Naked Pipes... thoughts?

[lasttango]

Hey friends. I was wondering what your thoughts on "Naked" pipes are. I really like the idea of them and the look of some of them... Radice, Jacono, Bonfiglioli and others. My question is this: If a pipe has no stain or wax whatsoever, is it more likely to degrade to some extent? I imagine it would get a natural patina... Thanks, LT

 

[Chasing Embers]

It will darken quite beautifully after years of use.

 

[weezell]

Sav unfinished pipes are the BEST! I have 3 Authors and 1 Zulu I would not trade for anything. Even though I am primarily a Meer smoker, I plan on getting more of the Authors to add to my collection.They color beautifully and smoke like a dream. I could care less about the fills...

 

[kiel]

I gifted my father-in-law a naked pipe. We visit him twice a year, and everytime we're there the pipe is always different. It is fun to see the grain slowly darken. Except for the char on the rim and bite marks on the stem (the pipe gets used a lot) it always looks nicer than the last time I saw it.

 

[rfernand]

I have two, a rusticated natural and a waxed natural. The waxed one is deepening its yellowish tone. The other one is browning.

 

[clickklick]

I will no longer make naked rusticated. The tear out creates open pores in the wood that allow very blotchy coloring to happen from initial smokes.
Fine finish sanding and even a coat of wax prevents this from happening on smooths. I have yet to try it on sandblasts, but I have a feeling those should be fine as well without the "tearing" of the briar like during rustication.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I have a dozen or so unfinished pipes that have darkened beautifully. One I took into the local B&M for buffing and the result was incredible; you would've thought it was varnished.

 

[misterlowercase]

I will no longer make naked rusticated. The tear out creates open pores in the wood that allow very blotchy coloring to happen from initial smokes.
Fine finish sanding and even a coat of wax prevents this from happening on smooths. I have yet to try it on sandblasts, but I have a feeling those should be fine as well without the "tearing" of the briar like during rustication.

Very interesting.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

:clap:

 

[jpmcwjr]

The tear out creates open pores in the wood that allow very blotchy coloring to happen from initial smokes.

Is this coloring that moves through the chamber to the outer wall, or darkening from hands, etc. getting to the wood from the outside? (or both!)

 

[clickklick]

Seems to me to come from elsewhere than outside the wood.

 

[akfilm]

I LOVE my natural pipes, I have a Savinelli Noce 106 and a Nording Signature that are some of my favorite pipes. The Savinelli Noce I noticed darkened first from my hand oils, it has a nice look to it, more rugged. The Nording I've been smoking Balkans in, and after a couple months of smoking decided to start darkening rapidly popping the grain. I like the "naked" pipes since they change appearance, they tell a story, like a meerschaum does with it's coloring. I also like to take a photo of the pipe when it's new, so I can track the journey.

 

[blueeyedogre]

Check out Morgan pipes..... His "Bones" line are naked pipes and hardly more then most basket pipes.

 

[clickklick]

Are the bones blasted or lightly rusticated? I'd be interested in the process to see if they get blotchy or not.

 

[pruss]

Are the bones blasted or lightly rusticated? I'd be interested in the process to see if they get blotchy or not.

They appear to be blasted.
I have a rusticated Blatter Brothers freehand from the seventies that was left unfinished. It looks like it was smoked frequently, and doesn't appear to have a mottled or blotchy look to it. I don't have photos handy, but I'll dig it out and see if I can snag pics later.
-- Pat

 

[newbroom]

I've found that the unfinished cobs are my preference in that medium.

I imagine an unfinished briar would also be somewhat more 'breathable'.

I don't really care THAT much about its appearance or mottling. It might be a feature.