Briar and Beyond: Freak Show Pipes

Above picture from kristenpipe.com

Pipes have almost as much variety as pipe tobaccos. Briar, the king of pipe materials, is carved and processed into many unique shapes in addition to the standards of Bulldog, Apple, and so on. Some of the more obscure shapes are Oompaul, Skater and Olipahnt--the last shape being a pipe that has its bowl jutting straight off the shank, instead of the usual upwards-pointing bowl. Yes, it’s a challenge to smoke. There was even a pipe introduced about ten years ago that was as flat as a tongue depressor--the bowl was just a dimple in the wood, and specially-made discs of flattened tobacco (thoughtfully, from the same manufacturer) fit in that area.

Beyond briar is the reliable tier of meerschaum, corn cobs, clay and occasionally, cherry wood. But some pipe manufacturers have, over the history of pipe smoking, made their products out of truly different materials.

Kirsten pipes (cross-section pic at head of this post) have stems and shanks made completely out of, er, metal. This is called the “radiator stem.” The reason? Kirsten pipes feature interchangeability of pipe bowls--any of their bowls will fit on any of their radiator stems. So, you can buy just a bowl and screw it onto your existing pipe--almost a new pipe, presto, without the expense. As a rule, metal is a no-no in pipes, but Kirsten fans treasure the variety this brand offers.

Picture above from legiopraetoria.it

Ah, but you want to try a pipe that is truly out of the ordinary. Then check out the pipes offered (at one time, now on eBay) by the Bartlett Pipe Company (pictured above)  .Bartlett pipes, such as the New Englander and Windjammer, are made of rock maple instead of briar. Oh, and they smoke upside-down--you light and, apparently, smoke the pipe with its bowl pointed at the floor. The system to do this is complicated, but it allegedly works. This company, now apparently defunct, first offered this peculiar style of pipe in what was called the Freedom Smoking Pipe.

Oh, so that’s not unique enough, huh? Wood is old hat and you want something truly different, huh? Aight, then search for the pipe (yes, all lowercase) on eBay. This brand of pipe lined its bowls with a substance called pyrolytic graphite, used originally in aerospace applications. The material created, the company claimed, a lessening of tars and nicotine in this pipe. For an abundance of info about the pipe, visit thepipe.info.  There, author Billie W. Taylor II (PhD.) has put together the definitive source for learning about this product. The company that made the pipe is long gone, though, so like the above Bartlett pipes, eBay and pipe shows are the best places to look for the pipe.

No matter the material you choose for your pipes, be sure to enjoy. Briar is still the reigning champ of pipes, but variety is welcome, in pipe smoking as in life.