Old Dominion Pipe Cob Color Variations

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virginiacob

Can't Leave
Dec 30, 2013
450
7
Thought you all might be interested in this pic. It shows a sampling of the various natural cob colors found with our heirloom Indian corn cob pipes. The pipes shown are our "Laughing King" model. Unlike modern hybrid corn cobs which tend to be uniform in color, Indian corn cobs vary from ear to ear just as the kernels. Interestingly, when the corn stalks are maturing, a "purple" stalk will yield a dark red or deep purple ear whereas a green stalk will produce a yellow or speckled-colored ear. DNA testing on our corn has shown that it can be traced back to the "Bloody Butcher" variety grown in Virginia since the 1840s but decades of planting and harvesting of this corn in a geographically isolated region in Virginia has created its own unique traits as well. When my brother discovered this unique heirloom Indian corn a few years ago, the corn had been reduced to being planted in a small garden. The old farmer who was growing it said that it had been grown continuously in his family since the 1870s and he had been planting it in his vegetable garden just to keep the variety from going extinct. Today we've been able to keep his family's legacy alive by reviving this historical corn variety. The kernels are used by Pungo Creek Mills to produce a flavorful cornmeal while the cobs of course are used to make our handcrafted corn cob pipes.
Bob Savage

Old Dominion Pipe Co.


 

gray4lines

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 6, 2012
679
2
KY
I like that natural look a lot more than the freakishly yellow color of MM cobs. I bought a few rejects from MM and they are just as much plaster as cob. The natural cob makes a good looking pipe!

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
The textures and the different hues are really appealing. I especially like the reddish cobs.

 

virginiacob

Can't Leave
Dec 30, 2013
450
7
I agree, the natural cob hues and textures do add a lot to the appeal of these pipes. We find that when we shape and sand the cobs, like working with a piece of natural wood, each cob has its own unique texture and occasional slight imperfections that make each cob bowl truly one-of-a-kind. Personally, I'm somewhat partial to the dark brown and reddish-brown cobs myself.

 

shortyeastcoast

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 28, 2013
188
0
@virginiacob when placing an order, does the customer get to specify which colors they will recieve?
Those things are cool and a couple are on my next PAD list.

 

virginiacob

Can't Leave
Dec 30, 2013
450
7
@shortyeastcoast, there isn't a place on the website to specify cob color, but we accept payment through the site through PayPal so if you want a specific cob color just add your preferred color in the comments/message box thru PayPal and we'll do our best to accommodate your color request. If we don't see any message from the customer specifying a specific color, then we usually pick a random one and ship it out.
Sincerely,
Bob Savage

Old Dominion Pipe Co.

 

taerin

Lifer
May 22, 2012
1,851
1
I like that natural look a lot more than the freakishly yellow color of MM cobs. I bought a few rejects from MM and they are just as much plaster as cob. The natural cob makes a good looking pipe!
They do make all of their pipes "unfinished" as well, which has no coating and no lacquer.

 

kokopiper

Lurker
Feb 4, 2014
9
0
Those look fantastic! What is the shank made out of? I would love to pick up a couple of those. Anxious to see how some guys modify these things. It looks like the bowl might be better for flakes...

 

virginiacob

Can't Leave
Dec 30, 2013
450
7
kokopiper,
Our stems on our Old Dominion corn cob pipes are made from bamboo in keeping with traditional corn cob pipe manufacture. For our "Virginia Planter" and "Laughing King" models, we start out by cutting the stems to 5-1/2" in length. We then smooth out and shape the mouthpiece end and taper the opposite end to fit into our cob bowls. We don't glue our stems to the bowls. They are simply inserted into the bowl and twisted until they create a tight, tension fit. This offers a great advantage for those folks who like to customize their cobs as the stem can easily be removed and replaced with a customized stem (obviously will require some minor fitting such as possibly drilling the stem hole larger).

 

redbeard

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 2, 2013
841
4
Great pic Bob!! I really like the red hues also, and as you know the purple one suits my fancy as well. Hope I can try one out soon!

 

virginiacob

Can't Leave
Dec 30, 2013
450
7
redbeard,
Thanks. BTW, have you at the top of the list for a purple one once we find another workable purple cob.

 

bentmike

Lifer
Jan 25, 2012
2,422
37
That's interesting virginiacob. When I was growing up my mom would use dried Indian corn to make decorations around Thanksgiving time. I remember the bright multicolored ears in table settings and also hanging on the door much like a wreath.

 
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