Which Pipes Are Best?

[wasnsfisher]

Which pipes are best? Loaded question Mate. Guess it all depends on the user/owner/etc.
Sorta brings back the age old question Men my age and about (53), used to argue about in the 70's and 80's.
Which make is best, Ford, Chev, Dodge

 

[ashdigger]

Morta

 

[instymp]

Fords.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Most American makes have foreign components. They're all the same now.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Surprised no one has mentioned strawberry wood or olive.

 

[saltedplug]

Cobs. American Indians trapped smoke in a hole and smoked from that. Whatever floats your boat.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Surprised no one has mentioned strawberry wood or olive.

I am not surprised; he asked what was the best material, and the answer is briar- for the most tested, the soundest, and universal choice. Other woods can also be successfully used, but for starters, it's briar.

 

[sablebrush52]

Surprised no one has mentioned strawberry wood or olive.

I mentioned olive wood...

 

[Chasing Embers]

Ah, that you did.

 

[64alex]

[I am not surprised; he asked what was the best material, and the answer is briar- for the most tested, the soundest, and universal choice. ]
Well, if we talk about the best wood briar might be the best, but if we talk about the best material there are other choices such as clay, meerschaum and morta which are as good as and, in my personal opinion, even better than briar. Briar is durable, less fragile than many other materials, and definitely beautiful. But if we talk about smoking quality I am not that much sure it is the best. Just a simple Lepeltier clay pipe IMO is better than the most espensive briar, much more drier smoke, no ghost and pure tobacco taste unaffected from the pipe.

 

[sablebrush52]

Well, there's always the magic of Brylon.

 

[jndyer]

Well, there's always the magic black magic of Brylon.

:nana:

 

[woodsroad]

Formica.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Linoleum, mmmmm, the aroma of warm linoleum. ::

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Coprolite

 

[brightleaf]

I didn't know about Mountain laurel, thanks mso489. There are some Mountain Laurels growing near to where my house is, I will have to keep an eye out for some larger sections.
Cool pic of the lemon wood pipe newbroom. It reminds me of ivory.

 

[jpmcwjr]

The answer was given in the first reply:

Briar. No other wood handles heat or wet/dry cycling as well as briar.

 

[brian64]

What wood is best: briar. What material substance is best: meerschaum.

 

[brightleaf]

Here's a short poem from Tobacoo in Song & Story by John Bain, Jr. published in 1896
The Pipe You Make Yourself
There's clay pipes an' briar pipes and meershaum pipes as well;

There's plain pipes an' fancy pipes--things jest made to sell;

But any pipe that can be bought fer marbles, chalk, or pelf,

Aint ekal to the flaver of the pipe you make yourself.
Jest take a common corn cob an' whittle out the middle,

Then plug up one end of it as tight as any fiddle;

Fit a stem into th' side an' lay her on th' shelf,

An' when she's dry you take her down—that pipe you made yourself.
Cram her full clar to th' brim with nachral leaf, you bet--

'Twill smoke a trifle better for bein' somewhat wet--

Take your worms and fishin' pole, and a jug along for health;

An' you'll get a taste o' heaven from that pipe you made yourself.

-Henry E. Brown

 

[jpmcwjr]

Very nice find! Thanks for the poetry, all of 120 years ago, still a propos.