Unfinished Briar Pipes

[Briar Lee]

This morning under my canopy in the drizzling rain, smoking my Mastercraft meerschaum and drinking black coffee, I happened on unfinished briar pipes for sale on eBay.

The seller lives in Florida, and seems to have big cardboard boxes of completely made, but unfinished briar “basket pipes”, and for exactly $25 I selected a medium Canadian and a medium Poker.

It appears all that’s left to finish these, is polishing.

What’s your favorite way to do that?

Any help you can give us sorely needed and even more appreciated.

 

[didimauw]

I have an old bench grinder that I converted to a buffer. Just take the stone wheels off and put buffing wheels on. Carnauba wax is what I use.

 

[Briar Lee]

I have an old bench grinder that I converted to a buffer. Just take the stone wheels off and put buffing wheels on. Carnauba wax is what I use.

I have a bench grinder and a flapper wheel somewhere for it. Thanks for the tip.

Here’s the Poker shape. It seems this seller has boxes full of all kinds of different standard shapes like this one.



It appears these were machine made, except those stems look to me like a worker had to fit those to the shank.

The average price of these is about $8.50, plus $4 shipping.

Surely it costs more to manufacture such a nice pipe, or does it?

 

[trouttimes]

Looks like many of the pipes from Rnatreasures. Fun way to dip your toe into pipe making. You can experiment with opening the draft, bending stems, different finishes, etc. if by chance you are lucky, it may smoke well. Have fun.

 

[kcghost]

I wouldn't do it with a gun to my head.

 

[mso489]

Those appear to be stained. I've always liked the unstained unfinished pipes, and just letting them color themselves through smoking. It takes a long time, but they first color in a matte brown, but eventually often darken into a bright walnut (or other) color and develop an actual polished finish, with no wax or polish involved. The Savinelli unfinished pipes have been my source, and I have several in different stages of "completion."