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Medico pipes - Brylon or Briar?

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schmitzbitz

schmitzbitz

Lifer
Jan 13, 2011
1,165
2
Port Coquitlam, B.C.
I have recently purchased a Medico Conquorer pipe; the makers stamp states "Imported Briar", however, I understand that the Conq. line is all brylon. The grain pattern on the bowl is pretty...well, all over the place, but it also looks like there is some fill on the exterior. Are some of the Medico lower-end pipes seconds of the briar lines? Or do they go stamping the plastic "Imported Briar" to fool us newbs into purchasing crap?

 
chuckw

chuckw

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 7, 2009
679
12
I'm not familiar with Medico's but if the pipe was brylon, it would smoke hotter than the proverbial $2 pistol on the 4th of July.

 
bob1

bob1

Lurker
Dec 15, 2011
41
0
I often wondered why brylon was used for pipe making. My guess is that at some point the cost of briar went way up because of the demand. More pipe smoking was done back in the 50's and 60's?

I can't ever see myself smoking out of a brylon pipe.

Briar warms up nice.

 
jchaplick

jchaplick

Lifer
May 8, 2011
1,702
9
Personally i have a brylon pipe that smokes pretty well, in my own opinion anyway, dont get me wron it isnt even as good as a cob, buuuutttt, yours isnt brylon, no brylon pipe that has been made has a gain, i have seen probably over 50 yelloboles, and maybe 35 different medicos that are made of brylon, and i have never seen one with grain, your good to go, its briar

 
withnail

withnail

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 30, 2011
737
1
United Kingdom
As to "Why Brylon" - I found this http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/medico-pipes-brylon-or-briar (thanks to Romeowood for the original link)
In 1966, S. M. Frank developed a synthetic material called Brylon as a cheaper alternative to briar. The material, a high temperature resin mixed with wood flour, was cheaper than briar, more resistant to cracking, chipping, charring and burnouts. However to some there are some drawbacks, heavier in the mouth, hotter when smoked quickly, and also simply put, "wasn't briar." Millions of these pipes have been sold in the 3 decades since and continue to be part of the Yello-Bole and Medico lines. Two Brylon lines in Kaywoodie, Marmont and Impulse, were briefly tried and abandoned in the late 80's.
Click to expand...

 
newbroom

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,109
6,592
Florida
Once I learned to smoke it, my Yello Bole Brylon works fine. Part of my 10 pipe rotation. It cleans out like a charm, feels nice in the hand, has a nice draw. I've been very lucky. I bought most of my pipes on ebya and I think they're all working just fine.

Once I decide to jump on something I'll get bummed about if I lose it or damage it...it's likely going to be a sandblast or rusticated briar, bent stem. The problem with a favorite pipe is that you can't smoke it ALL the time.

Or, can you?

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,454
Brylon has been a sort of joke and whipping boy on Forums, but at least five or six members own and smoke

Brylon pipes and enjoy them and find they deliver a satisfactory, nay good, smoke. They haven't sold me on

buying one yet, but if it works for them, I say more power to 'ya. For nineteen bucks or sometimes less, it's

a real working man's pipe.

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,454
If the Medico says it's a briar, it is. They don't mis-stamp their pipes. Medico and Yello-Bole both make briar pipes,

and pretty good ones at the price.

 
tuold

tuold

Lifer
Oct 15, 2013
2,133
166
Beaverton,Oregon
Yep, I came out in defense of my one Brylon pipe and I still stand by that review after smoking it several times since. I didn't taste any plastic fumes and it certainly didn't melt in my hand! Still, if you have a choice between Brylon and reasonably good briar pipe at an affordable price you will probably want to go with briar for the aesthetics alone. If you already have a Brylon pipe I'd say enjoy it. That's what I plan to do.

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,454
This has cleared up a misperception I had, that Brylon was developed during World War II when the briar supply was

cut off in war torn areas. I see it was developed well after the war. During World War II, I believe the U.S. pipe makers

turned to alternate woods. After the war, they went to stamping pipes "Made With Imported Briar" to emphasize that

they were back to briar.

 
papipeguy

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,778
35
Bethlehem, Pa.
I dug out my Yello-Bole Nova Brylon. I have not smoked this thing in over 35 years. In fact, there is still some of the yellow coating in the bottom of the bowl. Maybe I'll work up the courage to smoke it this week.


 
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