Your Thoughts on Brigham Pipes

[philip]

I have a Brigham 3 dot. It smokes very well.
The Brigham filter isn't really a filter at all - it just a hollow tube. It gives the stem a wood lining which helps to absorb a lot of the moisture in the smoke, but the smoke itself isn't filtered.
I use mine for smoking aromatics.

 

[schmitzbitz]

I am also very surprised that they would make such a radical change and leave it up to an outside manufacturer to do. What would be their reasoning and do you happen to know if all of their briars are like this?

To be honest, I can't speak for the top end lines of the newer Brighams, I haven't had the opportunity to actually examine one in person. I can say with a certainty, however, that up to four-dot they are.
As I understand it, the reason sodium-silicate is used as a bowl-liner is actually in part due to it's impervious, indestructible properties. Like other bowl-linings (pre-carbs, etc.), it is there to protect the briar from damage during the break-in process (sodium-silicate is used as a passive firestop under the commercial name Palusol), however unlike many of the more popular coatings, the molecular structure is so tight that it doesn't allow the natural flavourings of the briar to grow to fruition (it is also used in several applications as a leak inhibitor, including at the Fukushima Daichi reactor following the earthquake).

 

[numbersix]

@schmitzbitz Thanks for the update - lots of good info there. I am very glad to know this. I wasn't looking at Brighams seriously, but they looked like a future possibility. Now, not so sure...

The Brigham filter isn't really a filter at all - it just a hollow tube. It gives the stem a wood lining which helps to absorb a lot of the moisture in the smoke, but the smoke itself isn't filtered.

@philip That's an interesting way to look at it - make sense.

 

[schmitzbitz]

numbersix, don't let their use of water-glass complete turn you off from the company - as I noted originally, I was originally drawn to the company due to their Canadian origin - and didn't know sodium-silicate from grape-flavoured fish-shit when I started collecting them. However, even now, with a plethora of Stanwells, Petes, Chacoms, and even a few artesianal pieces at my disposal I wouldn't hesitate to snap up a new Brig if the shape catches my eye (most recently a little 1-dot straight-bulldog).

I do, however, take the time to remove the bowl-lining and thoroughly clean the pipe before I load her up for the first time. There may be better ways to go about it, but I have found that I get good results by tossing in a movie, loading up (another) bowl, and settling in with a sandpaper wrapped dowel for some serious wet sanding action.

Make sure you do this over newsprint, and afterwards ensure you clean the pipe (and yourself) up very well - the dust produced is rather caustic (as is sodium silicate in it's liquid form) and can cause skin irritation (and sinus/lung if you inhale the dust, half the reason I wet sand - the other half is better results).

 

[schmitzbitz]

It's hard to tell from the pics available (pipe vendors don't tend to photograph the interior of the chamber), but it does appear that the Acadian (and higher grades) do seem to show evidence of grain in the tobacco chamber which would indicate the absense of sodium-silicate (Brighams mix dries to a solid pink putty, the same colour as cheap fills).
I'll see if I can't justify ordering up this pipe to confirm.

 

[danielmore]

It is interesting to read these comments. I'm curious where schmitzbitz got this information regarding the Brigham lining. Also, are all the pipes made in Italy?

 

[piperl12]

So I went into my local B&M today to see if I could get you guys some answers as to the coating status. Currently the coatings are being painted on the inside of all the new Lorenzetti factory pipes. However there are still many Brigham pipes from before the transition available new. Most Brigham dealers are just starting to see some of the new pipes dribble in but have a fair stock of made in Canada pipes still available. If anyone is interested in a particular design I can keep my eye open and play middle man if desired. For the record though one of my best smoking BC pipes is a coated bowl and smokes really well. The advantage to the coating on the BC pipe is no ghosting of the bowl. I can smoke Latakia in it in the morning, clean it, and smoke aros or virginia in the afternoon. So it might be a trade off thing. Photoman, as soon as I figure out how to upload pics I'll post some pics of my collection. I tend to be keyboard challenged. Better with a hammer than a computer

 

[rd02sir]

i've never heard of this coating. Is it new? like witin a year? I know mine was coated, but thought it was that carbon coating. My pipe get ghosted with flavours.

 

[photoman13]

Piperl12

Here is a thread on how to post pictures. Also if you have any technical questions feel free to PM me I will help the best I can brother.

 

[piperl12]

Thanks Photoman!

 

[schmitzbitz]

However there are still many Brigham pipes from before the transition available new. Most Brigham dealers are just starting to see some of the new pipes dribble in but have a fair stock of made in Canada pipes still available.

Wow, your B&M is sporting some OLD stock - the transition, according the the Brigham website, was in the "early 1980's". Wish my locals still had the old Brighams!

I'm curious where schmitzbitz got this information regarding the Brigham lining.

I first encountered sodium-silicate in Food Sciences 101; it is used in the industry to improve the shelf-life of eggs. Simply painting a very thin coat of water-glass on the exterior of an egg-shell will treble it's shelf-life due to the impervious properties of the compound. It is a pretty unique product, and easy to recognize - and has enough commercial applications that the MSDS is very easy to find.

I was first introduced to the idea that it was detrimental as a bowl-coating by Dr. Fred Hanna. After speaking on this subject with several pipe-smokers with far more experience than I, I decided to experiment with a Brigham I am very familiar with by reaming, then smoking with the coating in; followed by removing the coating and smoking again. I found that the difference was indeed tangible, and that the smoke was much cooler and drier with the coating removed. Of course, like everything to do with pipe-smoking, this is purely subjective - if you enjoy the way your pipes smoke with it in place then by all means don't remove it!

Is it new? like witin a year?

I can state that it's been in use for a minimum of two years, but I suspect it's longer than that - I haven't really tried to date any Brighams which sport a delryn tenon.

 

[cgrd]

Man, where are the flea markets around where I live?!

I count it as a lucky score. The stem was badly oxidized, the filter was still in the pipe, there was a massive amount of cake, AND some rank tobacco still at the bottom of the bowl. The $25 ask was quickly negotiated to "$10 and you don't have to put back in your display case."

Brighams which sport a delryn tenon

They're selling it as a feature...you see, the delryn tenon will snap and not bend, which is an "easier" repair; seems the aluminum tenons would bend and rupture the shank. I think it was an unintended consequence, personally, but what do I know?

 

[ocpsdan]

I was really really close to snagging up a Brigham at the Columbus show this year. This thread makes me wish I had! There's always next time..!

 

[ghost]

I hope no one minds that I use this thread to finally start posting pics. (First try!) Here are the 6 Brighams I have in my rotation. Mostly one dots, the four dot is a recent score...

 

[ghost]

First time using photobucket, I guess I resized the pic a bit too much...

 

[ghost]

Just finished a refurb on a 1-dot. Took the pic with my iPad, so no glamour shots or anything...Edit- added 2nd picture.