technique for applying it is a proprietary secret that I learned from a very high end, respected pipemaker that learned it from another very high end, respected European pipemaker to whom I promised I would never reveal. The process takes a week but the benefits are great especially for this particular application because the Danish oil penetrates and hardens the wood offering some protection. It's still going to be a touch softer than ebonite so chomping/chewing is a bad idea. I think it will hold up fine for someone who is a light clencher though.
The tenon is Delrin. A briar tenon with a briar mortise would be a bad idea because both woods can swell when moist and lock together. There are tricks to stabilize a briar mortise which I do on all my pipes already that you could use to stabilize a briar tenon but a wooden tenon wouldn't be nearly as strong as Delrin.
misterlowercase, it is possible to make a billiard with a conical chamber. In fact, you can make any shape with a conical chamber but not every shape can be made with a cylindrical chamber. At least not of a standard diameter.
Wayne, most of my dublins have a semi-conical chamber (somewhat rounded heel), but I have an old Preben acorn and a Danmore volcano that both have true conical chambers in that they are exactly like a cone --- and both of them provide excellent smokes!
From the pipemakers perspective, is it more difficult to find a good conical drillbit?
And does drilling a conical chamber present any peculiar problems?
One thing I can say is that the draw on this pipe is *perfect*,
the best I've yet to experience from any pipe.
Your engineering skills are indeed precisely on point!
It should go without saying because that should be a mandatory requirement for any pipemaker, a basic set of machining skills and a high standard for good tolerances etc., but that's not always the case, and some makers let pipes leave the shop that aren't exactly constructed very well.
I finally was prompted to subscribe to P&T after I saw you had made the cover --- sadly i didn't get that issue and it started with the next, but I got a code to access the digital edition and printed out your interview article --- when you said:
...you ain't lying about that!
:!:
Seriously, you sir, construct a very refined pipe and I much appreciate you making such a fine pipe for me!
:
:
PS
It got soul too!
From the pipemakers perspective, is it more difficult to find a good conical drillbit?
And does drilling a conical chamber present any peculiar problems?
One thing I can say is that the draw on this pipe is *perfect*,
the best I've yet to experience from any pipe.
Your engineering skills are indeed precisely on point!
It should go without saying because that should be a mandatory requirement for any pipemaker, a basic set of machining skills and a high standard for good tolerances etc., but that's not always the case, and some makers let pipes leave the shop that aren't exactly constructed very well.
I finally was prompted to subscribe to P&T after I saw you had made the cover --- sadly i didn't get that issue and it started with the next, but I got a code to access the digital edition and printed out your interview article --- when you said:
...you ain't lying about that!
:!:
Seriously, you sir, construct a very refined pipe and I much appreciate you making such a fine pipe for me!
:
:PS
It got soul too!
Visually the blast is beautiful, but the real rockstar here is that stem! So organic and buttery WITH birdseye. Almost like flowing caramel.
Nice job!
Nice job!
Thanks fellas. I have to give credit to Premal Chheda for my airways. My airways were decent before but he showed me how to make a perfect airway.
Conical chambers are actually easier to drill because the bit doesn't tend to wander quite as much in my experience. Most skilled pipemakers can make a chamber bit any shape they want that can be used for drilling before shaping. The high quality spoon bits used to shape before drilling are much more limited and considerably more difficult to make however. So, that's really the only limitation. I have a conical spoon bit that was made by Brad Pohlmann but it has a more rounded heel. I think the reason you don't see more pipes made with conical chambers is due to consumer preferences. If a majority of consumers prefer a certain characteristic in a pipe, the pipemaker narrows his potential market when he makes a pipe with characteristics that are less popular or preferred. So, for the pipemaker, it makes more sense to limit conical chambers for shapes that have to have them or for customers who request them.
P.S. I imbue my pipes with the souls of baby seals and unicorns but don't let that get out. :lol:
Conical chambers are actually easier to drill because the bit doesn't tend to wander quite as much in my experience. Most skilled pipemakers can make a chamber bit any shape they want that can be used for drilling before shaping. The high quality spoon bits used to shape before drilling are much more limited and considerably more difficult to make however. So, that's really the only limitation. I have a conical spoon bit that was made by Brad Pohlmann but it has a more rounded heel. I think the reason you don't see more pipes made with conical chambers is due to consumer preferences. If a majority of consumers prefer a certain characteristic in a pipe, the pipemaker narrows his potential market when he makes a pipe with characteristics that are less popular or preferred. So, for the pipemaker, it makes more sense to limit conical chambers for shapes that have to have them or for customers who request them.
P.S. I imbue my pipes with the souls of baby seals and unicorns but don't let that get out. :lol:
I sense a marketing campaign!
"Teipen Pipes, keeping the world safe from the innocent and the cuddly; one pipe at a time."
I need to commission a pipe immediately.
-- Pat
Congrats to both of you on a wonderful looking pipe. I love everything about that pipe.
:lol:
I'm glad you keep a good stock of unicorns on hand, my next request is gonna be a unicorn-horn stemmed pipe!
LOL
I wish there was audio from that little boy saying "it's a unicorrrn" the way he does, it's really cool, from the movie A Kid For Two Farthings which is actually pretty good!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048250/
Party on excellent!
...ever get those jokes?
Wayne's World!
It's like an episode of Ask Wayne About Pipemaking here, thanks for answering the questions --- I noticed when I was asking stuff in emails how responsive and articulated you were in your answers, like you've thought deeply for a long time about all the intricacies involved --- surprisingly not annoyed by some of my silly questions, but giving an in-depth reply written in a manner that I could actually grasp, and instead of bothering you, it seemed like you were actually excited to explain things - I very much appreciate that.
:
:
The only thing I like more than talking about pipes and how they're made is actually making them. :D
MLC, thanks for the link, very informative. I will definitely add a briar stem to my collection, it sounds very cool and I am not afraid of a few tooth marks.
...for anyone interested, I just noticed this evening that Wayne had put up an AllBriar for grabs,
http://teipenpipes.com/store/
8)
black 'n tan!
I'm very tempted to grab this one too, but I've kind of over-extended my PAD budget and I'm in the middle of selling stuff...
...there's also a balancing-act sweet sitting Dublin that's new too, it's quite the looker.
And be sure to check out his Heritage line for a great pipe on a budget.
This has been a Public Service Announcement.
:P
http://teipenpipes.com/store/
8)
black 'n tan!
I'm very tempted to grab this one too, but I've kind of over-extended my PAD budget and I'm in the middle of selling stuff...
...there's also a balancing-act sweet sitting Dublin that's new too, it's quite the looker.
And be sure to check out his Heritage line for a great pipe on a budget.
This has been a Public Service Announcement.
:P
Public Service Announcement noted and Harris, sorry mate if you snooze you lose! Thanks for the heads up MLC, it will now join my racks..............
banjo
banjo
WOW!!!
:!:
:D
You are fast!
Congrats,
and thanks for sharing the pictures because when I went back to look at it, it was already gone!
It's a goooood looker too.
It found the PERFECT HOME within your racks, no doubt.
::
:!:
:D
You are fast!
Congrats,
and thanks for sharing the pictures because when I went back to look at it, it was already gone!
It's a goooood looker too.
It found the PERFECT HOME within your racks, no doubt.
:
:
Another allbriar got listed today over at Smoker's Haven...
http://www.smokershaven.com/teipen-pipe-sandblasted-billiard-w-silver-ring.aspx
::
http://www.smokershaven.com/teipen-pipe-sandblasted-billiard-w-silver-ring.aspx
:
:- Status