Canadian Pipe Shape Origins

[banjoner]

Sorry if this has been repeated ad nauseam but I couldn't find anything about it.

As a Canadian and also a lover of pipes in the Canadian shape, I'm curious if anyone knows why the shape was called that? Who started it? What is the origin of it? Was it the offshoot of a Lumberman? or vice versa?

Enquiring minds need to know!

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

My wild and totally uneducated guess is "Canadian" pipes were originally made with spruce trees, which have a long straight branch shooting off the tree trunk, and I'm betting could easily be made into a single piece pipe with a long wooden shank as long as you're skilled with a drill.

 

[BROBS]

good question..
my guess is someone just tried to make the shape out of a larger/longer block of briar... extending the shank.

 

[mso489]

I'd guess, randomly, that it wasn't the materials, and that the Canadian shape arose out of briar pipe construction, but that the long shank arose either in Canada, or perhaps was assigned that association for some reason. Maybe some pipes of that shape were made or exported to there and were associated with Canada. I take Canadian as the whole family of long shanked straight billiard-bowl pipes, with the others being subsets. As with much pipe and pipe shape lore, the origins on this are lost in the clouds of tobacco smoke.

 

[danimalia]

My first briar was a Lumberman. Not really any reason for it except it was the only straight undinished Savinelli at my local shop. Since then, I have become really attracted to the shape. My most recent purchase was a Radice Rind Canadian. I expect I'll buy more, particularly those that manage to stay at around 6" or a bit less.

I'd be curious to know the origins as well. Could just be a famous Canadian smoked a long shanked billiard or something...

 

[banjoner]

My wild and totally uneducated guess is "Canadian" pipes were originally made with spruce trees, which have a long straight branch shooting off the tree trunk, and I'm betting could easily be made into a single piece pipe with a long wooden shank as long as you're skilled with a drill.

lol you'd have to have one hell of a special piece of spruce to make a decent pipe.. that's some soft sappy wood.

 

[crashthegrey]

I'd love to know but I have a feeling that the origin is lost in mystery and time.

 

[donjgiles]

Canadian - Pipedia - https://pipedia.org/wiki/Canadian

 

[rushx9]

Lumberjacks leaning forward splitting logs all day needed to keep the smoke out of their eyes and keep the smoke cool while clenching. And all Canadians are descended from lumberjacks. Feel free to repeat that wild speculation as fact until it becomes true?.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I've always assumed that it is because the damn things look like a log. It would take a massive hunk of briar to get one made. So, I imagine guys in old timey pipe shops called them logs, then the backslapping sort of guys they were, started joking about them being Canadians, maybe some called them lumberjacks, lumbermen, etc...

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I have heard that the term "Dublins" started as a slight towards Irishmen, who where stereotyped as lazy hayseeds... and the simple cone shape dangling from the clench of a straw hat wearing guy...

 

[verporchting]

Obviously, the long shank doubles as a hook on which to hang your toque, eh.

 

[crashthegrey]

Canadian - Pipedia - https://pipedia.org/wiki/Canadian

This doesn't give any actual history of the name.

 

[crashthegrey]

Regardless of the names, I have found that the Lovat is the superior pipe of the Canadian family, and perhaps of all pipes.

 

[mso489]

Lovats are tricky; some have the long shank which puts them in the Canadian family, but quite a few have a medium or short shank and a fairly short stem, so they don't really fit in the family as we know it. My one Lovat is the short variety, but a fine pipe nonetheless in terms of having a good smoke.

 

[alaskanpiper]

It's simple. The further north you live.......the longer your.........uh........."shank" is.........

 

[lochinvar]

Regardless of the names, I have found that the Lovat is the superior pipe of the Canadian family, and perhaps of all pipes.

You are right, it is not just "a" pipe shape, it's "THE" pipe shape. The shape of and for the Gods.....and me

 

[jpmcwjr]

My Great great Uncle saw a sign saying "Drink Canada Dry" so he headed N. Across the border and tried to do so. He failed at that but he called his long shanked pipes "Canadians" just because he bought them there.

 

[olkofri]

Regardless of the names, I have found that the Lovat is the superior pipe of the Canadian family, and perhaps of all pipes.

How so? (Not disagreeing, just curious: I'm a fan of the Canadian shape.)

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Regardless of the names, I have found that the Lovat is the superior pipe of the Canadian family, and perhaps of all pipes.

I have to agree. I generally prefer saddle bits, and I love the extra long wooden shank, so it's definitely a contest between the Lumberman and Lovat, and if I'm comparing them I'd almost always take the Lovat.