An idle question that keeps bothering my inquisitive brain: Why is briar the prefered wood for pipes? Greater heat resistance? And where else can pipe briar be found besides Italy? Thanks.
Why Briar?
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Density and heat resistance is what makes it a good choice and can be found in many parts of the world.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Briar became widely used in the early 1850's. As has been said above, its resistance to heat, primarily due to the silicate content in the wood, and its porosity made it a desirable choice for being used in making pipes. It is found in many Mediterranean countries and much of the Briar used in making pipes comes from Calabria in Southern Italy, and Sardinia. Before the Algerian War for Independence, much of the briar sourced for pipes came from Algeria as well.
...and, flavor. Most wood aromas when heated just don't blend as well with the tobaccos. And, other woods will lose their aroma after time. But I have some ancient estate pipes, that were smoked frequently before me, and I have smoked often since, and the briar has kept it's faint pipe-y smell. Anything other than briar just doesn't smell like a pipe to me.
I think it's been covered well already. Briar for the most part takes the heat better than other woods. Typically the high end artisans are using briar from Mimmo in Italy. They also use Grecian and Algerian briar.
All of my pipes are briar aside from the obvious cobs, one clay, one morta, and one strawberry wood. I really like this strawberry wood pipe Scott Thile made. It had a noticeable wood flavor difference the first few bowls. Now that it's nearing being broken in though that's starting to fade a bit.
All of my pipes are briar aside from the obvious cobs, one clay, one morta, and one strawberry wood. I really like this strawberry wood pipe Scott Thile made. It had a noticeable wood flavor difference the first few bowls. Now that it's nearing being broken in though that's starting to fade a bit.
Covered well above. Superior heat resistance is a must when we burn things in it. But we do often forget, it is gorgeous and has just the right smell and flavor to enhance tobacco. Morta is fun but offputting for some, olivewood is neutral and doesn't do much, strawberry is nice at first and meh later, and most hardwoods don't taste very good. Those exotic woods have a toxicity tendency.
Yes Warren! That is something I have given a lot of thought, and my conclusion is that there is absolutely no reason not to briar. Lately I've been briaring quite a lot an I tell you, it's such fun. In fact, I am briaring right now!
From an early draft of The Scottish Play:
To briar or not to briar, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them: to die, to sleep
No more; and by a sleep, to say we end
the heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks
that Flesh is heir to?
To briar or not to briar, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them: to die, to sleep
No more; and by a sleep, to say we end
the heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks
that Flesh is heir to?
Briar? I hardly know her! I keed...
Seriously though, I've always wondered why briar has to be imported. Could these shrubs/trees/whatevertheyis be grown in the U.S. or elsehwere? The whole "Dominican leaf from Cuban seed" thing with cigars comes to mind.
Then again, who wants to invest in a tree farm where your profits arrive after 50 years?
Forget I asked :D
GDD
Seriously though, I've always wondered why briar has to be imported. Could these shrubs/trees/whatevertheyis be grown in the U.S. or elsehwere? The whole "Dominican leaf from Cuban seed" thing with cigars comes to mind.
Then again, who wants to invest in a tree farm where your profits arrive after 50 years?
Forget I asked :D
GDD
I presume that pipe makers tried a vast variety of pipe materials before briar became established, and we know they are still trying a wide range of them. Clay, morta, meerschaum, and woods of all sorts, not to mention patented wood composites, and so on and on. I don't know who first tried briar, or where, but it was the French who got serious about manufacturing briar pipes in volume. In fire resistance, weight, taste, working qualities of crafting it, and appearance appeal, briar was the magic root. It is heavy labor to dig it out; it is part wood cutting and part mining it with shovels. My favorite substitutes are corncobs and Mountain Laurel, but nothing brings it all together like briar. Cobs run about even, but probably don't have the durability nor eye appeal of briar.
I have been trying to grow a few Giant Sequoia Redwoods in my backyard. I wanted to carve me a hobbit home into one of them, and harvest the other for lumber to make a fortune, but... still waiting.
kidding aside, I did have several vanilla bean vines in my greenhouse, trying to grow my own ice cream flavoring. But, for reasons not quite like the Cuban seed thing, some plants just aren't adaptable to new regions.
Cosmic, we TRIED to warn you about that cleaning fluid, but would you listen? Aw, heck, no, not you!
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