Help required on very unusual all wood pipe.

[mawnansmiff]

Hello again one and all. I am hoping someone on the forum might offer some clues as to the origin and age of a pipe I picked up recently in an estate bundle.
The pipe is all wood, inasmuch as the bowl and stem are both made from wood with an ivory/bone 'crown' around the bowl and an ivory/bone ring twixt shank and stem. I am certain the wood is not briar, it looks to me like some exotic African hardwood.
I have tried to separate the stem from the shank but it will not budge and am wary of trying the freezer method due to the ivory/bone on the pipe. A very interesting feature of the pipe is the bit which has three holes in it! Also the airway in the bowl is far from being centred as can clearly be seen in the last picture.
Overall it looks to me to be a pretty old pipe and not one made in someone's shed last week so if anyone is able to offer any pointers as to age or origin I would be very much obliged. The pipe is a tad under 5 inches long.
Though the pipe does draw I have refrained from firing it up myself :|
Regards,
Jay.

 

[papipeguy]

I agree that is has home made written all over it. I can't tell if it's bone or ivory. If it's ivory there are endangered species laws that cover the selling if objects with ivory. Here in the USA you can still sell such items within our borders but cannot ship them out of the country. So, determining if it's ivory may give you a hint as to it's age.

 

[bigpond]

Really hard to say...it looks like a member of the rosewood family. The color and grain similar to Brazilian. From the tooling marks, it certainly appears to be a waxy wood which would be consistent. The easiest way to tell is through the scent emitted when working the wood. Fair warning, most of these species have some level of toxicity when worked/breathed.

 

[zack24]

I would bet it's carved in Africa. Definitely a member of the rosewood family. It looks like the tobacco chamber was actually carved, not drilled- seems to be almost oval in shape...Almost sure that the accents are ivory....
I'd stick it on the wall...cool looking pipe, but probably not much of a smoker...

 

[kiel]

It might also be tagua nut which is considered "organic ivory". The ring between the bowl and stem looks a lot like it too. I had some a while back, but threw it out because it developed a bunch of tiny holes that looked like little worms made.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Papipeguy, it matters not to me really whether it's ivory or bone (I like Zak suspect ivory) as it's not likely to be crossing any borders.
Bigpond, I too thought of rosewood but I think it's too dark, perhaps I'll ask the village carpenter for his thoughts.
Zak you are quite correct, the chamber appears to have been hewn rather than drilled.
I have no intention of smoking the thing due to the possibility of toxicity of the wood, I would just like to know its possible origins & rough age. It's certainly a pretty thing.
Thanks for your input chaps, am much obliged.
Regards,
Jay.