Any pipe makers interested in making pipes from Osage Orange wood?

RJRains

I have a good amount of premium Osage Orange wood and would like a couple pipes made from it.  I'd send enough wood for several more pipes for your own use or to sell. 
Thanks!

motie2

This is a question for @Corey562 and a couple of our craftier members.

motie2

Look for @Corey562's work in the Has Anyone Created Their Own Pipe discussion folder

Corey562

@RJRains what kind of pipe you need made. I have made several kinds but never out of anything but briar. I would love to try out something different.

Corey562

https://www.facebook.com/Abbspipes/ @RJRains here are some I have made.

mfresa

@RJRains, has it been dried/aged for long?

Corey562

@RJRains has the sap been removed.

Woodsman

@RJRains Old time method to remove sap in small pieces of wood was boil it.

RockyMountainBriar

@RJRains
     I was under the impression that Osage Orange has some toxicity issues?  Dermatitis and such.  I would think that something that causes external skin irritation might really effect the soft tissues and mucous membranes more strongly.  
     I have thought about using it to decorate bowl tops, shanks and stems, keeping the Osage Orange away from any internal surfaces.  Osage Orange would  be a beautiful wood to dress up a pipe.

motie2

Resources: http://www.wood-database.com/ and http://www.wood-database.com/wood-finder/

<<Trying to identify accents, exotic woods, and the like can be a somewhat daunting task. The Wood Database offers examples of a variety of exotic and domestic hardwoods you'll find used in pipe making. With its enlargeable photos, detailed characteristics, and descriptions, it's a great resource>>

xDutchx

Osage orange is fantastic bow wood, especially so for non glass bows, like Bamboo Backed Osage, and Self bows. As for being suitable pipe material, I have a few doubts. Primarily because when you see pipe carvers carving alternative woods, they usually limit them to Strawberry wood, Olive wood, Hickory, etc.

I would echo RockyMountainBriar's statements and concerns on toxicity issues. I do know that when bowyers are prepping and cutting bow woods for bowmaking, some have severe allergic reactions and breathing issues when cutting and sanding exotic woods. Heating up and smoking tobacco in a pipe, could definitely have repercussions when you consider the repercussions of cutting and sanding the same woods.

PappyJoe

I researched alternative/exotic woods a few years ago when I was dabbling in pipe carving and found many of the exotic woods had toxicity issue BUT most of the issues were a result of handling and breathing in the dust while working with the wood. One old pipe carver I talked to said that even common pipe woods can cause these same problems if you don't take precaution such as wearing a correct mask to prevent breathing the dust. Another thing he said, with the exception of the briar blocks he buys, he boils the wood before drying it in a kiln. Depending on the age of the wood and the type, he will sometime boil it for up to 24 hours to get all the resin and sap out of it. Of course he also said he dries the wood in the kiln and then will put it on the shelf for aging.

What I never found in my research is anything that said exotic woods would be dangerous as a vessel for smoking tobacco if treated properly first.

KA9FFJ

Interesting info guys...