Pipe Terminology Lesson 1

[smoker13]

Could someone please tell me authoritatively the difference between a pipe that is SANDBLASTED and a pipe that is RUSTICATED?

Every time I think I feel I have a firm understanding of the difference I find that I don't.

Thank You, I would appreciate a clarification of this very much.

S13

 

[monbla256]

A SAndblasted pipe is just as it's name suggests is blasted with fine particles of sand to accentuate the grain that is in the pipe. A rusticated pipe is CARVED with a tool and many times does not really follow the actual grain of the wood. :twisted:

 

[Sasquatch]

Yup. Blasting shows the internal structure of the wood:

Where rustication leads to any number of interesting and pleasing "artificial" textures:

 

[smoker13]

OK then, thank you for confirming what I had come upon as my understanding as the differentiation between the two.

My confusion came from various dealers' descriptions of some pipes' finishes that criss-crossed this basic tenet, e.g. a "rusticated pipe" that "(followed) the ring grain to show it off".  There have been more examples, of course, and the accumulation of all these errantly described finished pipes is what steered me off the road.

 

[ftrplt]

As Brother Monbla pointed out, part of the confusion comes from some carvers rusticating with the grain and others who just "rusticate" the briar for reasons known only to them!! I have several "old" Sasieni's with absolutely beautiful rustication that doesn't follow a grain pattern. :cheers: FTRPLT

 

[KevinM]

I have an Ashton b'doggy that looks blasted in spots, rusticated in a few others, and over quite a bit of the bowl has swoops, swirls and various random, asymmetrical visual and tactile touches to add interest to a smoke. it comes close to looking as if someone broke off a piece of briar root, drilled it, stained it, polished it up and called it good. I find it very pleasing.  In fact, I don't see how anyone could not like this pipe. Nevertheless . . .

Good question, by the way. Some pipers seem to interpret rusticated as if it meant deep blast. I've noticed SP sometimes substitutes "carved" for "rusticated" in descriptions.

 

[Sasquatch]

Lots of Ashtons were carved and then blasted, so that's actually quite a likely scenario on your pipe Kevin.

We use "carved" as a way of selling a rusticated pipe as a higher price point. Cheapest pipes in every range are rusticated, it's the most flexible finish in terms of briar. Not every piece is a smooth, and for sure not every piece will blast well either.

So I think "rustic" got equated with "cheap" when it does not have to be anything of the sort. I can blast a pipe a lot faster than I rusticate, just as a "man hours" perspective. But calling it "hand carved" gives it a little edge on the marketing, is all. :clown:

 

[Sasquatch]

Or maybe carved is opposed to using a dremel - think Radice's "underwood" finish vs peterson's Kapets.