Morta pipe question

[Brewdude]

So, I've been thinking about adding a morta pipe for a while. Many of the pics here from those that have them have great appeal. And the issue of it smoking a bit hotter due to the material doesn't make me any less interested.

There's an estate that caught my eye this week from smokingpipes. Apparently it's made from Lake Michigan petrified wood and not the material that the others I've read about. And I like the Volcano shape.

The carver is Russ Cook, whom I'm not familiar with. And here is the copy from smokingpipes-

Though technically still "morta," in that it comes from naturally submerged and preserved deadfalls, the "Michigan" variety is sourced not from peat-bogs, but from the depths of Lake Michigan.Russ Cook is one of the few pipemakers who make use of this particular class of preserved oak, and here he's shaped it into a solid Volcano sitter.

Here's a pic of the one currently available-

Seems to me they listed another morta Volcano earlier this week from Russ Cook, which was a black finish with a different stem configuration for the same price. Looks like that one is gone. Kind of like this one as well.

Any sage experience about Russ Cook or his Lake Michigan morta pipes?

TIA


Cheers,

RR

 

[Slide]

I don't have any information but I really like the looks of that pipe.

You should get it! :lol:

 

[Natch]

During the lumbering days around the Great Lakes, thousands of logs went down the river and sank into Michigan, Heron, and Superior before being captured for the mills. I've met some people living up near Duluth Superior that make their living harvesting (SCUBA, ropes, and winches)old logs that sank over a century ago. Little oxygen down a 100 feet or so, so they don't really rot, and they make beautiful wood for furniture and flooring.

But, most are white pine and a few hemlocks, not hardwoods. I have no idea how they'd smoke or how they'd handle the heat of burning tobacco, but I doubt that white pine would make a great pipe wood. If it's oak, as stated, it may be OK.

Natch

 

[Brewdude]

See if you can get verification of what type of wood it is. During the lumbering days around the Great Lakes, thousands of logs went down the river and sank into Michigan, Heron, and Superior before being captured for the mills. I've met some people living up near Duluth Superior that make their living harvesting (SCUBA, ropes, and winches)old logs that sank over a century ago. Little oxygen down a 100 feet or so, so they don't really rot, and they make beautiful wood for furniture and flooring.

But, most are white pine and a few hemlocks, not hardwoods. I have no idea how they'd smoke or how they'd handle the heat of burning tobacco, but I doubt that white pine would make a great pipe wood.

May be wrong, but I'd check on it before buying.

Natch

Good advice Mr Natural. I'll see what I can find out.

Thanks.


Cheers,

RR

 

[Natch]

Changed my post above while you replied. I didn't see the oak designation in your original post. Sorry for posting so soon.

Natch

 

[Harlock999]

It's a cool pipe.
You should jump on it before someone else does!

 

[Growley]

During the lumbering days around the Great Lakes, thousands of logs went down the river and sank into Michigan, Heron, and Superior before being captured for the mills. I've met some people living up near Duluth Superior that make their living harvesting (SCUBA, ropes, and winches)old logs that sank over a century ago. Little oxygen down a 100 feet or so, so they don't really rot, and they make beautiful wood for furniture and flooring.

But, most are white pine and a few hemlocks, not hardwoods. I have no idea how they'd smoke or how they'd handle the heat of burning tobacco, but I doubt that white pine would make a great pipe wood. If it's oak, as stated, it may be OK.

Natch

Great educational response! I grew up in Michigan and never knew that. Good stuff.


Oh, and to stay on track, cool pipe. If it were pine I wouldn't suggest getting it. Not sure about Hemlock.

 

[Brewdude]

It's a cool pipe.
You should jump on it before someone else does!

Yes, it looks cool. But I'm interested about how it smokes.

Need to do some due diligence first!


Cheers.

RR

 

[Harlock999]

It's a cool pipe.
You should jump on it before someone else does!

Yes, it looks cool. But I'm interested about how it smokes.

Need to do some due diligence first!

I do agree, and restraint is admirable.
It's just such a neat looking pipe though...

 

[Zeno Marx]

There are a couple reality TV shows that include old, sunken wood harvesting. Ax Men is one of them, I believe. I thought there was another who drudges around the Bayou looking for these things. One uses scuba gear, and the other uses his feet and free dives while fending off alligators. The Bayou/feet fella looks for old cut cypress. If there is a lot of money to be made from this, and I realize nobody implied there is, it surely isn't the guys mudding in the waters. Their rigs are held together with spit and twine.

Sorry for the interruption. I find this kind of thing mildly interesting, and I didn't realize it was happening in the Great Lakes, though it makes complete sense.

I'm thankful I don't care for that shape.

 

[Natch]

Old article, but it covers one of the first in the region to realize the value of these logs.

http://journaltimes.com/article_d6986bbc-97b3-5135-89fa-16053e306d4b.html

You don't find straight, knot-less, 10 foot diameter 80 foot long white pine logs in the world today, and the anaerobic environment of deep fresh water seems to have a good effect on them. It makes some pronominal flooring with deeper color and supposedly much harder than fresh pine would be,(or so I've heard/seen, don't have a floor with one myself but have walked on a few). Pretty expensive, though.

Natch

 

[desertpiper]

I also saw a show that harvested sunken logs. From what they were saying they also make great instruments like violins and such. Some even compared them to the great violins made ages ago.

 

[Brewdude]

Well I snoozed and loozed.

That pipe is gone.

<shrug>

Thanks for the info tho gents.



Cheers,

RR

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

His website features dismal photography, and he also doesn't work for cheap. Unfortunately I'd never pay his prices for something not photographed well enough to display its presumably fine qualities.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

I wanted to get a morta until I heard they smoke hot; hot, or just a little hot? If hot you can't touch the bowl, but my concern is that the hotter the tobacco burns, the less flavor and the more bite.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I was talking with Todd about the different morta out there...some of which, are "sorta morta," like the Great Lakes sunken timber...provided it has gone through enough of a hardening process to stand up to pipe heat (mineralization, natural pressure-treatment), it should perform quite well. I know other "bog wood" can come from other areas, all it needs is time, mineralization, water, and a little pressure, and could possibly make some great pipes.

To any concerned about morta's performance, comparing it to meerschaum versus briar, morta is just different. It isn't better or worse. The temperature of your tobacco is what matters, and doesn't always mean that if you feel the heat of the bowl that suddenly your flavor experience is in danger. It just means briar might be better at insulating your hand from the heat, and morta (and even meerschaum) might transfer more heat to a readily-touchable surface. My two mortas feel a little hotter to the touch, but by perhaps only 20 degrees. One has pretty thin walls, and I have cobs get equally as warm--but the smoke was as cool as a spring breeze. The taste is simply unique. If you like a peaty taste, you might sense the bog-like essence from whence this wood was harvested. Is it bad? It isn't to me, in fact, it lends a pretty nice flavor to high-octane blends, richly-matured Virginias/Kentucky, and fills out the gaps in Latakia.

I'd suggest if possible, everyone have at least one morta (or something similar). Try it, you may like it.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

Thanks Kyle. I feel better now.

 

[Brewdude]

Great info Kyle.

Read some reviews of Russ Cooks pipes. Seems like a solid artisan.

Maybe next time I won't be so hesitant if one of his mortas come up. If they ever do.


Cheers,

RR

 

[Anonymous]

Old, submerged Sitka spruce from Alaska brings incredible prices from high-end guitar makers like Santa Cruz.

:face:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I had to laugh, this thread inspired me...last night I took out one of the mortas Todd H made me...an uncharacteristic pipe for me, Lovat shape, long, skinny, tall bowl. Contrary to every bulldog I covet. Yet, I love the pipe. Any of the "long shank" pipes just appeal to me visually.

The thin walls made it a little hot to the touch, and the B. Sasieni I've been obsessed with as of late gave off totally unique (but familiar) flavor...and the wisps of "boggy-ness" came through, especially toward the end. Good stuff. Sometimes a needed change of pace comes more from a different pipe than switching up tobacco, so I appreciate my somewhat random collection of wayward pipes.