Ideal sturdiness

[mick92]

What kind of sturdiness are we talking about? Surviving being carried in a silk sportscoat pocket all day? Or, the back pocket of your dungarees while rolling down the side of a mountain?

If you must know, I was curious if there were something that could be better suited for wilderness camping or very long trips abroad. I'm nonetheless interested to see if modern pipemaking has yielded any notable alternatives to the above mentioned briar and meerschaum, though I would think the materials engineering aspect may be something to discuss with an artisan.

I'm not going to entertain notions of stress testing or gross misuse, however I do wonder if conventional pipes can withstand changing ambient temperatures (especially in freezing cold,) rattling around in a rucksack for long distances or sundry inconveniences encountered while traveling on foot. Thus far I've been thinking of a nice army mount pipe...

 

[didimauw]

If you must know, I was curious if there were something that could be better suited for wilderness camping or very long trips abroad. I'm nonetheless interested to see if modern pipemaking has yielded any notable alternatives to the above mentioned briar and meerschaum, though I would think the materials engineering aspect may be something to discuss with an artisan.

I'm not going to entertain notions of stress testing or gross misuse, however I do wonder if conventional pipes can withstand changing ambient temperatures (especially in freezing cold,) rattling around in a rucksack for long distances or sundry inconveniences encountered while traveling on foot. Thus far I've been thinking of a nice army mount pipe...

You could try brylon pipes like the Medicos. Made from a briar powder and resin mix. Supposed to be indestructible. They don't smoke as good as briar or meerschaum pipes in my opinion, and they are thought of as a joke to many people. However there are a lot of people that like them.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Thus far I've been thinking of a nice army mount pipe...

Don't fall for the durability stories of those. The shank can still crack beneath the metal sleeve.

 

[mick92]

You could try brylon pipes like the Medicos. Made from a briar powder and resin mix. Supposed to be indestructible. They don't smoke as good as briar or meerschaum pipes in my opinion, and they are thought of as a joke to many people. However there are a lot of people that like them.

I appreciate the suggestion. I've looked into an old thread and it seems brylon not only smokes wet and hot, but is also heavier than briar. It seems like a great tasting pipe seeing as it never ghosts and can be cleaned any which way, but not suited to my specific needs.

@chasingembers thanks for the tip. Army mounts seemed an attractive choice because they can be disassembled hot, yet I see the reality is very different. I'd rather wait for my pipes to cool than have unnecessary cracking.

 

[kcghost]

I treat all my pipes the same and they will all outlast me by many years.

 

[mso489]

Most of the briar pipes in standard brands last forever. They may get lost, and you mustn't drive your truck over them or sink them in the lake, but otherwise they're here to stay. Savs, Petes, Kaywoodie, Grabow, Nording, Stanwell, etc. Most artisan pipes likewise. And I consider MM cobs and hardwoods "permanent party," as they used to say of the crew of a ship.

 

[F4RM3R]

Depends how you treat it mostly. And the luck of the draw. I’ve got some very nice old top quality(for the brand) estates (and beaters) that have been cracked from the previous owner, misuse or luck of the draw, not sure, but they still smoke great and probably will for a long time.

probably not your thing, but a falcon is a trusty pipe that can get tossed around and can last a lifetime with its replaceable bowls(not that you’d really need to replace it anyway)