Orange Osage Pipes

hoosierpipeguy · Aug 2, 2018

I purchased this Orange Osage pipe about 3 months ago. I've never owned one made of this wood and was wondering if what I'm seeing is normal. The pipe smoked extraordinarily hot for awhile. It's better now but still easily gets quite warm on the front and back. Rather than me try to describe the problem, look at the photos and tell me if what I'm seeing with the "weeping" along grain lines and in individual spots is normal for this wood. The bleached spot on the bottom was there when I purchased the pipe.
I haven't been back to the place where I purchased it so in fairness to the carver,this hasn't been brought up with them. I'll probably be there in a few weeks and was hoping for some third party feedback. I have my opinion but I have no experience to support it.

Chasing Embers · Aug 2, 2018

One of Skip's hedge apple pipes, lovely things. If you are referring to the spirals, that's just the ring grain of the wood.

winton · Aug 2, 2018

I love working with Osage Orange. The wood is beautiful and incredibly hard. It is often used for fence posts. The posts will last longer than the barbed wire. I have never heard of anyone digging up the rootball of this tree to see how it compares to briar. I would like to have a pipe made of this wood. I have plenty of it in my garage, but I don't make pipes.

btp79 · Aug 2, 2018

We used it for camp fires or in wood burning stoves. It burns really hot, but throws off a ton of sparks. Burdock, Hedge Apple, Osage Orange, we used all three names for it growing up in Kansas. Looks nice, but I'd probably stick to my briars and cobs. Too many memories of snap, crackle, and pop with that particular wood lol.

craiginthecorn · Aug 2, 2018

Cool-looking pipe.
I might have shared this same thought with you in person at the Chicago Show, hoosierpipeguy. It’s surprising to me that someone would fashion a pipe from Osage orange, which has the unusual property of burning even when freshly cut, green, and wet.
Here’s some info I found. If ever there’s a wood that sounds inappropriate for a pipe, this is it! I like the sparky behavior though. That would be a great pipe to use on the 4th of July! ;-)

The heat produced from dry Osage orange wood has qualities often compared to coal. However, the wood actually burns so hot you can easily damage a wood stove if you're not careful.
Instead of burning strictly hedge, mix it with other popular hardwoods like ash, beech or maple firewood. This will allow you to capture all the great heating qualities of the wood without the fire becoming too intense.
Osage orange also sparks.......A LOT. The wood throws a shower of sparks described by many people as a fireworks show. This constant shower of hot sparks makes burning the wood in a open fireplace dangerous.
The dense wood is also hard on chainsaw chains. If you're going to go out and cut osage orange for a day, do yourself a favor and bring along 2 or 3 extra sharp chains. It will save you the aggravation of hand filing 1 chain all day trying to keep it sharp.
Split the wood while it's green. It splits okay when it's still wet but if you let it dry out and then try to split it.......forget it.......it's difficult to say the least.
Although many people say you can burn the wood when it's green, let the split firewood season for about 6-12 months for best results.

hoosierpipeguy · Aug 2, 2018

If you are referring to the spirals, that's just the ring grain of the wood.

You apparently didn't read my post. I'm referring to the black spots that are clearly visible and look similar to a sand pit in a briar that starts weeping as the pipe is smoked multiple times. There also appears to be seepage along the line of the ring grain in a couple of places.
How many of these pipes do you own and smoke? Do yours look like this?

crashthegrey · Aug 2, 2018

Unfortunately that is a possibility with any wood, and I've known a number of people who have had problems with orange osange. There was one guy using it heavily and I know many customers were upset and had burnouts and major flaws. I don't own one personally, in fact I gave away the only one I ever had. So I cannot confirm for sure.

hoosierpipeguy · Aug 2, 2018

Thanks crashthegrey, that's the feedback I was looking for. If it weren't for the flaws, it would be a gorgeous pipe. At this point at least, it doesn't seem to be in danger of burning out. You have to puff this one really, really slow or it gets very hot on the front and back. I don't see buying another one.

carolinachurchwarden · Aug 2, 2018

I have worked with a lot of different types of wood, but never that type. It looks really beautiful and as though it would be a pleasure to work with. I could only use my experience with other woods so take this with a grain of salt...It could be either one of two things, in my opinion:
1.) The bowl is getting so hot that IF there is still sap present in that wood, it's getting so hot that it's oozing slowly to the outside surface, especially when you take into consideration that wood expands slightly under a heat source. This could be opening the pores up in that wood and the sap is slowly being drawn out, creating the discoloration.
2.) The same porous nature of the wood, if it is dry and no sap is still present in the wood, could be causing the tars and other gunk to slowly "wick" through to the surface.
Not sure if either is a big deal structurally, but aesthetically, could make you not like how the change will occur over long term smoking. Those are just a few of my thoughts, however out there they may be.
EDIT: Or it could be burning through to the surface, which I always shudder to think about.

crashthegrey · Aug 2, 2018

While I agree with carolinachurchwarden, I will add this bit of personal experience. Whether sap or tar, when a pipe begins wicking out, there is a flaw. In smoking, that flaw is going to open up sooner or later no matter how careful you are. It almost always results in a slow burnout in my experience, and I smoke slow. I hope this isn't the case for you.

hoosierpipeguy · Aug 2, 2018

Thanks carolinachurchwarden for that feedback. Very strange wood. The front and back have colored beautifully with a great contrast between the ring grain. The sides, some, but not so much. Coincidentally, the front and back always heat up quicker and hotter than the sides. If you look closely though at the sides (the photo isn't the greatest), it almost looks like there is a crack or fault line forming along a grain line. This is happening in a couple of places. And then there are all the dark spots.
There is a reasonable layer of cake formed, it does not appear from the inside that it is in danger of burning out. If it did, I'm not worried, I think Skip would take care of it as he seems like a reasonable guy.

hoosierpipeguy · Aug 2, 2018

While I agree with carolinachurchwarden, I will add this bit of personal experience. Whether sap or tar, when a pipe begins wicking out, there is a flaw. In smoking, that flaw is going to open up sooner or later no matter how careful you are. It almost always results in a slow burnout in my experience, and I smoke slow. I hope this isn't the case for you.

My concern as well which is why I posted this. Were this a briar pipe, I would have already been contacting the seller. This is my first experience with Orange Osage so I don't know if this is normal or the exception. Regardless, it seems like a real possibility of a future burn out if it is actually wicking out. Time will tell I guess.

crashthegrey · Aug 2, 2018

Best of luck. Wood is a crazy thing, and can contradict all previous experience. It is a very nifty looking pipe, though.

carolinachurchwarden · Aug 2, 2018

Wood is a crazy thing, and can contradict all previous experience. It is a very nifty looking pipe, though.

Wholeheartedly agree. It's amazing how much one little thing done differently can change the way it looks and works. Who knows, if this particular chunk of wood that this was cut from was sawn off an inch or two higher or lower, it could have been completely fine, or worse, you never know for sure. I also see the crack you mention forming where it looks like the softwood meets with the harder wood of the ring. That still is a pretty pipe. It almost looks a lot like oak with the natural cracks that form perpendicular to the ring, almost like wood grain within wood grain. It also looks like it has a very good marbling in the darker rings, which I love to see that contrast. Shame though with the spot forming. Whatever the cause, keep us posted. I'd be real interested in discovering why it's happening for sure, if you find out.

Chasing Embers · Aug 2, 2018

You apparently didn't read my post. I'm referring to the black spots that are clearly visible

The OP said this.

Rather than me try to describe the problem, look at the photos and tell me if what I'm seeing with the "weeping" along grain lines and in individual spots is normal for this wood.

There is no mention of black spots and thought the question was about the grain. I did read your post and tried to be of help. Not a mistake I will repeat.

hoosierpipeguy · Aug 2, 2018

I mentioned individual spots. Sorry if that was confusing. If you feel better about not responding to my posts, that your choice as well. I simply asked if you owned any Orange Osage pipes and what your experience was. I'm now assuming you have owned none and have no experience. Thank you.

cosmicfolklore · Aug 3, 2018

Wow, I am glad I got left out of the OO buying frenzy then. I hate that it turned out a crapper for you.

Is it seeping tars from the cake, or is it seeping sap?

I have seen briar pipes brought in The Briary that were oozing tars out small pinholes. It was actually pretty cool. On one pipe the guy said that it was his best smoking pipe, but he just had to wipe the tar off occasionally.

Me? Like you, I would probably not want my pipes to do that.

Orange Osage Pipes

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