What Are Some Unusual Pipe Materials?

[mikethompson]

We know about corn cob, hardwood, Briar, and Meerschaum (block, pressed, cultured), but what are some unusual ones?
I got to thinking about whoever made the first cob pipe how unusual that must have seemed to everyone else.

 

[chilllucky]

If you've ever taken high school shop classes, you know that someone will try to make a pipe out of anything available. Smoking was important enough to First Nations folks that they would bore out stone!

 

[mso489]

Jerry Perry, a carver in Colfax, N.C., has done many pipes in Mountain Laurel, which was a commonly used substitute for briar during WWII. It's light and durable and about as fire resistant as briar. It doesn't have the show-off grain patterns, but it has a subtle glow and undertone, and is quite pleasing pipe material to me. It's not readily available, but Jerry has sourced it regularly over the years. I think I may be the only Perry pipe owner on Forums, or the only one who posts about it.

 

[64alex]

In the wood category there are many other woods other than briar, most common olive wood, but also lemon, orange, pear and strawberry wood which at least I remember now. And in the non wood one definitely to be mentioned the clay which was actually the first material used for pipe making.

 

[mso489]

Maple is used by Jerry Perry and many others. I think some of the MM pipes are maple. Other carvers use it. I don't think it is as fire resistant as briar, but it is serviceable. I also have a Cocobolo bent freehand pocket pipe by Perry that smokes nicely. Working Cocobolo as a carver can present hazards as an allergen, so I don't think it is used a lot. If I have it right, it is something of an exotic wood from Central America. My pipe has very dark brown stain (looks black) and a orange-red stem, snappy looking.

 

[kola]

"Pipes" to First Nations people (I despise the term "Indians" or "Native Americians"),anyway- they were more than just for "smoking." First pipes (also labeled "calument") were most likely clay, red pipestone or catlinite, quartz varieties and bone. I also eye-roll at the term "peace pipe."
"The pipe ceremony is a sacred ritual for connecting physical and spiritual worlds. "The pipe is a link between the earth and the sky," explains White Deer of Autumn. "Nothing is more sacred. The pipe is our prayers in physical form."

 

[mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast]

Jerry Perry, a carver in Colfax, N.C., has done many pipes in Mountain Laurel

This seems strange to me based on what I've read on the interwebs? "Mountain laurel produces andromedotoxin, similar to turpentine and arbutin, a glycoside. Both toxins can sicken or in some cases kill browsing animals that consume enough of the plant." [Google]
I'm not sure that I would want a pipe made from mountain laurel? For as much as I know though, briar may contain toxins too? I just think that something similar to turpentine would impart/leech an awful flavor and over time could possibly make you sick?
mso489, I'm surely missing something. How does Jerry source the mountain laurel? I must be reading about green material and the laurel root or wood material is safe. Is this how it works?

 

[Chasing Embers]

First Nations people (I despise the term "Indians" or "Native Americians"

I never cared for "First Nations", just always sounded to forced upon by the establishment. I prefer "indigenous" or "Shawnee", though I do find "Indian" far from offensive especially when small children see the older members of my family and the look of wander they get when they see "Indians".
As for unusual pipe materials, I've seen a number of antler pipes.

 

[mikethompson]

"Mountain laurel produces andromedotoxin, similar to turpentine and arbutin, a glycoside

I think it is implied that it produces when the plant is alive. I'm assuming that the wood is thoroughly dried before its carved.

 

[mso489]

The explanation on Mountain Laurel I read -- and I'm sorry I cannot cite the source -- said upper parts of the plant are toxic, but the root that is used for pipes isn't, and perhaps the drying is necessary also, but I didn't read that. It was used during WWII as a briar substitute, and pipe smoking was much more widespread at the time, so pipe smokers were far more numerous, so the "experiment" was run. But it is a good point with unusual materials, the pipe maker has to know what they're doing, no question, both for him/herself and for the buyer. No one has mentioned the now-very-popular morta which is often pictured here on Forums. Someone might review a little about it. I think it is fossiled wood from bogs? Makes a handsome if slightly heavy pipe?

 

[techie]

I find Morta intriguing and hope to add one to my little collection.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I have a Osage Orange or Orange Osage carved by Skip Elliott that is an interesting pipe. Smokes nice but doesn't handle heat as well as briar.

 

[mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast]

The explanation on Mountain Laurel I read -- and I'm sorry I cannot cite the source -- said upper parts of the plant are toxic, but the root that is used for pipes isn't, and perhaps the drying is necessary also, but I didn't read that.

I had a feeling. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Briar Baron]

Same as Rhubarb, top part toxic yet we eat the stems

 

[mikethompson]

Thanks for the replies guys. As for antler pipes, I thought they don't handle the heat very well and is a poor material for pipes, at least that's what I read somewhere. Is that wrong?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Right on the money. OTOH, the bone makes for a fine stem if worked right.

 

[Chasing Embers]

As for antler pipes, I thought they don't handle the heat very well and is a poor material for pipes

I've smoked Kinnikinnick in this one a handful of times over the past decade. It's been wiped clean with a wet rag after each use and never got more than warm to the touch. The down side is that the first couple of times smoked it smelled like burnt hair.

 

[mikethompson]

smelled like burnt hair

yuck.
An antler stem seems interesting. I have a coat with antler buttons, that's as close as I will ever get!

 

[woodsroad]

smelled like burnt hair

That would remind me of an old girlfriend.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Scorching case of herpes?