In
our last article we discussed materials, aging, and weight of fine briar in the
rough stages. We also discussed the differences between the briar burls from the
male and female plant. This article deals with the handling of briar in the
actual making of a pipe. I hope that you will find this information helpful in
your pursuit of Kapnismology.
1. Making the pipe
a) cutting bowl and shank -there are two methods
of cutting bowl and shank - by hand and by machine. With hand-turning relatively
little briar is wasted as the craftsman can work around flaws changing the shape
or size of the pipe while doing so. While a hand-turned bowl may look
symmetrical, close examination will reveal that it is not - one wall may be a
trifle thicker than the other, or there may be a little unevenness as the hand
rubs against the outside of the bowl or shank. That the pipe looks symmetrical
is the mark of a good hand-turner; that it has a unique feel tells that it was
made-by hand.
With
machine-cutting the perfect shape is achieved- time and again. But only one of
every 100 perfectly shaped bowls is without obvious blemish and goes on to
become a premium pipe.
Is
one method better than the other? Yes and no! It depends what the smoker is
after. Does he want to feel that there is a bit of the maker in every
hand-turned bowl? Does he want the perfect symmetry of the perfect classical
shape?
b) seasoning
- seasoning here refers to a process undertaken after the bowl has been cut (as
far as I am aware only one maker is currently employing this process). It has
been thought by some than even when the briar block has been air-dried for a
number of years all the resins within the wood do not evaporate and may even
"set", making for a prolonged period before the pipe gives the proper
taste to the smoker. In 1913 a process was invented which, by a unique
combination of heat and beneficial oils, enabled all
resins and sap to "exude" from the bowl leaving it
thoroughly seasoned for the smoker. Besides seasoning the pipe this process has
another effect all pipes
on which this
process is used have the same "nutty" taste no matter from where the
briar.
c) making
the mouthpiece - again, two methods are used- injection-molding and
hand-cutting; also two types of material are in general usage- vulcanite and
plexiglas. Injection-molded mouthpieces are stock items of many shapes and sizes
which come from moulds (they are what the local pipe repairman uses when he
replaces a mouthpiece). Fitting such a mouthpiece to a pipe is a fairly simple
operation in that it involves selecting the size and shape wanted, perhaps
turning down the tenon a bit for a good fit, and buffing down the outside of the
mouthpiece where it meets the shank of the pipe.
Hand-cutting a
mouthpiece involves taking a sheet or rod of solid vulcanite or plexiglas and
turning it to proper size and shape much as one would hand-turn a bowl lit is
interesting to note here that of the premium pipemakers, some who hand-turn
bowls use injection-molded mouthpieces and some who machine-turn bowls use
hand-cut mouthpieces). Not only is size and shape important (the mouthpiece has
to blend with the symmetry of the bowl) but the lip receives a fantastic amount
of attention. For it is here that even the uninitiated can tell the difference.
While the lip of the injection-molded mouthpiece is thick (unless some hand-work
has been added) the lip of the hand-cut mouthpiece is thin, the buttons
unobtrusive. The difference in comfort level between the two types for those who
grip their pipe at the end of the lip is dramatic. I have long maintained that
the mouthpiece comprises one-half the pipe, and it is this half that is so often
neglected.
It is obvious to the reader which type of mouthpiece I prefer, but I will give
the injection molted mouthpiece its due - it certainly holds down
d) finishing
- every pipemaker has his own finishing techniques; some are closely guarded
secrets. With regard to a premium pipe, finishing involves much hand work -
hand-sanding, hand-staining, hand-waxing, etc. There are only two rules of thumb
which come to mind regarding a pipe's finish: 1)
the finish
should not have a varnished look; 2) the finish should not come off in the
smoker's hand when the pipe is hot.
e) blemishes
- a controversial area. Are blemishes i.e. sandspots acceptable with regards to
the premium pipe? The sandspot has proven to be a rather two-faced fellow.
Appearing on an unsmoked pipe it may disappear once the pipe has been smoked;
conversely one or more may rise to the surface when smoking a pipe that had
previously shown none.
Be it
known that a pipe without minor blemishes is a real rarity. There are sandspots
in every single piece of briar; these sandspots have either just been cut away
in the turning of the bowl, are on the bowl surface right now, or are just below
the surface. Stains and finishes besides bringing out the natural beauty of the
grain do a very good job in hiding sandspots.
My
personal preferences in this regard have undergone revision over the years. I
used to be one that would not accept a pipe if I could detect any blemish no
matter how much I liked it otherwise. But then I found that I was not really
skilled at detection when others pointed out flaws that I had missed. I have
since become much more skilled but at the same time my attitude has changed so
that what I consider minor blemishes now rate hardly at all in my selection
process.
Well
- I have gone over certain criteria regarding "what makes a good briar
pipe" and I have tried to help the reader look at different methods
employed. But, as promised, I have not answered the question. I can't. Or rather
I can't for anyone except myself. Hopefully in discussing the criteria mentioned
above various choices will be put in focus for the reader so that this most
difficult question may draw an answer from each of us.
