Reworked "Straight Grain" Pipe

[MilesDavis]

I worked on this pretty Rhodesian today. It is stamped, "StraightGrain" in script lettering. No other markings.

 

[Briar Lee]

I bought a “restored” Wally Frank Straight Grain “Second” yesterday for $22.50 delivered on eBay.

All I know about pipes I learned myself and with lots of help from my friends.

Carl Weber wrote a book about pipes about 1960, and I have two or three copies.

According to Weber, a perfect straight grained pipe is the rarest and most desirable briar for pipes, and back sixty years ago a perfect example cost $100.

Since mine is marked “Second” and is very darkly stained, it’s a very high straight grained grade, but not as high quality as the generic Straight Grain that’s lighter stained above.

It should smoke the same, though.

Although not as beautiful as flashy bird’s eye, flame grain, or cross grained examples, the theory was that a straight grain radiated heat better, and since briar roots grow slow as molasses in January it takes a long, long time to produce those straight growth rings, so it’s older, and harder.

 

[UB 40]

Although not as beautiful as flashy bird’s eye, flame grain, or cross grained examples, the theory was that a straight grain radiated heat better, and since briar roots grow slow as molasses in January it takes a long, long time to produce those straight growth rings, so it’s older, and harder.

There are a lot of myths about briar. One is that it breathes for example, despite the fact that briar is a pretty dense wood like oak or beech and other hardwoods. I think straight grain is like flame grain or the showoff of birdseyes, the cut through the ending or beginning points of a grain structure, just an aesthetic thing, and depends on the carver, where and how he decides to put his desired shape into, if any good grain is there at all. Best straight grain you can find in the outer parts of the briar ball, the so called Plateau block, and that is the youngest part. And the grain is not the same as the grow ring. Grain is the blood vessel of the block. It spreads throughout the grow rings of the block often in quite chaotic angles, sometimes straightforward Just consider this pipedia story: How to Read your Sandblast - Pipedia - https://pipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Read_your_Sandblast

 

[Briar Lee]

There are a lot of myths about briar. One is that it breathes for example, despite the fact that briar is a pretty dense wood like oak or beech and other hardwoods. I think straight grain is like flame grain or the showoff of birdseyes, the cut through the ending or beginning points of a grain structure, just an aesthetic thing, and depends on the carver, where and how he decides to put his desired shape into, if any good grain is there at all. Best straight grain you can find in the outer parts of the briar ball, the so called Plateau block, and that is the youngest part. And the grain is not the same as the grow ring. Grain is the blood vessel of the block. It spreads throughout the grow rings of the block often in quite chaotic angles, sometimes straightforward Just consider this pipedia story: How to Read your Sandblast - Pipedia - https://pipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Read_your_Sandblast

Back in the forties and fifties American pipes were smaller than is fashionable today, the same as men’s wrist watches were smaller.

Smooth, polished pipes were the fashion for everyday use, when you could smoke pipes in elevators, airplanes, and every seat in a restaurant.

Maybe some perfect straight grain pipes were sand blasted, but it wasn’t common.

Pipe makers like Weber might charge a hundred dollars for a perfect straight grain when the best Five Star Lee was $25 and Dunhill was $15.

Weber wrote that straight grain, was the most desirable. One of my copies was published in 1960, and wasn’t a first edition.

 

[kcghost]

Nice looking pipe you have there , Miles. Shame the thread was hijacked.

 

[Briar Lee]

Miles’ pipe had to be cut from a very large block of briar, as it’s almost a perfect straight grain, all the way to the stem.

If a famous maker had made it, and stamped it, it would have been extremely costly.

 

[Briar Lee]

My straight grain pipe came in today, and it’s a dynamite good smoker, just amazing given how small the bowl.

A good example of a straight grain is enough to be convincing that briar really matters, not just construction.

I wonder how they cut straight grain from a burl?

I want some more, of these.

 

[MilesDavis]

I wonder who made this pipe. Note the "StraightGrain" stamping. That script style appears on some Kaywoodies, and the exact wording appears on this Wagner.