Ebony pipe

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sumusfumus

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 20, 2017
597
549
New York City
Zack,
Thanks for taking the time to make some comments regarding my questions.
After reading through all the admonishments regarding the using of alternative woods (especially the Rosewood family) vs briar for fabricating tobacco pipes, seeing this thread piqued my curiosity. Thanks for your warnings about making pipes using exotic woods. I still wonder just how well this Ebony pipe stood up to smoking over time.
Your last few lines are also very interesting regarding the low shrinkage rates for dry briar vs these oily, dense, exotics. Good information. After reading this, I now must wonder if it's shrinkage, and not heat that causes so many of the pipe bowls made from exotics to crack and check? Or perhaps, it's a little of both that causes this kind of failure. This factor makes briar the logical choice.
The thread and photos are still very interesting.
Frank

 

epsilon2

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 9, 2015
240
0
Dear sumusfumus I try to answer with my bad English :)

The last four years exept briar I carved a lot of Olive,some strawberry wood,myrtle,white Oak and some other roots

I founded on my island.

The strawberry wood is very simular to briar,the olive has a great taste..

The ebony pipe was a commission ,ofcourse I explained the piper about all these about toxicity etc but he wanted that one:)

The block I got it from Rockler in Dallas

When I was there as dry wood..

Yes it was waxched to avoid cracks as the polite sheller told me..

It was very hard to drill and shaping..

White oak is butter compare to ebony..

And the very thin dust was uncomfortable

to smell..

Yes I cuted the block so I could take the 100%..(I had before some accidents with olives)

The costumer was happy but I don't believe

He smoked the pipe :)

I wont try it again to use ebony..

White oak too...very difficult to work with..

I m sorry for my English

 

sumusfumus

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 20, 2017
597
549
New York City
epsilon2,
So nice of you to take the time to answer some of my questions regarding your beautiful, Ebony pipe.
No apologies necessary....your English is just fine, and I/we understood all your important details. Thanks for posting photos. Very interesting subject. Surprised that the happy customer probably did not smoke the Ebony pipe. I would have shoved a load of tobacco it, and smoked that pipe immediately.
About 25 years ago, I made a large pipe from a 45mm - 50mm thick, block of Bocote (Cordia family). Difficult to work, but the grain patterns were beautiful. It looks like Cocobolo, and probably no different Ebony to work. I used a metal-cutting lathe to fabricate the bowl, and the stem I made from some plastic rod. The bowl looks beautiful, but the stem, not so much. I was in a rush to finish and then smoke my new pipe. I smoked that pipe many times without any detectable problems, allergies, and the wood never split or cracked from the heat. The pipe looks as good today as it did on the day I made it. Impossible to hold in your teeth...that's how heavy Bocote wood is. It's a living-room only pipe. Today, the pipe lives in some forgotten drawer. I look at once every few years just to remember how things were and how I was, 25 years ago.
Some on this forum might ask why?... make any pipe that's not briar? Simple, I wanted to experiment, I had the wood laying around, it was too expensive to waste, and I had the machines needed to make a pipe. Probably would not do it again.
Epsilon2: Thanks again.
Frank

 

epsilon2

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 9, 2015
240
0
It s my pleasure Franc :)

As cook I love experiments too :)

I did a lot on wood and I will do it again.

The last years I try for example to

understand the driftwood techniques.

After destroying a lot of pipes I had success I think ..

Its a great feeling when i see such results on my pipes..

Greetings from Apollo's island

Efthymios ,Rhodianpipes

 

sumusfumus

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 20, 2017
597
549
New York City
Nice to see pipe-ish workings from a decendant of Aristotle, Plato, Archimedes, and the rest of the old gang.
The Gods are smiling down on at that Ebony pipe.
Frank

 

epsilon2

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 9, 2015
240
0
You made me smile in my primitive,underground pipe workshop :)

I wish I was something between Phedias and Archimedes but think I m closer to Diogenis in he's pudding :)

 

gecko13

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 2, 2011
898
1
Goodyear,AZ
I do a lot of wood working, and my first concerns have addressed by the rest of the brain trust. I am never disappointed by the depth and breadth of knowledge on this forum. Ebony looks very nice, but I for one have a reaction when I work with it, so the thought of it being a part of my pipe is a big negative. Looks very nice, but no smoking pipe material.

 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,192
5,118
What a beautiful pipe!

Congratulations on working with ebony so very well.

Do you have a website? I'd love to see more of your work.

Again, great work!

 

sumusfumus

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 20, 2017
597
549
New York City
epsilon2
You say.....

"I wish I was something between Phedias and Archimedes but I think I am closer to Diogenes".....etc. Better to be Diogenes carrying a lamp in his hand, than, Priapus! : )))))) No one would notice your pipes!!!!
I checked out your Facebook page....really nice pipes, especially those Olive Wood pipes....what a grain pattern!
Frank

 

epsilon2

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 9, 2015
240
0
Thank you Frank!

Diogenes also was the only one who "avoided" very smart the Great Alexander :)))

Yes I love Olive ,I grow up with it,Its a holly tree for me..

I study that wood the last six years.

Its difficult and strange but that smell and taste is gorgeous :)

From a two meter log sometimes I get maximum 10 smooth pipes..

But is a privilige to choose the grain my own

Efthymios the Rhodian :)

 
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