What would've really happened?

[undecagon]

In anticipation for the sequel, I have had Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes on at home in the background while doing work a lot lately. There are two scenes that bother me. First, is the end when Robert Downey calls his briar a clay pipe. I feel like Sherlock in universe as well as Robert in real life should both know the difference.
But, the second is more the point of this thread. What would really have happened to his pipe that he took with him on his dive into the river? Could it just be left to dry and be ok? Sounds like an experiment I am sure not willing to conduct! Also, keep in mind the pipe was lit at the time as well. He had only recently lit it, so probably not too hot, but maybe warm. I figure that probably makes a diference.
Thoughts? What would really have happened?

 

[cyndi]

We need a basket pipe and a river, and we have an experiment!

 

[philip]

I volunteer to stand by with a towel. I can take pictures, too.

 

[sergemoat]

I'm not sure they'd have much interest unless the pipe exploded at the end.

 

[jchaplick]

Ok no lie, me and my friend were walking the banks of the Susquehanna river last year smoking a pipe, we were catching the fish that washed up during a flood to use for bait the next morning, he dropped his lit pipe out of his mouth into the river, That was last year, he still smokes it to this day, he just rinsed it in fresh water and dried it out, no harm no fowl

 

[philip]

If Holmes had been smoking his pipe here, I wouldn't give it much hope.

A Pipe in Peril!

 

[judcole]

I have a pipe I found on the beach at Lake Michigan after a storm. I took it home, talked to the guys at the B&M, and let it sit. I'm still smoking it, 30 years later. :: (It was an Iwan Ries house brand pipe.)

 

[admin]

How disappointing to hear he called a briar pipe a clay. That's totally retarded.

 

[morlader]

I second that Kevin.Completely inexcusable

 

[rigmedic1]

Agreed. Somebody dropped the ball in research.

 

[misternoah]

I'm glad they still depicted him as smoking a pipe! There is a heavy campaign in Hollywood to remove all smoking from film and tv. I think it even goes so far as tax credits to not do so. Ridiculous! I think the anti smoking brigade should focus their efforts on a real issue, that would actually benefit society.
More importantly though, what kind of pipe do we think it is in this movie? Kinda looks like a dunhill shell briar to me. What do the experts here say?

 

[ichbinmuede]

How disappointing to hear he called a briar pipe a clay. That's totally retarded.

Well Kevin I think that's a fault of the prop guys. I'm positive that the writers knew the difference between a clay pipe and a briar pipe because I'm sure that they read enough Holmes to read about the addition of the calabash to his character on stage and then to learn the kind of pipe he actually smoked and get a picture to visualize it. The prop guys however only saw "pipe" and so they got him a pipe with no thought on the type.

Robert Downey Jr. howver did his job famously and worked with the script and worked well too. Great movie I thought and I'm excited for the second.
And no mention of brand but here is a good photo.

 

[hobie1dog]

never ceases to amaze me at how poorly movies are researched for props.

 

[philip]

Funny... it looked just like a clay on the radio.

 

[ace57]

it looked just like a clay on the radio.
:rofl:

 

[jchaplick]

im re watching the movie now to find that scene, Personally i think robert downey jr was a great holmes, ive read all the stories, Jude law as watson wasnt my cup o tea though

 

[bigvan]

In the modernized BBC version, they show Holmes as being quite stupid about matters that didn't have anything to do with detection; he had no idea, for example, that the earth rotated around the sun. He had no need to know it because it hadn't come up in any of the cases he worked. So if one can accept this a canon (I can't remember if this was the case in the books), you might be able to accept that Holmes didn't know or care about the difference between a clay and briar pipe because it didn't have an impact on the case.
Just a rationalization beyond "the writers got it wrong".

 

[jchaplick]

he had no idea, for example, that the earth rotated around the sun.

Absolutely agree, this was he case in the books, on the matter of all things tobacco, holmes was king. He could identify th make brand and year and country of origin of a cigar simply from the ash. Chances are he would know the difference between his pipes, he was very specific between the ones he had, a clay which he used as a comforter while he was in a good mood, a briar which he used while traveling, and a cherrywood pipe which he smokes while he is in a bad mood.

 

[bigvan]

Ooh... good point...
well, I tried.

 

[jchaplick]

Not trying to be a nit picker, i just love me my sherlock holmes stories. Im on my second read through on the short stories so im pretty refreshed too haha.
I would like to know the pipe holmes is using in the new movie, has a good look too it