Blackwood Pipe

[literaryworkshop]

I've been in the habit of making pipes for other people for some time, so I thought it was time I made one for myself.
I acquired a block of African blackwood a while back, and while there were too many flaws in it to do much with, I found I could cut a pipe or two (maybe three) out of it.



It's my own variation on a bulldog--diamond shank, chamfer on the top, and rings. I suppose there are a few things I would do differently if I had it to do over again, but I like the result overall.

 

[mephistopheles]

Wow, I'm loving the black and white. Great job! :clap:

 

[khartman]

That's awesome! Love the black and white coloring!!

 

[dottiewarden]

Great contrast. Congratulations!

 

[tuold]

That is a fine looking pipe! I'd be pleased to have it my collection, for sure.

 

[newbroom]

I don't know anything about the wood you used, but your pipe crafting looks fantastic.

I hope you have pics of some of your other creations? We like to see that sort of thing around here.

Did you make the stem yourself? Does that black wood weigh much more than briar?

How does it taste?

I'm sure we'd all love to hear about your pipe making tips and follies.

 

[blueeyedogre]

Can't wai to hear how it smokes.

 

[bloodwood]

She's a real beaut Prof.
Care to share any stories regarding the difficulty in cutting, shaping and overall working with such a hard and dense wood like African Blackwood?
I filled my empty Swear Jar dealing with a single piece of AB not too long ago.

 

[literaryworkshop]

Thanks for the compliments, folks. This is my 35th pipe, so I've had a little practice. Still SO much to learn about pipe making, though!
To answer some questions:
-The stem is a premold from Vermont Freehand. I've not yet ventured into hand-cut stems, but I'll get there eventually.
-The blackwood is HARD to work. It's dense and tough, much denser than briar, though also less brittle than briar. It also takes beautiful shine when buffed.
-The pipe is heavier than a briar of that size and shape would be. I don't yet know how it smokes, as I haven't gotten the chance to try it out.
-Yes, I can show a few pictures of some of my other pipes. Here's a link to a page on my blog.

 

[literaryworkshop]

But for those of you who don't want to bother clicking through links, here are some random shots of a few recent favorites:

Diplomat

Apple churchwarden

A shape I came up with myself--I call it a Gothic. It's now in the hands of a maker of fine, custom handplanes.