Does briar darken as a pipe becomes "seasoned"?

mfresa

I notice that a lot of pipes that have been used for a while tend to darken, diminishing the contrast stain that they show when they are originally created.  Is this because the briar absorbs oils from the tobacco?  Thoughts?

vtgrad2003

It might be possible if the briar is thin enough I would think.

I know a lot about mesquite from living out in West Texas--it's also a very hard wood; some of the old timers out there use mesquite boxes for smoking beef; some of those things are over a hundred years old passed down through generations. The older ones are thicker than the newer ones yet show no signs of anything penetrating the outside of the box, the only thing you see is a sort of natural-use aged patina, but the thinner ones show obvious signs of use on the outside--i.e., it's clear that over the years, the resins from the smoke have penetrated the sides of the box. I guess the same could be true of a thin-walled briar pipe. But it's just a guess.

mfresa

@vtgrad2003, yeah, I just wondered...

DSturg369

Although I've only been smoking pipes for a relatively short time, I have cob pipes that have considerably darkened over time, so I'm guessing Briar pipes would do likewise. YMMV.

daveinlax

 “Is this because the briar absorbs oils from the tobacco?  Thoughts?“
IMO, The darkening probably comes mostly from heat, smoke and the warm briar leaching the oils from your hands.

opipeman

@mfresa;
The darkening may be from handling and the oils and dirt from the hands.

mfresa

@daveinlax, @opipeman, this is very possible.  Thanks for your input :-)

RockyMountainBriar

I would agree that hand oils are part of the darkening, but my natural briars definitely darken from the inside out as well, just like meerschaum does.  The darkening patterns are different from where the pipes are darkened when held.  The patina patterns form where more moisture in the bowl would be present.  I believe that heat plays a part as well, opening and expanding the woods’s pores letting the water/oil/juice migrate out.  If the pipe is smoked hotter than a $2 pistol and is more black, then it is working on a burnout😳.  The “normal” patina is “darkening”, but not black.