The Joy of Unfinished Pipes

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rfernand

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 2, 2015
669
39
Brand new:

img_0202-600x450.jpg


After its first bowl of Carter Hall:

img_0203-600x450.jpg
This is way too much fun. Wish I'd done this years ago. I have another 320 KS Unfinished (a smooth reject, it seems) coming. Can't wait to see them age.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,454
Really like 'em. I have unfinished Savs -- zulu 404, billiard, panel billiard w/saddle stem, and bent Dublin. Can't beat 'em. The zulu and billiard are about forty years old, and have turned golden walnut color.

 

rfernand

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 2, 2015
669
39
clickklick: let's see if the Briar gods give us a good block for a smooth one! :)

 

moriarty

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 3, 2012
144
0
I'm with you on the unstained, unfinished pipes, r. It's very cool the way they colour over time. I've never been sure how much the colouring is from smoking and how much is from the oils on your hand, which the warm briar absorbs. Probably more the latter, I guess.

 

samon

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 23, 2015
158
2
After seeing this guy talk about his 'bones' selection of unfinished pipes I really wanted one..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBteTcsE9Bs
You've just amde me want one more. :D
Can't afford one from him though, any idea hwo t search for affordable/good makes in an unfinished wood??

 

clickklick

Lifer
May 5, 2014
1,700
212
Samon, you can't afford a bones? Last I saw on FB there was a sale for $39 USD.
r - I'll make them until we get a smooth one!

 

samon

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 23, 2015
158
2
I live in England so the swines at the postal service with rape me with income duty, taxes, box inspection fees etc costing more than the price of the pipe. Although the exchange rate works in my favour, the postage will always pin me down and dry hump me.
And.. I can just walk into my local tobacconist and buy a brand new Peterson model for around £60, the bones with all the bs fees will be alot lot more than that. Silly isn't it?

 
I have one of Nording's unfinished pipes, but I don't think the coloration comes from the smoke, at least inside the pipe that is. Mine is coloring where my fingers touch it. There have been several videos and really good posts showing how the tars and such do not soak into the briar, so any coloring would have to come from just smoke in the air around the pipe or from the oils on your skin.

 

rfernand

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 2, 2015
669
39
The second picture I posted shows some early coloration in the top of the shank. My fingers were nowhere near there. There are also some dots near the top, and a similar spot hear the bottom. As I was smoking it, I saw these spots emerge, and they grew as if it were moisture leaking out.
So at least on this rusticated pipe, it seems there was some transfer.

 
Why is it then that more pipes don't have moisture just seeping out of them? Just having a stain doesn"t seem like it would block moisture. Just asking.
I saw the wet spots in the pictures, but they look nothing like how my Nording colored, and I've had it for four years. Has anyone else had moisture just seep out like that?

 

jackswilling

Lifer
Feb 15, 2015
1,777
24
I have a Comoy Blue Riband which is unstained but does come with an oil finish. I think the oil has prevented any "smoking srtains" as depicted.

 
I also have a few that I carved and left unfinished nor sanded, but they haven't been smoked nearly as much as my Nording. This is interesting though. This is the first time someone has said that the stains come through in such a way. Fascinating. I am just curious if anyone else has experienced this with their own unfinished pipes.

Even when I see other people's unfinished, they aren't spotted or speckled with tar, just slightly different, which could be from oils on the skin also.
All of the evidence says that the briar doesn't breath or... the cake doesn't even go beyond the surface also. Just amazing if this throws all of that out the window, and we're left with speculation again.

 

rfernand

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 2, 2015
669
39
Fascinating, isn't it? I'll take more pictures tomorrow when I smoke it again. I'll also avoid touching the briar as an extra precaution.
Staining preventing leaks makes sense to me -- it's an uniform layer in an otherwise porous surface. We do know pipes, even when stained, show a nice patina over time. The change is not only on the outside, as only buffing does not restore the original color.

 

bpftc

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 21, 2016
147
1
Hmmmm Never thought I wanted one.....Until Now :puffpipe:

 

blackmouth

Lurker
Feb 2, 2016
20
0
I'm eyeing an unfinished Sav myself. I've seen some examples of seasoned ones online that look amazing.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,706
27,302
Carmel Valley, CA
And.. I can just walk into my local tobacconist and buy a brand new Peterson model for around £60, the bones with all the bs fees will be alot lot more than that. Silly isn't it?
If in Mayfair, stop by Davidoff— wait don't judge yet!— and ask to see the basket pipes. Some dogs, but I found a Parker for 30 quid that looks like it should have been a lot—a huge lot—more. But I combed through 40 pipes to get there.

 
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