Thread: Pipe carving on a budget

Thanks Matt.

Originally Posted by Wild Dingo

ALRIGHTY!!! I now KNOW what that last wee peice of sandlewood is screaming to be made into!! A PIPE!!

Mind you would be cause for some interesting flavors!

mmm wonder how you'd get on with one made of Huon?

"UGH A PIPE... HOW DISGUSTING!"
"No love its not your normal everyday pipe"
"Its a pipe its disgusting"
"Nope not a normal pipe this one"
"Whats so special about that one"

"Its a butter smelling pipe... special made by me from select butter smelling wood from the pimple on Aussies bum"
"Oh come on!!"
"No ridgey didge love... its a butter smelling pipe... no matter what tabbakky yer stick in it its gonna smell sweet an creamy just like butter"

mmm but then I do know where theres a couple of those hippy yippee yahoo plants hidden away out in the bush... fair whoppers to they are... maybe get the root from one of them and make a pipe

HEY!! I know we can even name it "the pipe that gives you a new perspective" or how about "the pipe that gives you more" "the pipe with a built in munchie maker"

okay serious Shane serious... what about Cam... nah that would REALLY SERIOUSLY STINK... Jarrah? that would be good I reckon... how about red mallee or something striking like that?

So whats the special needs with the timber in pipe making? not that Im gonna make one heck no!! thats disgusting... is not somethin I want to hear more than I already do with me cigs Just something to muck about with during these mongrel weather days

Camphor Laurel mate! give em all a reason to quit!

Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

Camphor Laurel mate! give em all a reason to quit!

Oleander.... why delay the inevitable?

Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

Oleander.... why delay the inevitable?

Well, if speed and effectiveness is your game, I would suggest handcarved walnut (as in the beautifully made grip of a Colt 45)

If you want to kill yourself at a more leisurely pace, WD, and you want to enjoy the Aussie flavour, of all the timbers you mention a mallee root would seem to more closely resemble briar... all eucalypti would have strong smells though, some might be overwhelming. Pines are a no-no, you might as well use camphor as Sebastiaan suggested . Box would be a good choice but that would not be native either.

In any case, give the piece you choose a good boil to kill off the tannins and hope for the best.

G'day,

I've been carving pipes for a few years ... and smoking them for more ...and would strongly suggest starting out with briar. The main reasons for avoiding experiments, particularly with good old Aussie burls, is the resin. Tobacco pipes get damn hot and as any dealings with a bush fire will tell you - resin tends to explode. I could never see the humour in exploding cigars and even less so with pipes!
I don't think you'd be too happy to sell pipes that explode, taste awful and run the risk of burns, damaged eyes and introducing a whole new range of carcinogens into the equation.
That said, I'm actually experimenting with some Aussie wood but I'm lining the bowls with fireclay/meerschaum to insulate them a bit and reduce the risk of explosions and contaminated taste... not that taste matters to a hardened pipe smoker.
If you are araldited to experimenting with Aussie hardwoods, try to get your hands on lignotuber bits rather than trunk burl... the lignotuber is the ball of buds at the base of mallee form eucalypts and others. Less resin, denser burl and some lovely birds eye grain...Mediterranean Briar is actually lignotuberous. It's also an endangered species so finding alternatives would be A Good Thing.
Drop me a reply and I'll dig out the names of the US suppliers I deal with for stems tools etc. ... might even have a few spare, stems, briar blocks and mouthbits about the place.

Peter

Paulownia is touted as being fire resistant, would that make it a contender for pipe wood?

G'day Tinkerer, Welcome to the forum and thanks for your input. I am just around the corner from Manly. I would be interested in seeing how you do your pipes. PM me if possible.

prozac