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.
Bob Savage
Old Dominion Pipe Co.