How to Detect Good Briar?

[olkofri]

Concur with Boston. Also, briar is a natural material, so it's not unlikely or bizarre that portions of the same root happen to be different in quality/grade. I too leave it to the manufacturers and, since I don't buy from carvers, I use price as a guide: I reckon that inside of the $80-$120 range (which is what I feel comfortable paying for a pipe) I'm bound to get a decent if not superb smoker. I don't agonise over it.

 

[chopper]

Just an example I found as quickly as possible. I don't like it either, and even if I did I wasn't gonna pay $700 for it—I could buy two Schärf Fix 2000 machines with that and have change left.

Me thinks that Gervais was kidding.

You don't like that pipe? It's a beauty. Love how the plateaux seems to sit inside the rim.
Although I really like coloured stems, I don't like that one. Too feminine.
A dark blue or even better, a blue/gold swirly stem would look great.

It's a nice pipe but not $700 nice, lol.

 

[hauntedmyst]

The right pipe, which would indicate the really good quality broad will, when flicked against the back of my wifes head, make her head ring at D minor. I have to get her drunk and trick her into going into the tobacco shop. It's uncanny but it works.

 

[loadclear]

Just my opinion, but I have found that buying from a artisan carver has a significant impact on the quality of briar that you will get.

In my case, I paid about $300 for a pipe that a carver (on this forum) put his name on. He put his name and reputation on this pipe. To me, this ensures the best quality pipe (which includes the briar) that the maker is willing to put his name on. Large pipe factories may or may not give a damn what you think about the chunk of briar that your pipe is made of, however an artisan carver is more likely IMO to select the best briar to put his name on in a low production situation.

I have about 30 or so pipes. The one I bought from the artisan carver by far has the best quality briar of all of them. It is very easy to see (especially being a smooth pipe).

 

[F4RM3R]

So lighter wood generally means higher quality? I have an old unsmoked hardcastle billiard that feels very light for its size.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Just my opinion, but I have found that buying from a artisan carver has a significant impact on the quality of briar that you will get.

In my case, I paid about $300 for a pipe that a carver (on this forum) put his name on. He put his name and reputation on this pipe. To me, this ensures the best quality pipe (which includes the briar) that the maker is willing to put his name on. Large pipe factories may or may not give a damn what you think about the chunk of briar that your pipe is made of, however an artisan carver is more likely IMO to select the best briar to put his name on in a low production situation.

I have about 30 or so pipes. The one I bought from the artisan carver by far has the best quality briar of all of them. It is very easy to see (especially being a smooth pipe).

$130 artisan carved.



$800 artisan carved



$1300 artisan carved



$25 NOS factory estate



Not much difference in the quality, craftsmanship or smokability from any of them.

 

[sablebrush52]

So lighter wood generally means higher quality? I have an old unsmoked hardcastle billiard that feels very light for its size.

No, it doesn't. Another pipe myth. I've got excellent smokers that have light weight wood and equally excellent smokers that have quite dense wood.
What you don't want is green wood. Grain is no indicator either. Go with a quality maker, whether factory or artisan. They have standards they're looking for, and know what they're looking at and working with. And even then, it's never 100% fool proof. And don't overlook the importance of a well designed and executed bit. There's often more work in the stem and bit than in the bowl.

 

[bullet08]

luck of the draw. or you can lick it and see if your tongue goes numb. it won't tell you the quality of the briar, but might tell you if the factory worker was sniffing something.