Can't recall the last time I saw you do a diamond shaped shank @Corey562 ... Tough to do and it looks as if you did a great job (as usual). I also like how you transitioned the stem from the shank... very nice. I agree with @motie2 it looks volcano-ish to me as well. I like it... Can't tell much about the grain, so I'm looking forward to seeing after staining...
@Corey562 when the weather improves I'll plan a trip to your place. While it is cold I've been restricted on my pipe sessions. Still working the cabinet...I just want to finish that project.
@Corey562 -- I thought you might find this interesting. Author unknown; dated 03/02/17.
<<I keep being asked what makes a great smoking pipe. In essence the answer is simple, great wood. Sounds simple but it isn’t. Briar comes from a few countries around the Mediterranean. Once the sources of briar were varied and known, Italy, Greece, France, Algerian and some from Morocco. Today it all comes from a few briar mills in Italy that source from Greece or Italy and almost nowhere else. The pipe maker generally doesn’t know which country it originates from.
Assuming that the engineering of the pipe is correct, great smoking qualities will be effected by how long the briar is aged. The only alternative to aging is oil curing. Only two makers do oil curing Ashton & Ferndown. Most pipe makers age their wood at least three year and a few age longer. Ideally aging should be 10 or more years, but it is very expensive to have wood and sit on it for 10 years or more. It ties up the money. Castello and Bonfiglioli are known as great smokers because they have aged their wood a minimum of 10 years and in some cases 25 years. I have been told that Viprati also ages his wood for longer than the norm of 3 years and a few other Italians do.
Ignoring that each briar block will vary somewhat due to age of the root, how it is cut and the infinite other variables of any organic substance; smoking quality will be mainly affected by the amount of aging. An inexpensive pipe will have very little aging on it, if any; it is just not economic for a maker to age wood for a low-end pipe.>>
@motie2 that is very interesting I have a few blocks left that I got from my smoking buddy when I first started and he had them in his basement since the early 80s. They should make some very nice smoking pipes God willing I dont botch them up during drilling.
Comments
<<I keep being asked what makes a great smoking pipe. In essence the answer is simple, great wood. Sounds simple but it isn’t. Briar comes from a few countries around the Mediterranean. Once the sources of briar were varied and known, Italy, Greece, France, Algerian and some from Morocco. Today it all comes from a few briar mills in Italy that source from Greece or Italy and almost nowhere else. The pipe maker generally doesn’t know which country it originates from.
Assuming that the engineering of the pipe is correct, great smoking qualities will be effected by how long the briar is aged. The only alternative to aging is oil curing. Only two makers do oil curing Ashton & Ferndown. Most pipe makers age their wood at least three year and a few age longer. Ideally aging should be 10 or more years, but it is very expensive to have wood and sit on it for 10 years or more. It ties up the money. Castello and Bonfiglioli are known as great smokers because they have aged their wood a minimum of 10 years and in some cases 25 years. I have been told that Viprati also ages his wood for longer than the norm of 3 years and a few other Italians do.
Ignoring that each briar block will vary somewhat due to age of the root, how it is cut and the infinite other variables of any organic substance; smoking quality will be mainly affected by the amount of aging. An inexpensive pipe will have very little aging on it, if any; it is just not economic for a maker to age wood for a low-end pipe.>>