Briar Lee’s Constant Posts About Algerian Briar French Pipes Got To Me

[Dshift]

You hear someone raving about this pipe and the other for long enough and then the next day, you find yourself doom-scrolling eBay….
Yeah thanks a lot @Briar Lee! The last thing I need is another type of pipe to obsess about and collect…

I have to admit though - the grain is just

 

[Sig]

Im smoking an EXCELSIOR right now!
But mine is Imported Briar and made in Italy.
Not sure if its Algerian or not.
But yes, the fine red color shown on the legendary Algerian Briar comes from the sap leeching from deep within the root. Its as mysterious, but much prettier than the coloring of Meerschaum.
Some may call Algerian briar the Meerschaum of...um....Algeria.

 

[xrundog]

Excelsior!! I’d buy that one for the name as well. A twofer!

 

[ziv]

How are the mojos?

 

[Sobrbiker]

Do actual estates from the Counselor From Humansville’s buckets o’ briars count?

 

[Auxsender]

Do actual estates from the Counselor From Humansville’s buckets o’ briars count?
View attachment 405107

Dude! You got that from The Counselor himself? I would LOVE to get pipe from @Briar Lee! I wonder if he has more to sell?

 

[Briar Lee]

You hear someone raving about this pipe and the other for long enough and then the next day, you find yourself doom-scrolling eBay….
Yeah thanks a lot @Briar Lee! The last thing I need is another type of pipe to obsess about and collect…
View attachment 405071View attachment 405072View attachment 405073View attachment 405074
I have to admit though - the grain is just

That one was made from ancient, straight grained, oil cured, aged, unvarnished, unstained, and unpainted Algerian briar transported across from Algeria to mainland France after November 1, 1954 and before July 1962.

There is no real substitute for it.

By now it’s likely older than the United States of America.


A billionaire could not smoke better.

 

[Briar Lee]

Dude! You got that from The Counselor himself? I would LOVE to get pipe from @Briar Lee! I wonder if he has more to sell?

Today I went through some boxes from when I sold my office and retired and discovered a huge treasure trove of Pipes by Lee.

I’m going to catalog and list a lot of them.

 

[Dshift]

Could anyone post a link to an extensive article about identifying such pipes and maybe more about the wood trade itself? Thank you in advance.

 

[Briar Lee]

Could anyone post a link to an extensive article about identifying such pipes and maybe more about the wood trade itself? Thank you in advance.

How do you explain membership in a stone cold cult of the order of the ancient, oil cured, aged, unstained, unvarnished and unpainted Algerian briar?

There are articles, mainly in old sources before 1954 such as Pipe Lover’s Magazine.

Or spend twenty bucks and join the cult.

 

[Sig]

Do actual estates from the Counselor From Humansville’s buckets o’ briars count?
View attachment 405107

Absolutely.
This pipe has been meticulously cleaned of its goopy, stinky cake. Leaving just a thin layer carbon to help the sap come through, creating the luxurious red color.
In all seriousness, ive been convinced, and have several in my rotation.

 

[Briar Lee]

Absolutely.
This pipe has been meticulously cleaned of its goopy, stinky cake. Leaving just a thin layer carbon to help the sap come through, creating the luxurious red color.
In all seriousness, ive been convinced, and have several in my rotation.

Two things identify geniune Pre 54 Algerian briar.

In a cake free example it colors a reddish brown oxblood color.

It imparts a zesty, bold, robust cinnamon scented taste to the smoke. Not everyone likes that.

 

[didimauw]

I kinda like the cinnamon flavor a new Algerian briar gives off.

My 90 dollar Ropp Superior Algerian is one of my absolute best smokers.

And yes I only bought it because of @Briar Lee

And Im happy I did.

But there will be no steel wool. It's a natural.

 

[Indygrap]

The man is a menace! Had he not extolled the amazing properties of Algerian briar, Marxman in particular, my PAD would be controllable. It has been running unchecked as of late. Only my wife’s increasing frustration & my bank account’s decreasing balance keep it check.

 

[Briar Lee]

The man is a menace! Had he not extolled the amazing properties of Algerian briar, Marxman in particular, my PAD would be controllable. It has been running unchecked as of late. Only my wife’s increasing frustration & my bank account’s decreasing balance keep it check.View attachment 405189

In a hundred years, when we are all past our daily cares and beyond the sunset, those pipes will remain.

In all the estates I handled in forty one years I came to realize the Master does not subtract from our pile of earthly winnings any trifling sums spent on rare treasures such as good pipes and fine guitars and they may even prevent the pursuit of truly expensive trophies.

There are pretty baubles, that might really cost a man.

Cue Willie and Trigger!

You Wouldn’t Cross the Street to Say Goodbye

 

[Piping Abe]

Now you need to buy a 3 pound tin of coffee from Costco to get to the next membership level.

 

[sablebrush52]

The most famous proponent of Algerian briar was Barling, who had their own harvesting and curing operations in Algeria, using only the finest of the wood they harvested up until they lost their operations in 1954. Oil curing was never a thing with them as they found it inferior to natural air curing. They controlled their wood from the ground to the sales counter.

The other major proponent of Algerian briar was Comoy’s, who also set up their own harvesting and curing operations in Algeria as early as 1909.

 

[Dshift]

The most famous proponent of Algerian briar was Barling, who had their own harvesting and curing operations in Algeria, using only the finest of the wood they harvested up until they lost their operations in 1954. Oil curing was never a thing with them as they found it inferior to natural air curing. They controlled their wood from the ground to the sales counter.

The other major proponent of Algerian briar was Comoy’s, who also set up their own harvesting and curing operations in Algeria as early as 1909.

Here we go again… now I have to look for pre 1954 Barlings and Comoys….

 

[The Benedictine]

As a Frenchman I'm ashamed I have no French made pipes. Time to look for pre 54 briar.

 

[sablebrush52]

As a Frenchman I'm ashamed I have no French made pipes. Time to look for pre 54 briar.

If you own any pre WW2 era Britwood, especially 1920's and earlier Britwood, it's almost all French turned briar, finished in England.