Ebony pipe
- Thread starter epsilon2
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I love to see your work in progress pics and really look forward to seeing pics of the finish pipe. It looks like it's going to be as beautiful as the others you've shared with us 
Wow, I love those thick walls. Beautiful indeed. Thank you for sharing and please don't stop. There is something about your work that appeals to me greatly and I love to see the progress and finished pics.
Thank you for sharing these pics, that is a lovely shape, nice work. I am curious about the ebony, it's quite oily, does it release these oils when heated, and can you taste them?
epsilon2
Allow me to ask some very specific questions regarding your wood selection.
I get the idea about using exotic-type, woods like Ebony, Rosewoods, etc. It's hard to tell but I think the raw block of wood that was used, was covered in protective wax....most dense woods are usually sold with a wax coating to prevent end-grain checking and cracking.... My question, was your wood sold as "dry", or, was the chunk still "wet" i.e. not kiln dried? I love the idea of using some exotic woods for turning a pipe bowl, but I'm a bit leery about putting so much work into fabricating a pipe bowl from these expensive exotics, only to have the bowl crack with requisite and subsequent smoking...from the heat generated by the burning tobacco. These kinds of woods are almost never sold as "kiln-dried" blocks, so I was just wondering if the bowl ever cracked or checked, especially the end grain sections.
I'm guessing here....did you orient the grain to run horizontally, from front to back, so that bowl and especially the shank section would benefit from the natural strength of the grain?
IF the wood was in the "wet"/unseasoned state when you began the fabricating of this pipe, did you season the bowl before smoking began, and, for how long? And did you season the bowl AFTER cutting the tobacco chamber/tenon and smoke holes?
Sorry for the inquisition, but just too curious about the process and logic behind using exotic woods for fabricating a pipe. Many exotics are just too beautiful to look at and just cry out to be made into pipes.
How has the pipe smoked? Did it hold up to the smoking process? Any reactions to the heat or strange woody tastes from the Ebony? What's the verdict?
Thanks for any answers,
Frank
Allow me to ask some very specific questions regarding your wood selection.
I get the idea about using exotic-type, woods like Ebony, Rosewoods, etc. It's hard to tell but I think the raw block of wood that was used, was covered in protective wax....most dense woods are usually sold with a wax coating to prevent end-grain checking and cracking.... My question, was your wood sold as "dry", or, was the chunk still "wet" i.e. not kiln dried? I love the idea of using some exotic woods for turning a pipe bowl, but I'm a bit leery about putting so much work into fabricating a pipe bowl from these expensive exotics, only to have the bowl crack with requisite and subsequent smoking...from the heat generated by the burning tobacco. These kinds of woods are almost never sold as "kiln-dried" blocks, so I was just wondering if the bowl ever cracked or checked, especially the end grain sections.
I'm guessing here....did you orient the grain to run horizontally, from front to back, so that bowl and especially the shank section would benefit from the natural strength of the grain?
IF the wood was in the "wet"/unseasoned state when you began the fabricating of this pipe, did you season the bowl before smoking began, and, for how long? And did you season the bowl AFTER cutting the tobacco chamber/tenon and smoke holes?
Sorry for the inquisition, but just too curious about the process and logic behind using exotic woods for fabricating a pipe. Many exotics are just too beautiful to look at and just cry out to be made into pipes.
How has the pipe smoked? Did it hold up to the smoking process? Any reactions to the heat or strange woody tastes from the Ebony? What's the verdict?
Thanks for any answers,
Frank
Frank,
There is a real danger with trying to make a pipe out of many of the exotics. Ebony doesn't typically present a problem, but many of the Rosewood family can act as sensitizing agents and if you happen to be allergic, your relaxing smoke might turn into a trip to the hospital...Stick with briar, fruitwoods, or Morta and save the exotics for decoration where they are not in the smokestream...(I know of what I speak- developed an allergy to Rosewood dust and lost 20% of the pigment on my chest from scarring- took years to recover. I get itchy just handling the raw wood now...)
Regarding the subject of kiln dried vs air dried- all briar is air dried and sometimes can even be a bit wet when received. The reason it works well is it has a very low shrinkage compared to most other woods...
There is a real danger with trying to make a pipe out of many of the exotics. Ebony doesn't typically present a problem, but many of the Rosewood family can act as sensitizing agents and if you happen to be allergic, your relaxing smoke might turn into a trip to the hospital...Stick with briar, fruitwoods, or Morta and save the exotics for decoration where they are not in the smokestream...(I know of what I speak- developed an allergy to Rosewood dust and lost 20% of the pigment on my chest from scarring- took years to recover. I get itchy just handling the raw wood now...)
Regarding the subject of kiln dried vs air dried- all briar is air dried and sometimes can even be a bit wet when received. The reason it works well is it has a very low shrinkage compared to most other woods...
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