I notice on the SP site devoted to Genod pipes, the brand has an array of pipes with briar stems. My first reaction was "oh boy," how organic and in tune with the basic material of so many pipes! My second thoughts were, gosh, would I want to be mouthing a piece of wood, probably stained, that would certainly get more chewed and inadvertently eaten over time? As a child, under my pipe smoking dad's tutelage, I used to get licorice root from the local pharmacy, the actual root with bark, a little bundle of four-inch root sections, which is consumed by slowly chewing it for flavor and spitting out the wood/root fiber. That is the picture I get from the idea of a briar stem. So, educate me. Is briar an appropriate stem material? Durable enough? Long lasting enough? I feel like I'd chew up the stem and send the stummel out for a refit stem in a year or two. Enlighten me. I realize Genod is not the only brand to do this, but this is the most pipes I've seen at one time in one place with this feature. For extra credit, does anyone know what the pharmaceutic folk remedy use of licorice root is, since it was sold by the local pharmacy?