Naked Pipes... thoughts?

lasttango

Part of the Furniture Now

Sep 29, 2012

875

17

Wilmington, De / Ithaca, NY

• May 30, 2016

• #1

Hey friends. I was wondering what your thoughts on "Naked" pipes are. I really like the idea of them and the look of some of them... Radice, Jacono, Bonfiglioli and others. My question is this: If a pipe has no stain or wax whatsoever, is it more likely to degrade to some extent? I imagine it would get a natural patina... Thanks, LT

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate

Nov 12, 2014

43,450

109,397

• May 30, 2016

• #2

It will darken quite beautifully after years of use.

 

weezell

Lifer

Oct 12, 2011

13,653

49,165

• May 30, 2016

• #3

Sav unfinished pipes are the BEST! I have 3 Authors and 1 Zulu I would not trade for anything. Even though I am primarily a Meer smoker, I plan on getting more of the Authors to add to my collection.They color beautifully and smoke like a dream. I could care less about the fills...

 

kiel

Starting to Get Obsessed

May 27, 2016

208

2

• May 30, 2016

• #4

I gifted my father-in-law a naked pipe. We visit him twice a year, and everytime we're there the pipe is always different. It is fun to see the grain slowly darken. Except for the char on the rim and bite marks on the stem (the pipe gets used a lot) it always looks nicer than the last time I saw it.

 

rfernand

Part of the Furniture Now

Oct 2, 2015

669

39

• May 30, 2016

• #5

I have two, a rusticated natural and a waxed natural. The waxed one is deepening its yellowish tone. The other one is browning.

 

clickklick

Lifer

May 5, 2014

1,700

212

• May 31, 2016

• #6

I will no longer make naked rusticated. The tear out creates open pores in the wood that allow very blotchy coloring to happen from initial smokes.
Fine finish sanding and even a coat of wax prevents this from happening on smooths. I have yet to try it on sandblasts, but I have a feeling those should be fine as well without the "tearing" of the briar like during rustication.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator

Staff member

May 12, 2015

24,744

27,344

Carmel Valley, CA

• May 31, 2016

• #7

I have a dozen or so unfinished pipes that have darkened beautifully. One I took into the local B&M for buffing and the result was incredible; you would've thought it was varnished.

 

misterlowercase

Lifer

May 31, 2012

4,295

34

• May 31, 2016

• #8

I will no longer make naked rusticated. The tear out creates open pores in the wood that allow very blotchy coloring to happen from initial smokes.
Fine finish sanding and even a coat of wax prevents this from happening on smooths. I have yet to try it on sandblasts, but I have a feeling those should be fine as well without the "tearing" of the briar like during rustication.

Click to expand...

Very interesting.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

:clap:

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator

Staff member

May 12, 2015

24,744

27,344

Carmel Valley, CA

• May 31, 2016

• #9

The tear out creates open pores in the wood that allow very blotchy coloring to happen from initial smokes.

Click to expand...

Is this coloring that moves through the chamber to the outer wall, or darkening from hands, etc. getting to the wood from the outside? (or both!)

 

clickklick

Lifer

May 5, 2014

1,700

212

• May 31, 2016

• #10

Seems to me to come from elsewhere than outside the wood.

 

akfilm

Can't Leave

Mar 2, 2016

309

1

• May 31, 2016

• #11

I LOVE my natural pipes, I have a Savinelli Noce 106 and a Nording Signature that are some of my favorite pipes. The Savinelli Noce I noticed darkened first from my hand oils, it has a nice look to it, more rugged. The Nording I've been smoking Balkans in, and after a couple months of smoking decided to start darkening rapidly popping the grain. I like the "naked" pipes since they change appearance, they tell a story, like a meerschaum does with it's coloring. I also like to take a photo of the pipe when it's new, so I can track the journey.

 

blueeyedogre

Lifer

Oct 17, 2013

1,552

30

• Jun 1, 2016

• #12

Check out Morgan pipes..... His "Bones" line are naked pipes and hardly more then most basket pipes.

 

clickklick

Lifer

May 5, 2014

1,700

212

• Jun 1, 2016

• #13

Are the bones blasted or lightly rusticated? I'd be interested in the process to see if they get blotchy or not.

 

pruss

Lifer

Feb 6, 2013

3,558

370

Mytown

• Jun 1, 2016

• #14

Are the bones blasted or lightly rusticated? I'd be interested in the process to see if they get blotchy or not.

Click to expand...

They appear to be blasted.
I have a rusticated Blatter Brothers freehand from the seventies that was left unfinished. It looks like it was smoked frequently, and doesn't appear to have a mottled or blotchy look to it. I don't have photos handy, but I'll dig it out and see if I can snag pics later.
-- Pat

 

newbroom

Lifer

Jul 11, 2014

6,133

6,843

Florida

• Jun 1, 2016

• #15

I've found that the unfinished cobs are my preference in that medium.

I imagine an unfinished briar would also be somewhat more 'breathable'.

I don't really care THAT much about its appearance or mottling. It might be a feature.