© 2002 Gary B. Schrier
Let’s talk about the other end of the pipe for a change. Does not the woody end of the stick get all the fuss and bother, what with grain and Birdseye and the reverential oohs and aahs? Is not the tobacco we combust for pleasure that seems most evanescent, yet treasured, now well-enough understood? But what of the other end of the devil’s chimney, the one we hold between our clenched teeth and wetted lips? What do we know of it? As students to this noble avocation we call smoking, there is only one way to smoke, and that is by pipe! Cigarettes are some juvenile sport, a nervous appendage, and cigars often end up as a step towards the fuller pleasures that only a pipe of briar, clay, meerschaum or gourd can provide. As aficionados to the art of pipe smoking, we must ask: What, exactly, is vulcanite? This article answers many of the questions on this pointy subject, dispels the myths and, and once and for all, also solves the conundrum on how to rack pipes: bowl up or bowl down?
According to A Dictionary of Science, Oxford University Press (1999), vulcanite is “a hard black insulating material made by the vulcanization of rubber with a high proportion of sulphur (up to 30%).” In 1913, Webster’s Dictionary states that Ebonite, a synonym, is “a hard, black variety of vulcanite. It may be cut and polished, and is used for many small articles, as combs and buttons, and for insulating material in electric apparatus.” (During the Victorian era, the ebony tree of southern Asia yielded very popular, dark-colored heartwood and was prized for cabinetwork and piano keys. Vulcanite resembled ebony, hence its popularity. Today, the terms ebonite and vulcanite are used interchangeably, raising questions that the two are of different materials. They are not.) The process of vulcanization, according to the Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms (McGraw-Hill, 5th ed., 1994), is “…a chemical reaction of sulfur (or other vulcanizing agent) with rubber or plastic to cause cross-linking of polymer chains; it increases strength and resiliency of the polymer.” But why the root word, ‘vulcan’? Possibly because in the mid-19th century, Vulcan was a hypothetical planet whose orbit was thought by astronomers to be inside the orbit of Mercury; or, and much earlier, in Roman mythology, Vulcan was revered as the God of fire and craftsmanship, especially metalworking.
It was Charles Goodyear1 (yep, that’s right, the man behind the blimp and the 235/75R-15’s on your SUV) that made the discovery of hard rubber (vulcanite) in 1839. It was patented in England by Thomas Hancock in 1843, and likewise by Nelson Goodyear, Charles’ younger brother, in the United States in 1851.
Born December 29, 1800
in New Haven, Connecticut Died July 1, 1860
In New York
This picture of Charles Goodyear was painted on a sheet of hard rubber (ebonite)
by GPA Healey in Paris in 1855, the year of l’Exposition Universelle, Paris
There are many stories as to how Goodyear made the actual discovery, but my favorite is when his sales presentation of the rubber/sulfur compound was rejected, he tossed a hunk of his “processed” India rubber at the client and it landed on a pot-bellied wood stove. Collecting his projectile, he noticed that the heat had cured the rubber—it was no longer a sticky mess—and it would not flow again as natural rubber would when reheated. The area of rubber not charred by the stove was hard and flexible, or as Goodyear called it, “gum elastic.” But how much heat would be required to make a viable, stable product? He tried all sorts of heat processes and at last came upon steam under pressure that worked best.
What’s the Stuff Made Of
For a long time now synthetic rubbers or elastomers, instead of pure or India rubber of Goodyear and Hancock, have been used to make vulcanite. But whatever the base rubber, the action of sulfur, a base oxide, such as lead oxide or zinc oxide, and heat (250-375o F.), cures or stabilizes rubber to prevent brittleness when cold and stickiness when hot. Of course, there’s a fair bit of carbon in rubber and vulcanite for added strength. In Alexis Liebaert’s and Alain Maya’s The Illustrated History of the Pipe (Harold Starke, 1st English Ed., 1994), the manufacturing process is revealed:
Manufacture consists of mixing ground sulphur with liquefied rubber,
to which is added a small amount of plastic material; the mixture
is heated and melted in a hopper, then allowed to flow in multi-cavity
moulds. These moulds have a longitudinal skewer which creates
the bore of the mouthpieces. The mouthpieces are taken out of the
moulds while still warm to facilitate the extraction of the skewer.
They are then “stoved” under steam. Heated at 130 degrees Celsius,
the steam causes the sulphur to reach 190 degrees thus causing a
chemical reaction which produces vulcanized rubber.
The Ageing of Vulcanite
All of us have been antiquing and have come across pipes that look positively wretched. Apart from a bowl cake so thick a pencil could not be used as a tamper, the bit is discolored from straw yellow to pea soup green. Many pipes make it back to a shop when the owner passes on, and so do their discolored, saliva-saturated mouthpieces, returned to their natural state: rubber and sulfur. Never with my pipes, you say! Yes, your pipes, as well, eventually, by you, your widow, or some future owner’s estate. There’s no stopping death, taxes and the ageing of vulcanite.
What, exactly, is happening in the discoloration process? If you guessed something chemical, you’re right! What about mechanical forces, such as polishing, bending, and biting upon? Correct again. All things on this planet are held together because of molecular bonds: single bonds, double bonds, triple bonds. You remember senior high chemistry, right? Well, during the vulcanization process, the cross-linking of polymer chains is all about molecular bonding, and this bonding and “unbonding” continues throughout the life of the vulcanite piece. Here are some things that don’t go well with vulcanite: natural and artificial light, heat, rain, abrasion, mechanical stresses, chemicals (e.g. pipe sweetener), oxidation, and ozone (O3). Ever notice how reasonably discolored vulcanite bits become sticky to the lips? That’s somewhat how raw India rubber is…sticky. In addition, the fact that 99.5% of pipe bits are black does not help out with light, because black is light-absorbing; something called light-catalyzed oxidation.
So what’s a good man to do with his mouthpieces to keep them looking as fresh and polished as the day he bought them?
Some Things You Can Try at Home
The rubber car tire is a vulcanized rubber product, so why does it not discolor as quickly as a pipe’s bit? Essentially, various phenolic and para-phenylenediamines are added to the rubber tire recipe during manufacture to slow down the deterioration process as a result of oxygen (O2) and ozone (O3) attack. It cannot stop it; nothing can stop it. Old car tires craze, crack and begin to lose their bonding properties. I do not know whether these phenols and para-phenols are used in the manufacture of pipe vulcanite, but it would appear that they are not, because visible color deterioration occurs relatively quickly. Probably the best way to get rid of the unsightly discoloration of your cherished briar is to switch to acrylic, a material that will not discolor. Many firms use acrylic, particularly the Italians; the English, having a reverence for the past, remain steadfast by vulcanite. Acrylic is a harder material to chomp on, and some say not as comfy on the teeth and gums. Acrylic is more expensive—so the manufacturers say—and more challenging to hand-cut to a thinner profile than vulcanite.2 Well, from hereon, you can decide to do just that: buy pipes with acrylic bits, but what about the dozens or more pipes laying about deteriorating as we digest this weighty issue?
Here are some suggestions:
Get rid of the pipe racks.3 Sure, they’re nice to look at but remember that light is vulcanite’s worst enemy. Find an empty cabinet or chest of drawers. Just make certain that there is some allowance for dry air circulation. Damp unheated basements are a no-no as are plastic bags. (This should solve the question of bowl up or down in your rack. A pipe should be rested with no dottle in the bowl and a thoroughly swabbed inner. Using a rack—bowl up or bowl down style—within a darkened space, should pose no further discourse on the matter.)
Smoke your pipe calmly and collectively as a pipe should be smoked. A cooler smoke will mean a cooler pallet and less molecular unbonding of the vulcanite mouthpiece.
Smoke dry on the lips. Saliva is slightly acidic and, with the heat of combustion, will advance the rate of chemical activity and, thereby, discoloration.
Store in a cool place. The glove box of the car won’t do.
Do not use solvents or pipe sweeteners to clean; they will only discolor.
Do not allow mouthpieces to contact one another.
If you acquire an expensive collectible pipe in unsmoked condition that has the price sticker attached, I would recommend removing the sticker quickly, because it will discolor the vulcanite.
After each smoke, gently hand-polish the vulcanite with a pipe-care cloth or soft, lint-free cotton towel, and run a pipe-cleaner through the air channel.
Wheel buffing with a fine abrasive suitable for the purpose, such as jeweler’s rouge or ferric oxide (Fe2O3), will restore a reasonably oxidized bit, but it will also jeopardize brand marks and cause excessive heat to build up quickly in the vulcanite, advancing the rate of deterioration anyway. Again, once oxidative-deterioration starts, it cannot be stopped. Over-the-counter mouthpiece restoratives, with popular brands by Dunhill and Savinelli, can do little to clean up but the most minor blemishes.
The bleach process is popular with some pipesters, but, in the author’s opinion, an additional step to the buffing wheel that fails to bring any long-term results.
Do not smoke in the rain as localized spot-oxidation will occur.
Vulcanite Varieties
Vulcanite has always been black, though in the early years there was a brick-red shade. Then around the 30’s or 40’s, I believe, Dunhill did some work in a brown streaked or marbleized variety to become known as the Cumberland mouthpiece and, in the vernacular of rabid collectors, the bowling ball bit. Now many other firms offer their pipes in this gorgeous vulcanite. Bill Taylor of Ashton pipes sources a U.K. material he calls Ashtonite, which is a composite of vulcanite and acrylic; the purpose being the best of both worlds would be derived from combining the “give” of vulcanite with the longevity properties of acrylic. David R. Field, U.S. importer for Ashton pipes, says that Ashtonite does not oxidize. Taylor began his Ashtonite marketing plan in the early 90’s. Prior to that he would boil his “…footlong pieces of rod vulcanite in a large kettle for three hours at a time, to remove as much sulfur as possible before the mouthpiece is cut to fit the pipe. This…kept the vulcanite mouthpiece of all Ashton pipes from oxidizing for a much longer period of time than other brands.”
What I Would Do
If I took my own advice, I would gain little other than precluding someone calling me a hypocrite. Look, if you’ve got some absolute killer investment in your pipes, take great care and seal them away from light and dampness. For your regular smokers…c’est la vie! They’re pipes and they’re expendable—a supply item—so rack ‘em up baby! And someday, all of a sudden, what was once your favorite briar has not been smoked in months; a few buffings at the wheel, a posting on ebay or a trip to a flea market or pipe show, and the two of you separate. Such is life. So worry about more important things, such as your next pipe acquisition.
Here are a few well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian era pieces of smokable vulcanite art.
1 The truth is Charles Goodyear never made a car or bicycle tire; in fact, he was in and out of debtor’s prison so many times as his ideas were continually failing to achieve any significant marketing success. He died in 1860 $200,000 in debt- that’s a lot of money 140 years ago! For much of his life he was obsessed with making rubber a hard, stable and resilient material: “…there is probably no other inert substance…which so excites the mind.” If we pay homage to Alfred Dunhill for inventing the sandblasting or “shell” process of briarwood, then equal homage must be paid to Chas. Goodyear for sticking to it and inventing vulcanite.
2 Pipe manufacturers have access to a small variety of vulcanite: cast or molded, and sheet. The cast or molded versions are cheap and of low serviceability, while the sheet form, used by artisan and other high-end manufacturers, must be cut and hand-turned, polished, and bent if such a pipe is being fashioned. In the author’s opinion, vulcanite, a Victorian era material, is a dying breed. Coincidentally, there is now but one or two manufacturers of vulcanite for pipes remaining in the world.
3 Pipes of vulcanite and other hard rubber collectibles that have been preserved in darkness have shown no discoloration after 100 years. Even pieces that have begun to oxidize can have the process slowed dramatically by proper storage from light.
Special thanks to Ben Rapaport for his generous editing expertise.
Sources:
www.bouncing-balls.com
www.plastiquarian.com
www.pipeguy.com Pipe Stems and other Bits… (R.C. Hamlin)
Field, David R. The Ashton Pipe Story, Pipes & Tobaccos, SpecComm International, Fall 2002, 48
Liebaert, Alexis and Maya, Alain. The Illustrated History of the Pipe. London: Flammarion, Harold Starke Publishers Limited, English Ed., 1994.
Let’s talk about the other end of the pipe for a change. Does not the woody end of the stick get all the fuss and bother, what with grain and Birdseye and the reverential oohs and aahs? Is not the tobacco we combust for pleasure that seems most evanescent, yet treasured, now well-enough understood? But what of the other end of the devil’s chimney, the one we hold between our clenched teeth and wetted lips? What do we know of it? As students to this noble avocation we call smoking, there is only one way to smoke, and that is by pipe! Cigarettes are some juvenile sport, a nervous appendage, and cigars often end up as a step towards the fuller pleasures that only a pipe of briar, clay, meerschaum or gourd can provide. As aficionados to the art of pipe smoking, we must ask: What, exactly, is vulcanite? This article answers many of the questions on this pointy subject, dispels the myths and, and once and for all, also solves the conundrum on how to rack pipes: bowl up or bowl down?
According to A Dictionary of Science, Oxford University Press (1999), vulcanite is “a hard black insulating material made by the vulcanization of rubber with a high proportion of sulphur (up to 30%).” In 1913, Webster’s Dictionary states that Ebonite, a synonym, is “a hard, black variety of vulcanite. It may be cut and polished, and is used for many small articles, as combs and buttons, and for insulating material in electric apparatus.” (During the Victorian era, the ebony tree of southern Asia yielded very popular, dark-colored heartwood and was prized for cabinetwork and piano keys. Vulcanite resembled ebony, hence its popularity. Today, the terms ebonite and vulcanite are used interchangeably, raising questions that the two are of different materials. They are not.) The process of vulcanization, according to the Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms (McGraw-Hill, 5th ed., 1994), is “…a chemical reaction of sulfur (or other vulcanizing agent) with rubber or plastic to cause cross-linking of polymer chains; it increases strength and resiliency of the polymer.” But why the root word, ‘vulcan’? Possibly because in the mid-19th century, Vulcan was a hypothetical planet whose orbit was thought by astronomers to be inside the orbit of Mercury; or, and much earlier, in Roman mythology, Vulcan was revered as the God of fire and craftsmanship, especially metalworking.
It was Charles Goodyear1 (yep, that’s right, the man behind the blimp and the 235/75R-15’s on your SUV) that made the discovery of hard rubber (vulcanite) in 1839. It was patented in England by Thomas Hancock in 1843, and likewise by Nelson Goodyear, Charles’ younger brother, in the United States in 1851.
Born December 29, 1800
in New Haven, Connecticut Died July 1, 1860
In New York
This picture of Charles Goodyear was painted on a sheet of hard rubber (ebonite)
by GPA Healey in Paris in 1855, the year of l’Exposition Universelle, Paris
There are many stories as to how Goodyear made the actual discovery, but my favorite is when his sales presentation of the rubber/sulfur compound was rejected, he tossed a hunk of his “processed” India rubber at the client and it landed on a pot-bellied wood stove. Collecting his projectile, he noticed that the heat had cured the rubber—it was no longer a sticky mess—and it would not flow again as natural rubber would when reheated. The area of rubber not charred by the stove was hard and flexible, or as Goodyear called it, “gum elastic.” But how much heat would be required to make a viable, stable product? He tried all sorts of heat processes and at last came upon steam under pressure that worked best.
What’s the Stuff Made Of
For a long time now synthetic rubbers or elastomers, instead of pure or India rubber of Goodyear and Hancock, have been used to make vulcanite. But whatever the base rubber, the action of sulfur, a base oxide, such as lead oxide or zinc oxide, and heat (250-375o F.), cures or stabilizes rubber to prevent brittleness when cold and stickiness when hot. Of course, there’s a fair bit of carbon in rubber and vulcanite for added strength. In Alexis Liebaert’s and Alain Maya’s The Illustrated History of the Pipe (Harold Starke, 1st English Ed., 1994), the manufacturing process is revealed:
Manufacture consists of mixing ground sulphur with liquefied rubber,
to which is added a small amount of plastic material; the mixture
is heated and melted in a hopper, then allowed to flow in multi-cavity
moulds. These moulds have a longitudinal skewer which creates
the bore of the mouthpieces. The mouthpieces are taken out of the
moulds while still warm to facilitate the extraction of the skewer.
They are then “stoved” under steam. Heated at 130 degrees Celsius,
the steam causes the sulphur to reach 190 degrees thus causing a
chemical reaction which produces vulcanized rubber.
The Ageing of Vulcanite
All of us have been antiquing and have come across pipes that look positively wretched. Apart from a bowl cake so thick a pencil could not be used as a tamper, the bit is discolored from straw yellow to pea soup green. Many pipes make it back to a shop when the owner passes on, and so do their discolored, saliva-saturated mouthpieces, returned to their natural state: rubber and sulfur. Never with my pipes, you say! Yes, your pipes, as well, eventually, by you, your widow, or some future owner’s estate. There’s no stopping death, taxes and the ageing of vulcanite.
What, exactly, is happening in the discoloration process? If you guessed something chemical, you’re right! What about mechanical forces, such as polishing, bending, and biting upon? Correct again. All things on this planet are held together because of molecular bonds: single bonds, double bonds, triple bonds. You remember senior high chemistry, right? Well, during the vulcanization process, the cross-linking of polymer chains is all about molecular bonding, and this bonding and “unbonding” continues throughout the life of the vulcanite piece. Here are some things that don’t go well with vulcanite: natural and artificial light, heat, rain, abrasion, mechanical stresses, chemicals (e.g. pipe sweetener), oxidation, and ozone (O3). Ever notice how reasonably discolored vulcanite bits become sticky to the lips? That’s somewhat how raw India rubber is…sticky. In addition, the fact that 99.5% of pipe bits are black does not help out with light, because black is light-absorbing; something called light-catalyzed oxidation.
So what’s a good man to do with his mouthpieces to keep them looking as fresh and polished as the day he bought them?
Some Things You Can Try at Home
The rubber car tire is a vulcanized rubber product, so why does it not discolor as quickly as a pipe’s bit? Essentially, various phenolic and para-phenylenediamines are added to the rubber tire recipe during manufacture to slow down the deterioration process as a result of oxygen (O2) and ozone (O3) attack. It cannot stop it; nothing can stop it. Old car tires craze, crack and begin to lose their bonding properties. I do not know whether these phenols and para-phenols are used in the manufacture of pipe vulcanite, but it would appear that they are not, because visible color deterioration occurs relatively quickly. Probably the best way to get rid of the unsightly discoloration of your cherished briar is to switch to acrylic, a material that will not discolor. Many firms use acrylic, particularly the Italians; the English, having a reverence for the past, remain steadfast by vulcanite. Acrylic is a harder material to chomp on, and some say not as comfy on the teeth and gums. Acrylic is more expensive—so the manufacturers say—and more challenging to hand-cut to a thinner profile than vulcanite.2 Well, from hereon, you can decide to do just that: buy pipes with acrylic bits, but what about the dozens or more pipes laying about deteriorating as we digest this weighty issue?
Here are some suggestions:
Get rid of the pipe racks.3 Sure, they’re nice to look at but remember that light is vulcanite’s worst enemy. Find an empty cabinet or chest of drawers. Just make certain that there is some allowance for dry air circulation. Damp unheated basements are a no-no as are plastic bags. (This should solve the question of bowl up or down in your rack. A pipe should be rested with no dottle in the bowl and a thoroughly swabbed inner. Using a rack—bowl up or bowl down style—within a darkened space, should pose no further discourse on the matter.)
Smoke your pipe calmly and collectively as a pipe should be smoked. A cooler smoke will mean a cooler pallet and less molecular unbonding of the vulcanite mouthpiece.
Smoke dry on the lips. Saliva is slightly acidic and, with the heat of combustion, will advance the rate of chemical activity and, thereby, discoloration.
Store in a cool place. The glove box of the car won’t do.
Do not use solvents or pipe sweeteners to clean; they will only discolor.
Do not allow mouthpieces to contact one another.
If you acquire an expensive collectible pipe in unsmoked condition that has the price sticker attached, I would recommend removing the sticker quickly, because it will discolor the vulcanite.
After each smoke, gently hand-polish the vulcanite with a pipe-care cloth or soft, lint-free cotton towel, and run a pipe-cleaner through the air channel.
Wheel buffing with a fine abrasive suitable for the purpose, such as jeweler’s rouge or ferric oxide (Fe2O3), will restore a reasonably oxidized bit, but it will also jeopardize brand marks and cause excessive heat to build up quickly in the vulcanite, advancing the rate of deterioration anyway. Again, once oxidative-deterioration starts, it cannot be stopped. Over-the-counter mouthpiece restoratives, with popular brands by Dunhill and Savinelli, can do little to clean up but the most minor blemishes.
The bleach process is popular with some pipesters, but, in the author’s opinion, an additional step to the buffing wheel that fails to bring any long-term results.
Do not smoke in the rain as localized spot-oxidation will occur.
Vulcanite Varieties
Vulcanite has always been black, though in the early years there was a brick-red shade. Then around the 30’s or 40’s, I believe, Dunhill did some work in a brown streaked or marbleized variety to become known as the Cumberland mouthpiece and, in the vernacular of rabid collectors, the bowling ball bit. Now many other firms offer their pipes in this gorgeous vulcanite. Bill Taylor of Ashton pipes sources a U.K. material he calls Ashtonite, which is a composite of vulcanite and acrylic; the purpose being the best of both worlds would be derived from combining the “give” of vulcanite with the longevity properties of acrylic. David R. Field, U.S. importer for Ashton pipes, says that Ashtonite does not oxidize. Taylor began his Ashtonite marketing plan in the early 90’s. Prior to that he would boil his “…footlong pieces of rod vulcanite in a large kettle for three hours at a time, to remove as much sulfur as possible before the mouthpiece is cut to fit the pipe. This…kept the vulcanite mouthpiece of all Ashton pipes from oxidizing for a much longer period of time than other brands.”
What I Would Do
If I took my own advice, I would gain little other than precluding someone calling me a hypocrite. Look, if you’ve got some absolute killer investment in your pipes, take great care and seal them away from light and dampness. For your regular smokers…c’est la vie! They’re pipes and they’re expendable—a supply item—so rack ‘em up baby! And someday, all of a sudden, what was once your favorite briar has not been smoked in months; a few buffings at the wheel, a posting on ebay or a trip to a flea market or pipe show, and the two of you separate. Such is life. So worry about more important things, such as your next pipe acquisition.
Here are a few well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian era pieces of smokable vulcanite art.
1 The truth is Charles Goodyear never made a car or bicycle tire; in fact, he was in and out of debtor’s prison so many times as his ideas were continually failing to achieve any significant marketing success. He died in 1860 $200,000 in debt- that’s a lot of money 140 years ago! For much of his life he was obsessed with making rubber a hard, stable and resilient material: “…there is probably no other inert substance…which so excites the mind.” If we pay homage to Alfred Dunhill for inventing the sandblasting or “shell” process of briarwood, then equal homage must be paid to Chas. Goodyear for sticking to it and inventing vulcanite.
2 Pipe manufacturers have access to a small variety of vulcanite: cast or molded, and sheet. The cast or molded versions are cheap and of low serviceability, while the sheet form, used by artisan and other high-end manufacturers, must be cut and hand-turned, polished, and bent if such a pipe is being fashioned. In the author’s opinion, vulcanite, a Victorian era material, is a dying breed. Coincidentally, there is now but one or two manufacturers of vulcanite for pipes remaining in the world.
3 Pipes of vulcanite and other hard rubber collectibles that have been preserved in darkness have shown no discoloration after 100 years. Even pieces that have begun to oxidize can have the process slowed dramatically by proper storage from light.
Special thanks to Ben Rapaport for his generous editing expertise.
Sources:
www.bouncing-balls.com
www.plastiquarian.com
www.pipeguy.com Pipe Stems and other Bits… (R.C. Hamlin)
Field, David R. The Ashton Pipe Story, Pipes & Tobaccos, SpecComm International, Fall 2002, 48
Liebaert, Alexis and Maya, Alain. The Illustrated History of the Pipe. London: Flammarion, Harold Starke Publishers Limited, English Ed., 1994.
