Educate me on fills, please

[jaytex1969]

So, I've read the term in passing a few times here.
I get the idea that it's smoothing imperfections in the briar surface with additional material, but I'm just guessing.
Can someone post a good, easy to see example photo or two?
Can you also give a basic summary on their impact to the overall experience? IE- just aesthetic or also a function issue?
Thanks.
Jay :nana:

 

[mikestanley]

I have no photos to share but your assumptions are accurate IMHO. Fills are, on the surface, cosmetic. Inside the tobacco chamber, they could cause burnout over time. The "problem" with fills is that they don't accept aging like the briar does. They stand out more as the pipe darkens with use. They can be hard to detect in an unsmoked pipe, becoming

Obvious with use. This can be a cause for disappointment.

Mike S.

 

[woodsroad]

I'd much prefer to see a pit than a fill.

 

[aldecaker]

Fills are what are used to turn an attractive natural feature into an unsightly blemish.

 

[markus]

Here are some examples of fills in a pipe that I recently posted.

These are more noticeable than most, but make good examples.

 

[daveinlax]

Fills are what are used to turn an attractive natural feature into an unsightly blemish.

Not necessarily, super glue and briar dust "stabilization" used on mid and high grade pipes are invisible. They might show up if a pipe gets smoked heavily but that doesn't happen as much these days. IMO this generation of pipe enthusiasts accept that if they can't see the fill the wood is clean. 8O

 

[mso489]

Many briars with blemishes are rusticated so fills aren't needed. I would say most fills don't show much nor cause trouble over time, though some can pop out or discolor. I have several pipes with several fills that are not unsightly nor causing problems. Some were used on smooth pipes on good Algerian briar on what are still nice pipes after decades. So evaluate fills. If you hate 'em, avoid 'em. If you can tolerate them, size them up and decide if they are a good risk (many are). Often a nice price break comes with a few small fills.

 

[sablebrush52]

Can you also give a basic summary on their impact to the overall experience? IE- just aesthetic or also a function issue?

The effect is primarily aesthetic. Briar being a natural substance, has imperfections that are revealed as it is shaped. Just because a pipe is flawless on the surface, it doesn't guarantee that there are no flaws below the surface. I'd be more concerned about flaws in the chamber, which could lead to a burnout.

 

[rigmedic1]

A pipe's value is dependent on a lot of factors: appearance, engineering, size, grain, etc. Filling materials are like wood paste, colored to match the briar as closely as possible, in order to fill the unexpected pits found in the stummels after shaping and sanding. They are barely descernable in coated or heavily varnished pipes, and higher end pipes use higher grade briar with less sand pitting, so fills are rarely, if ever, used. They don't effect the smoking qualities, provided they are on the exterior of the pipe.

I have a number of Edwards pipes, which have no varnish or stain. Bare wood pipes tend to darken as they age with smoking, and the sand pipes become noticeable. There is one near the rim on this basket pipe:

It did not become apparent for years, and the pipe smokes well. I have had a fill fall out of a pipe once, and decided that I likes the pit better than the fill, lol. I am not aware of any artisan makers that use filler.

 

[jaytex1969]

Thanks to everyone for bringing me up to speed.
Jay :nana: