northernpiper
New member
I'm starting a journey of pipe-making. Haven't purchased Briar yet but I have a plethora of wood in my shop (maple, ash, black walnut, etc.).
What Woods have you used?
- Thread starter northernpiper
- Start date
Help Support Brothers of Briar:
Welcome mate, that is an awesome first post and will be eagerly looking forward to responses 
I have always thought I might cheat a bit and get one of these, but with my laziness would probably just smoke it and if anyone asked I would proudly say "yeah I made it myself"
I have always thought I might cheat a bit and get one of these, but with my laziness would probably just smoke it and if anyone asked I would proudly say "yeah I made it myself"
AlphaWarrior
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2015
- Messages
- 368
- Reaction score
- 518
Mulberry and walnut worked well for me. There was a really cool pipemaker who used oak, very avant garde pieces I thought were amazing but his name escapes me at the moment.
I would recommend a bowl coat to avoid wood smoke while breaking in, but using other woods will let you go through the process at no cost except for the stem materials.
I would recommend a bowl coat to avoid wood smoke while breaking in, but using other woods will let you go through the process at no cost except for the stem materials.
Any wood you use I would check for toxicity. I am pretty sure (but no expert) that black walnut has toxic oils in it, not good for people.
You might consider black cherry
John Waugh
New member
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2023
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 2
I have a very nice-smoking 1940s Trapwell "Worlds Best Briar" from North Carolina which is made with mountain laurel root. (Since briar imports were interrupted during WWII, people got creative about substitutes, and I am keeping my eye out for a source to try my hand at it. This is an Appalachian species. Trapwell also produced briar pipes - marked imported briar.
I have a big boxwood root and a multiflora rose root that I'm drying. I don't know if either would be any good - if anyone has experience with them, I would like to hear from you.
Good luck!
I have a big boxwood root and a multiflora rose root that I'm drying. I don't know if either would be any good - if anyone has experience with them, I would like to hear from you.
Good luck!
![[4PC Bundle] 1/2-Inch Copper Pipe Cleaner Set for Power Drill, 1/2” Tube Cleaning Brush, Cleans Copper Pipes Tubes and Fittings for Soldering, w/ Stainless-Steel Wire Bristles & 1/4” Shank…](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/412s2hl0igL._SL500_.jpg)
Mulberry it makes sense like cherry wood ect good one AW
I have a 50 year old mulberry tree stump I had covered with grass clipping in a garden bed. I will be getting the mattock out and try and get some wood for a possible future project.
I only cut it down because it was barely fruiting and got sick of washing purple shit off everything including cloths on hills hoist from the birds and fruit bats/flying foxes. It will live long and prosper in a new life as a pipe eventually maybeMulberry it makes sense like cherry wood ect good one AW
Good memories as being popular at school for being one of the few kids that could feed all those poor silk worms we all had.
