Alternative Woods for Tobacco Pipe

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64alex

Part of the Furniture Now
May 10, 2016
566
339
I/d like to hear experiences from owners of pipes from woods other than briar as I am thinking of getting a pipe different from briar. Particularly I am looking to hear in which way they smoke different if any way from briar for best, worst or different. Out of my mind comes olive, lemon, cherry, cork, pear, but really I'd like to hear from experience of any alternative wood. I would tend not to consider here morta mainly as it is well covered in many other posts.

 

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,093
11,012
Southwest Louisiana
. Mullberry by E James.

 

okiebrad

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 13, 2016
292
2
I have a Mullberry tree in my backyard. I have a few limbs drying in order to scratch out a pipe. Hope to get that project started this winter.

 

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,093
11,012
Southwest Louisiana
I have 2 Strawberry Beckers, the one E James made me is Strawberry Briar, the Strawberry Beckers are very light and smoke very well. I have heard from some carvers that Strawberry pipes are prone to split. I do not have such knowledge. The Strawberry Briar is a Superb smoker as is the Mulberry,

 

pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
605
I've only had olive (an inexpensive Don Florian with a so-so stem). It tastes a bit like olive oil, which is actually kind of nice. If the stem were better, I'd probably smoke it more.

 

agnosticpipe

Lifer
Nov 3, 2013
3,332
3,413
In the sticks in Mississippi
I have a MM maple, Ropp cherry, Spanu olive, and a Golden Gate pear. I like them all, and they get smoked all about equally. I do favor the olive wood and cherry wood a little more though, as they are better made pipes with nicer stems. I don't notice much difference in the way the different woods smoke to be honest, but the way the pipe is made makes a bigger difference for sure.

 

michiganlover

Can't Leave
May 10, 2014
336
3
I've got a couple of hardwoods from MM: a Maple Great Dane, and a birch Ozark. Both smoke just fine after developing some cake.

 

tmb152

Can't Leave
Apr 26, 2016
392
5
I have a MM maple, Ropp cherry, Spanu olive, and a Golden Gate pear.
Orley, I have always been skeptical of non-briar woods such as pear, as I never saw these woods used until recently and suspected that they are only being used for lack of good available (or affordable?) briar, and wondered how they would hold up compared to briar wood, but that said, being that many people here are using them, then my next question would be how their beauty and grain compare? To me, a large part of why I buy briar is because I love the beautiful grain.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Since 2002, I've bought three different Mountain Laurel pipes from Jerry Perry, a N.C. carver. The laurel is light weight, attractive, and durable. It is also somewhat scarce, and Jerry does not sell online, only at the N.C. State Fair in October and the TAPS pipe show at the Fairground in April. He also does pipes in briar, Cocobolo, and maple, maybe others, but those are the ones I've seen. I have two of his briars and a Cocobolo. If you are going to either of those events, I highly recommend you stop by. His exhibit is attractive and he seems to bring a good production of new pipes, scores in colorful stains and with various color stems, and a variety of shapes. The Cocobolo pocket pipe, a freestyle with interesting asymmetrical shaping, smokes well, as do all his pipes. His work is an interesting fusion of, maybe, some N.C. folk art, influenced subtly by Japanese and Danish influences, maybe others.

 
May 4, 2015
3,210
16
I've always wanted one of the Brog pear wood pipes for some reason. Maybe I'll get one. Depends on how many eBay auctions I win tomorrow :|

 

fishnbanjo

Lifer
Feb 27, 2013
3,030
63
Olive wood is wonderful when completely broken in but extra care needs to be taken during this period to not try and make it a train, it, and you, will suffer, I really enjoy mine.
I have to take a hit on encouraging Brad to nab his first Becker Strawberrywood and glad to see he's happy with the decision, I truly enjoy mine.
The old Ropp Cherrywood pipes are fine but are at best sipped and never overheat one.
I have one made from ash by a pipe making friend and like Olive Wood it needs a breaki in period then it is just fine as is Walnut, best of luck choosing.

banjo

 
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