Does heavier briar denote... higher quality?

[pipevilleworld]

I'm a Mario Grandi pipe collector with about 25 to choose from... so far. And I've noticed, from briar to briar, that some pipes, in hand, are fairly heavier than others; taking into account that a particular two could be in the same general size class, though one is heavier. Does more dense briar denote better quality material; the heavier, the more covetable?

 

[jchaplick]

NOOO, it is the total opposite, the lighter briar is higher quality, it means it is a more naturally dried and old peice. The drier it is, the more porous it is, that means it will smoke drier and cooler,because of better absorption
The lighter the better!!! all the time. If you have two of the same pipes, the lighter weighted one is the better peice of wood, providing the grain is better

 

[pipevilleworld]

Thanks jchaplick:
I hear people talking of the quality of the grain on smoothly finished pipes too. What exactly is the set of good characteristics of a pipe that has, "good grain". Would you say that a pipe maker could be covering up the fact that a particular hunk of briar was of lesser quality... if he chose to sandblast parts or... the whole thing? Or can great grain be recognized still?

 

[seakayak]

I have several good quality rusticated pipes. Despite the fact that you couln't see the grain with x-ray glasses, they are all very light and smoke dry and pure. A Ser Jacobo, in particular, meets all these standards and is jet black in color.

 

[rigmedic1]

Pipe manufacturers tend to rusticate or sandblast briar that has too many pits and flaws to be a good smooth pipe. The briar may be a good grade, just too scarred up after rough cutting to polish. Lighter wood is drier

for the most part, i.e. less moisture content. I tend to steer away from heavily painted or varnished pipes, as the paint may trap heat, and the maker may be trying to hide something. Otherwise, the lighter the weight in comparable sizes, the better the briar is cured.

 

[jchaplick]

everybody has made good points, as far as good grain, rustication which is different than sandblast covers grain. You typically want as much grain as possible, stay away from bald spots, areas that have no grain.

 

[jpberg]

I think there is a point that is being missed, or at least bypassed. How can you assume to know the "dryness" of a piece of briar? And, do you think that moisture alone would account for a substantial enough difference in weight to be noticeable in the hand?
Edited to add, I don't believe that there is any correlation between the "dryness" of briar, and the quality of said piece. A bone dry, 300 year old piece of briar can have as many pits and holes as any other piece, and moisture content has no effect whatsoever on grain uniformity, or lack thereof.

 

[nemrod]

jpberg: I don't think anyone said old briar doesn't have flaws or that moisture has to do with grain. The fact that it is lighter can't mean anything but that it's more porous, whether that has to do with moisture content or not isn't as relevant as the fact that it should be able to absorb more by being less dense.

 

[jpberg]

But, does the ability to absorb more make a piece of briar more or less desirable? We are talking about minute amounts of weight.

If porosity was the determining factor in pipe quality, we would all be smoking meerschaums and olive woods.

 

[pipevilleworld]

Just to be clear... what is exactly meant by, "smokes dry"? I'm hypothesizing that it means... more dry, making the briar capable of absorbing more moisture during smoking; less or no gurgling during a pleasurable smoke?

 

[tobakenist]

Some quality briars are oil cured like Dunhills used to be, this is supposed to remove sap from the briar, this makes the briar lighter and more absorbant.

 

[jpberg]

"Smoking Dry", to me, means that you get little to no gurgling (moisture buildup) while smoking a bowl. The drilling of your pipe and your packing/cadence are key factors.

 

[jchaplick]

The short answer is yes, if you have two identical pipes, with identical grains, and one is lighter then the other, it is more desirable

 

[spyder71]

Awesome topic guys! This is the "learn something every day" of the day!

 

[hauntedmyst]

While some pipes are sandblasted to cover up the grain, higher end pipes are chosen for their grain when sandblasted. A well sandblasted pipe still shows the grain quite well.

 

[bigvan]

hauntedmyst is absolutely right about the relatively modern practice of sandblasting to HIGHLIGHT the grain, rather than to cover it up.
And in my opinion, some of the BEST at this are American carvers like Rad Davis, Brian Ruthenberg, Bruce Weaver, and of course JT Cooke.

 

[jpberg]

The short answer is yes, if you have two identical pipes, with identical grains, and one is lighter then the other, it is more desirable

Why? I'm not being a smart ass. I'm genuinely wondering what has led you to that opinion.

 

[pipevilleworld]

Less or no gurgling as a result of drier, more porous hunk of wood perhaps but... one thing is puzzling me. It seems, when I'm smoking, most or all of the moisture occurs... in the stem. Yes? No?

 

[jpberg]

You're right, the bottom of the bowl and the beginning of the stummel are where the gurgling happens. That's where the moisture is going to collect and interact with the air that you are drawing through the pipe. That's why good drilling is absolutely essential. If the airway is drilled too high above the bottom of your bowl, you're creating a sump, in the direct line of your draw, where moisture can sit, and not easily escape.

 

[jchaplick]

Why? I'm not being a smart ass. I'm genuinely wondering what has led you to that opinion.

Im not trying to be a smart ass either haha, it being lighter, as in weight, not color, just to be clear, means that it has a more porous structure, a little weight may not seem like much, but when you are dealing with molecular structures, that means it is significantly more porous, the more porous it is the more tars and juices the pipe absorbs from the smoke, making it abetter smoke, and it will extend the life of the pipe in general