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Clay pipe history
PappyJoe
Master
@motie2 - While there is a definitive link between clay pipes and churchwardens, I thought I would move some of the discussion out of the churchwarden topic and create a new one.
I found this link to be quite interesting and informative about pipe smoking in the areas of Bavaria and Bohemia (the Germanic region of Europe). I can't download the pdf but you can scroll down and read it. The document mentions that the first written mention of pipe smoking in that area was in 1601. Latter it discusses the production of clay pipes as early as 1621.
http://www.academia.edu/269943/Clay_Pipes_In_Bavaria_and_Bohemia_Common_Ground_In_the_Cultural_and_Political_History_of_Smoking1_
Another document I found discusses the history of clay pipes in England and mentions production of the pipes around 1558 (mid-16th century). http://www.cafg.net/docs/articles/ClayPipes.pdf
As for the myth of the stems being broken off of clay pipes so they could be shared, read this article published in the Colonial Williamsburg Journal. http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Winter03-04/pipes.cfm
The problem I have with both Wikipedia and Pipepedia is that information that is inaccurate is sometimes presented as being fact. After all, if it's on the internet it must be true.
I found this link to be quite interesting and informative about pipe smoking in the areas of Bavaria and Bohemia (the Germanic region of Europe). I can't download the pdf but you can scroll down and read it. The document mentions that the first written mention of pipe smoking in that area was in 1601. Latter it discusses the production of clay pipes as early as 1621.
http://www.academia.edu/269943/Clay_Pipes_In_Bavaria_and_Bohemia_Common_Ground_In_the_Cultural_and_Political_History_of_Smoking1_
Another document I found discusses the history of clay pipes in England and mentions production of the pipes around 1558 (mid-16th century). http://www.cafg.net/docs/articles/ClayPipes.pdf
As for the myth of the stems being broken off of clay pipes so they could be shared, read this article published in the Colonial Williamsburg Journal. http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Winter03-04/pipes.cfm
The problem I have with both Wikipedia and Pipepedia is that information that is inaccurate is sometimes presented as being fact. After all, if it's on the internet it must be true.
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@AnantaAndroscoggin -- Really great stuff. Thank you.
@AnantaAndroscoggin - That was good information you posted in December. What I'm looking for now is something on how the pipes were made during the Civil War Era. The question is were they made by hand or did the use molds?
@PappyJoe, Here's a link to one of the most comprehensive books on the pipes of the Blue and Gray, authored by Ben Rappaport.
https://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/books/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=160862
Nice chart of same:
You also have to learn to hold the clay pipe by the stem when smoking. The bowl gets very hot.
So, why do I have so many clay pipes? Mainly because they were given to me, but also because if you want to smoke a new blend and get the flavor in its purest form, the clay pipe is what you want to use. It doesn't impart any flavor or aroma from previously smoked tobacco like a pipe with cake will do.
The History, Manufacture, and Use of Clay Pipes