Irish bog oak

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Sep 9, 2023
16
12
I am about to make my first pipe from Irish bog oak. What can I expect for complications? Where do I find a tool to give me the round bottom in my bowl? I have to have a 1 inch opening cause I have mechanic fingers, yeah my finger is 1 inch wide up to the first joint then gets much bigger, so I have to find a large bit. Do I need a heavy carving knife for bog oak or will the exacto style ones work?
 

PaulRVA

Lifer
May 29, 2023
4,315
70,731
“Tobacco Row” Richmond Virginia USA
I donno what will cut it the best but
Your thread title had me thinking It was the nick name of some drunk trash talking dude in a pub on St. Patrick’s Day in Boston.

In any event I look forward to your pictures of the finished product and hope it turns out nice.
 
Sep 9, 2023
16
12
I'm wanting to carve it into a wurm (dragon that the front legs are wings, like Smaug from the hobbit movies) head. Of course you have to let the wood tell you what it wants to be also. So I just have to wait to get it in my hands. The stuff is supposedly near impossible to burn, so burning in the bowl is probably out. As far as the carving it looks like it is going to end up done with my drimel tool. I would prefer to do it with knives and chisels, but I can't find anything on what I need tool wise. I am a blade Smith, so I may just make what I need... I can forge a bit with a ball end on it simular to a spade bit. That you buy. May even be able to take a cheap spade bit and grind it to what I need. Still wait on my wood to be delivered though. So I got time to research...
 

PaulRVA

Lifer
May 29, 2023
4,315
70,731
“Tobacco Row” Richmond Virginia USA
I'm wanting to carve it into a wurm (dragon that the front legs are wings, like Smaug from the hobbit movies) head. Of course you have to let the wood tell you what it wants to be also. So I just have to wait to get it in my hands. The stuff is supposedly near impossible to burn, so burning in the bowl is probably out. As far as the carving it looks like it is going to end up done with my drimel tool. I would prefer to do it with knives and chisels, but I can't find anything on what I need tool wise. I am a blade Smith, so I may just make what I need... I can forge a bit with a ball end on it simular to a spade bit. That you buy. May even be able to take a cheap spade bit and grind it to what I need. Still wait on my wood to be delivered though. So I got time to research...
Im excited to see how it turns out.
 
Sep 9, 2023
16
12
@chasthank you that is super helpful. I will be ordering bits from them cause yeah I can make them myself, but just lighting the coal costs more than $13.50. Still probably gonna make myself some carving knives cause if this works out this likely will not be my last pipe. This may become what I do with my hands while I am fishing or smoking... I like to meditate also and even then I have to keep my hands busy. I've been having dreams about making pipes. I think it is a calling...
 
Sep 9, 2023
16
12
Been looking in the woods for a texas ash sapling to make my stem, but I'm also thinking I'd like a Buffalo stem. Of course there is the option to inlay Buffalo into ash...
 
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Sep 9, 2023
16
12
I have a very nice elk tine about 10 inches long. I found how to bend it, but my question is will it make a good stem for my pipe. I'm wanting it to end up a churchhill profile. Full bend and long stem. Ideally long enough to rest on my chest while driving so I don't have to hold onto it, and I don't have teeth so this massive pipe is going to be too heavy to hold with my lips. My current pipe I do bite with my gums, but can only do that for a short time.
 
Sep 9, 2023
16
12
I lost mine to poor diet for about twenty years. I can bite down on the stem to my 3/4 bend biar currently have for about five minutes, but then I just let it rest on my jaw and hold it with my lips. This bog oak block is huge and quite heavy, so I don't know that technique will work. If I get enough bend in the stem it might, but if it can rest against my chest I know it will work. The sketch in the back ground is where I am working on the concept I want to carve.
 

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Sep 9, 2023
16
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I can hold this pipe like this for quite some time with just my lips. More bend I could hold it indefinitely in this manor.
 

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Sep 9, 2023
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I am not going to be able to carve my Morta into a wurm head the way I wanted. The block just isn't quite big enough. It needs to be an inch longer. So I am just going to do a very large self standing full bend church warden. I am ordering a very large briar from Virginia freehand along with quality carving tools and I will make my Wurm that way. This block is special to me so I am going make the basic shape then maybe carve Oðin's head in it, but probably not. Probably going to just play it safe for this one and make a really good basic pipe with some engraving maybe some antler inlays since I have some antler laying around.
 
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