Autopsies Performed On Several Old Pipes

mid 17th century (in the sense 'personal observation'): from French autopsie or modern Latin autopsia,

from Greek, from autoptēs 'eyewitness', from autos 'self' + optos 'seen'.

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Original document seen here:

http://www.pipegazette.com/2007/11/autopsie-dune-pipe.html
Below is badly translated from google:


AUTOPSY OF A PIPE
On the Pipes and Tobacco group, we often curious and interesting questions: was the case recently, when it comes to whether a briar pipe was a period of almost eternal existence or, on the contrary, like all of us here, his life expectancy was limited.
On this theme, the opinions are sometimes contradictory.
Some think that a heather darkens and becomes very dark brown indicates that the wood is saturated with tar: in this case, they argue, the heather is "dead", made unpleasant taste and pipe lay forgotten.
Others assume that there really is no expiration for a very nervy pipe, hammering regularly in order to leave only a thin layer of protection inside the furnace. Still have to let it rest and dry at least 24 hours so that the wood has time to undergo a new smoking without damage.
For an answer, certainly not definitive (which can claim to hold the absolute truth?), We with my friends Peter and Michael, tried a pipe autopsy experience!



Michel had a stock of mottled old pipes that had surely been unceremoniously fumes for decades by charming granddads: not maintained, abused, terribly and pelleted irrégulièrelement ... in short, the worst situation.

Dr. Peter in his workshop of Northern Pipe, agreed to select some and make a cut lengthwise. I photographed at work autopsy. Caution fingers!



Finally, I gave these pipes Michel corpses sliced ​​through the middle so that it makes us very fine photos.





My conclusion (and I think Peter and Michael are of this opinion) a pipe whose bowl has been properly maintained will live much longer than us. The only notable damage observed from the fact that the pipe has clearly been burned because the smoker too heated, too turned on again, before rebourré rest, he left a Carbon layer of uneven thickness settle, creating poor protection and deep burns. And even with the greatest neglect and over a period long vraissemblablement, there is still unallocated woods!

Finally, the fact that a pipe head becomes very dark over the years smoking does not mean it is full tar, gas and juice.

Quiet Sleep, lovers of erica arborea, your pipes, well cared for, do not go up in smoke before you were breaking yours.

It is Nicolas Stoufflet who should be thanked!
Merci Nicolas!


His whole site is very much well worth exploring.
The auto-translate option upper right makes it easy to read too.
http://www.pipegazette.com/
:

I would like to see an autopsy on a pipe that suffered burnout. Although in over fifty five years of smoking, I have never had a pipe burn out on me, I have a theory concerning burnout. I think, in many cases, the pipe burns out because of hidden occlusions in the briar. If they were on the surface, these occlusions would be pits, but as they are not on the surface, they are just hollow spaces which can cause the pipe to fail. I have seen pipers with a lot of experience loose pipes to burnout even though their technique seems flawless. This theory would explain that. I am sure some burnouts are the result of abuse, but some may not be. They may be unavoidable.

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I agree 100% with what you say,

I think it is true.

::

I'd like to see a cobtopsy.

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:P

That'd be cool!

:!:

...haven's seen one of these before,

cutaway of a meer-lined briar,

verrrry interesting.