Opinions on Olive Wood

[bluegrassbrian]

I've had plenty of experience with briar and its cousin Strawberry. Meerschaum is great and corn cobs have their place. Even morta provided a pleasing smoking experience with seemingly no drawbacks.

I've never had an olive wood pipe though. I've seen a couple over the years that I liked, but never enough to actually buy.
Now there is one I'm considering.

So I'm wondering - for those with first hand experience - pros and cons?
I'm especially interested in any notable drawbacks or negatives associated with smoking olive pipes.
Plz thx.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I've banded a few heavily smoked olivewood pipes, and I am not crazy about the way they color up. They tend to get striations of tar stains along the wood grain sideways. However, the pipes were smoked heavily, and the smokers loved them enough to have me band them for them. So, there is that.

 

[Elric]

I had a bent smooth billiard that I smoked for a couple years but it always smoked very hot in the hand to my mind. Eventually got rid of it.

 

[Christos D. Tsatsaronis]

I have 6. It's true that they get darker as you use/smoke them, perhaps not in the most fascinating way. Apart from that, I have no disadvantages to report...

 

[OzPiper]

I have 2


I was drawn to them because of their markings

I didn’t experience any of the olive flavour that some mentioned with olive wood pipes. Perhaps mine were made from well-seasoned blocks

I don’t notice any difference in their smoking quality compared to briar

I really like looking at my olive woods from an aesthetic point

 

[RobNYC]

I have one for about two years and I really see no disadvantages.

 

[username]

I think they are really pretty pulled the trigger on one

 

[troutface]

A friend made this one and I really haven't noticed any difference from briar. I think you need to be careful in the beginning when you're building a cake not to smoke it too hard because the wood isn't as naturally fire resistant.

 

[romaso]

I have a Mr Brog olivewood I bought years ago, only smoked a few bowls as I could tell it would take awhile to break-in, off-putting flavor but that may have been a bowl coating. It was cheap though. I'd forgotten about it and may revisit it for a camping pipe (if I can find it...)

 

[bluegrassbrian]

I have 2
View attachment 251096View attachment 251097

I was drawn to them because of their markings

I didn’t experience any of the olive flavour that some mentioned with olive wood pipes. Perhaps mine were made from well-seasoned blocks

I don’t notice any difference in their smoking quality compared to briar

I really like looking at my olive woods from an aesthetic point

Not my ideal shapes but they're both gorgeous.

 

[OzPiper]

Not my ideal shapes but they're both gorgeous.

Brandys are not clenchers
But the thick walls (esp at their base) makes for a cooler pipe in hand.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I only have one olive pipe. I use it exclusively for vanilla blends. I don’t find it appreciably different than briar.

 

[gamzultovah]

The only drawback I’ve seen with Olive wood pipes is that over time they get micro cracks (fissures) along the grain lines. The cracks are not structural and in no way harm the integrity of the pipe, they just happen. This and the fact that (as others have said) they darkened up in a not so pleasing manner are the only possible drawbacks I’ve experienced.

 

[Winnipeger]

Does anybody have any pictures the way they colour up over time? Curious.

 

[Christos D. Tsatsaronis]

Does anybody have any pictures the way they colour up over time? Curious.

Here's one - note: they're both basket pipes...

 

[Sigmund]

I look at scraps from my olive tree and wonder at time about carving but I really dont have the tools to do the job. Olive pipes look nice and im told have a nice taste when breaking in. I imagine the above post of it being poor was the coating. Often I dislike those.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

I look at scraps from my olive tree and wonder at time about carving but I really dont have the tools to do the job. Olive pipes look nice and im told have a nice taste when breaking in. I imagine the above post of it being poor was the coating. Often I dislike those.

A little wax can really bring out the depth in wood - like OzPipers.

 

[jbfrady]

I was quite skeptical until my buddy Alex bought one and we carved it. The only notable difference I've detected is that, where briar bowls end with a tinge of a sweet and woodsy flavor when being broken in, breaking in olive involves a softened and lightly bitter finish. Still, it's pleasant nonetheless and once I'm caught up on the blocks I already have, I intend to make an olive line.

Aesthetically, yes, it'll darken over time... but so does briar. However, most briar pipes are stained in the finishing process, so this fact isn't as widely known. I have to assume that has to do with the novelty of olive wood; since it's so "new," nobody feels the need (yet!) to stain it.

 

[bullet08]

From what I have read, unless the wood is dried slowly, they have possible issue with cracking.

 

[jbfrady]

From what I have read, unless the wood is dried slowly, they have possible issue with cracking.

This is true for briar as well, but most brands order their briar stock pre-aged from the same place in Italy. I'm sure best practices will develop for other woods, but it'll have to happen over time. Until then, we're kinda guinea pigging it.