Different pipe makers and the weight of their pipes

[fmgee]

That black and green combo is superb.

 

[smokershaven]

Lonestar's example is the reality of the weight. Materials are the number one factor in a pipes weight. Certain varieties of briar tend to be lighter than others and also stem material can vary in weight dramatically.

 

[lonestar]

Premal, I weighed both stems to see if the different materials changed the weight at all. Both stems were 4 grams, so the weight difference was 100% in the wood in this case.
Al, you are right the Black Blast is the heavier pipe.

Thanks Hawke and Fmgee !

 

[ssjones]

I knew it, black stain is always heavier.

 

[lestrout]

The grain on the black one does look denser. A couple of Richmond CORPS trips ago, my carpool got to talking weight (actually density) of woods. I ventured that less dense briar insulates the heat better, keeping the BTUs in the bowl rather than letting it escape through the chamber walls as much. And therefore one would have to puff less to replenish the cherry and the end result would be a cooler and tastier smoke. We got to wondering why all the Rad pipes we has were so light, so when I saw Rad at the show, I scampered right on over and asked him what his method was. I did caution him not to reveal any trade secrets (not that that would do any good for us non-carvers) but we were more than curious.
Rad thanked us for our interest (always the true gent) and pulled out two 55s that he had just made. One was slightly bigger than the other, but they were essentially identical. When we hefted them, the bigger one was actually about 35g, while the smaller was more like 50. Rad didn't feel he used any extraordinary methods for curing or selecting the briar. So the huge difference was the variability in the wood.
hp

les