The Churchwarden - Origins Uncovered!

[The Clay King]

Can you describe how he lit from an ember? I've heard of sailors lighting from some sort of ember box on ships, and I've wondered exactly how that was done. I _can_ say I found that rope lighters work (you spark some rope and let the wind fire it up -- works kinda like a car cigarette lighter). In fact I always have a rope lighter when I visit a beach. They're great in the wind, and in fact only work if there _is_ wind.

@--dante-- The blacksmith used ember tongs as @chasingembers mentioned; holding an ember from his forge for me to light my clay. I'll have to get a rope lighter once I start going to re-enactments again; I could have done with one when I went to see the Sealed Knot at Bolsover Castle and it was too windy ?️ to light my clay!
I've seen a photo online of an English Civil War re-enactor lighting his clay pipe with a length of match cord as used on matchlock muskets.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Santa is a vampire. Only comes out at night, has magic powers like flying around the world, and why do you think he always wears red???

Nah, he's a pimp that collects his money once a year calling to his girls, "ho, ho, ho!"

 

[--dante--]

@--dante-- The blacksmith used ember tongs as @chasingembers mentioned; holding an ember from his forge for me to light my clay. I'll have to get a rope lighter once I start going to re-enactments again; I could have done with one when I went to see the Sealed Knot at Bolsover Castle and it was too windy ?️ to light my clay!
I've seen a photo online of an English Civil War re-enactor lighting his clay pipe with a length of match cord as used on matchlock muskets.

I highly recommend you try a rope lighter -- very cheap and quite effective. I did see blacksmith's reference to ember tongs, very interesting. That said, a rope lighter requires no nearby embers!

 

[Chasing Embers]

That said, a rope lighter requires no nearby embers!

Only the first time to scorch it.

 

[The Clay King]

I highly recommend you try a rope lighter -- very cheap and quite effective. I did see blacksmith's reference to ember tongs, very interesting. That said, a rope lighter requires no nearby embers!

@--dante-- Many thanks; as well as being able to light my clay in the wind, it would be more in character at re-enactment than a disposable plastic lighter!

 

[--dante--]

Only the first time to scorch it.

Nope -- you flint the rope and let the wind (or your breath) get it going. It's specifically designed to not need any direct heat or flame. I suppose you could dip a rope into embers, and do it that way, but a rope lighter needs no original flame/ember. I use one for conditions that would make a zippo cry.

 

[anotherbob]

Nah, he's a pimp that collects his money once a year calling to his girls, "ho, ho, ho!"

No he's not. Too subdued to be a pimp.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Nope

Yep -- I singe them with a lighter the first time. Saves the rope lighters flint for when you actually use it.

 

[Chasing Embers]

No he's not. Too subdued to be a pimp.

That's why it works.

 

[--dante--]

Yep -- I singe them with a lighter the first time. Saves the rope lighters flint for when you actually use it.

Good tip, thank you

 

[anotherbob]

That's why it works.

View attachment 94857

That raises the question of why's he buying toys for all the kids?

 

[Chasing Embers]

That raises the question of why's he buying toys for all the kids?

Elf slave labor makes the toys, his side racket pays the overhead.

 

[mso489]

Procurers stereotypically wear flashy clothes and keep night hours, and have large ostentatious vehicles. The vice squad is left behind in their SUV's. Santa, Santa, Santa, what has become of you. We used to refer to you as a saint.

 

[chopper]

Hauntedmyst,

Great piece.

I'd like to think that the early briar churchwardens were based on the clay tavern pipes (where a piece of the stem was broken off before passing onto the next patron).

Like you, I like the look, but not the impracticality - I'm somewhat height challenged, so lighting the things would present problems. Likewise the need to find cleaners long enough to do the job.

Oh for the days when tavern maids would light the pipes for you with a piece of glowing coal or faggot


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In the early days of tobacco smoking in the 'civilised' world, working men would order a pipe with their pint of beer. Regulars often had a personal mug at their local so I'm sure that many men would also have a personal clay pipe which was no doubt kept in their mug.
Those who didn't have either would keep the same mug and pipe for the night. [Despite being against health regulations, to this very day patrons in bush pubs in South Australia - which is very Anglo; Adelaide reminds many Brits of home. - insist on keeping the same glass until the glass goes 'dead'. Then and only then will they ask for fresh glasses]

At the end of the night, the tavern keeper would put all the used pipes on a grate which was placed on the glowing embers in the fireplace.
Since they weren't aware of germs back then, heating the clay pipes in the hearth no doubt had more to do with ease of cleaning than for hygienic reasons. [After being kept overnight on glowing embers, any tar would have been turned to dust and easily cleared by blowing down the stem]

I'm sure that men owned their own clay pipes since they're cheap and easy to make.
Naturally, they're prone to breaking [especially drunk fat guys with their stubby fingers] A piece of damaged stem was broken off to the point when it was too short to smoke.

There's a German pipe vendor [who moved operations to the U.S. due to covid] who sells clay pipes made from 100+yo moulds. He has dozens of various types but I've yet to see a clay Churchwarden.
Not saying that they don't exist it's just that I think that a 12" clay would be impractical because they'd be more prone to breaking than a 6"7" clay pipe.

". . . light the pipes for you with a piece of glowing coal or a faggot."
You saying they had gay taverns back then? Huh.

 

[chopper]

Oops, messed up my above reply ^^^^ 'Click to expand' to read it.

 

[--dante--]

Yep -- I singe them with a lighter the first time. Saves the rope lighters flint for when you actually use it.

That's a good tip, thanks!

 

[paulfg]

I had a guy, with absolutely no accolades or bonafides, once tell me that the reason the wardens were so long was that they were borrowed pipes from an establishment, and the next person to borrow the pipe at church or a pub, would then snap off a segment of the pipe, so that they wouldn't get germs.

that was true of clay pipes

 

[The Clay King]

Smoked my churchwarden pipe in the churchyard today (thanks @simong); not sure it suits me or my outfit though...

 

[SBC]

I have the additional theory that churchwardens spent most of their guard duty sitting down, and there is no easier pipe to smoke while seated than one with a long stem. Whether you just rest your elbow on your ribs, but especially if you rest your elbow on the arm of a chair, smoking is effortless.

This is exactly right.

(Pardon my resurrection of an old thread. I just stumbled across it.)

All this talk of the churchwarden's impracticality comes from (and is true for) clenchers.

But for those of us who like to hold a pipe while sitting (whether to read, watch a film, discourse with others, listen to music, or whathaveyou), the churchwarden is the quintessence of comfort. It keeps your posture and forearm at ideal angles, and what's more, you can even rest the bowl on your belly if you're slouching (and even when not slouching if you're rotund, I expect).

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Procurers stereotypically wear flashy clothes and keep night hours, and have large ostentatious vehicles. The vice squad is left behind in their SUV's. Santa, Santa, Santa, what has become of you. We used to refer to you as a saint.

Never heard of them referred to as such.