Warring Pipe's !

[gary18]

I have been a pipe man since the early 70s, and still cannot decide on the best material, I like and prefer steel. Manly because it's easiest to clean, but I recently received a teakwood pipe from Malaysia as a gift and I'm impressed !
This thing smokes sooo nice and is as hard as steel, you cant scratch it with a pocket knife, I tried. Never cared for wood before, always contaminated the smoke. Is there a North American hardwood equal to the quality of this, this very small pipe was very spendy, My friend is a Merchant Seaman, see him every 3-4yrs, the wife cooks him homecooked food, anyway that brings me to Glass, dont like it, they dont last...one trip into the woods, dogs tail brushs coffee table, BAM its broke....Soapstone....
Another nice material, only drawback, hard to clean. Try to scrape that with your knife, you just carve the bowl.
What do you think?
Did I miss any?
Okala hey patao....Trans.....Lets smoke awhile....
And remember " Some Dragons live forever ".....

 

[The Effen Gee]

Get a better glass pipe, as I have never broken one before.

...And I love to climb trees.

 

[SPEARCHUCKER]

White Oaks and Maples are far harder than teakwood.
Get a nice chunk and bone it down. Like baseball players do with bats. Compressing the wood as much as possible.

I built a wood one once out of White Pin Oak I believe it was. I gave it the bone treatment, but using a block of iron. Just rubbed it and rubbed it over that iron until it was so compressed that no matter the pressure pushing on it. I couldnt tell where it was being dragged across anymore. Was rock hard. Did the same thing to the inside bowl and stem. The stem I had a tiny little hole, but after compacting, it was good sized.

I found a big log of maple in the woods. Been laying there curing for years. Was going to cut out a couple chunks and build a couple electric guitar bases out of it. Youve given me the idea to make a couple bowls now while Im at it.

 

[The Effen Gee]

I would be interested in a nice wood pipe however.

Anyone ever heard of Iron Wood before?

I had a quail statue carved out of it...

 

[SPEARCHUCKER]

Havent heard of it Effen. But just googled Iron Wood Tree and it looks very interesting. Only found in the Sonoran Desert.

 

[nvthis]

I would be interested in a nice wood pipe however.

Anyone ever heard of Iron Wood before?

I had a quail statue carved out of it...

Iron wood is a trip. It throws sparks on a tablesaw.

Try manzanita. That is about as hard as you can get around here I think. It is very common here. I think it is pretty common in the bay as well. Hit the hills and you should be able to find it no problem. You might have to be a little creative when drying it as the bigger pieces tend to check pretty bad. If finished correctly it is IMO one of the most beautiful woods there are. Madrone should work in a pinch as well, but I don't think it is as hard as the manzanita.

 

[SmokinMom]

I will be following this with interest. I am a pipe lady myself.

I just bought a real cheapie wooden one and I am unimpressed. But its cool lookin and works in a pinch.

I have glass pipes, metal pipes, wooden pipes....

So far I like the metal ones best too when they get broken in and are not so harsh. My favs have the lid with the hole in it so I can carry it around in my pocket and not fear anything falling out.

 

[nikimadritista]

I like small pipes... A pinch of skunk...
:lama:

 

[gary18]

Lets see, Iron wood, which is in the mesquite family I beleave, please correct me if thats in error. Manzanita , White Oak and an aged maple. And there was another I forgot, da, Bone or antler, both ok materials but again they burn after time and the bowls charcoal around the rim so at some point and to some degree you end up smokin bone. The Proto pipe is a remarkable piece of engineering and is still one of my fav's.
How about these new Vaporizer Pipes, I saw one in a local tie-dye shop, didnt know what it was, it just looked good. Wood with a metal insert for the bowl, great idea I thought, best of both worlds, but the gal said " $60 ", I decided on a new stash box instead, wood of coarse.
I live on the coast so some driftwoods have intreged me as well, but you really have to know wood to tell what it is.
Looks like metal, once broke in, is still favored. I like that metal bowl inset in the wood, gonna have to look into that.
Thanks for all the input so far, and our smilies seem to have few pipe indulging happy faces. Who would I send a request into to get acouple added to our collection?
:smoke1:

 

[nikimadritista]

Ideal for Cinemas, Bars and nightclubs...
My favorite pipe...

 

[smokeytheherb]

Ideal for Cinemas, Bars and nightclubs...
My favorite pipe...

Is that a zeppelin or whatever? Those are old school, I'm a big fan of a glass one hitter though if I'm looking for stealth just light it and cover it with your hand. Wooden pipes taste crappy after a while and it is just too easy to clean my glass pipes when they are dirty and its almost like brand new again. I used to use metal pipes when I was younger they are WAY too harsh for me, I could take a 2 ft bong rip that feels smoother then a small hit out of a metal bowl. Glass all the way!!!

 

[ArtVandolay]

We call driftwood iron wood down here . And it is, try sawing a piece to get a nice specimen . Hmmmm, it occurs to me the wife's really nice driftwood piece would make a good pipe :hubba:

 

[PencilHead]

We call driftwood iron wood down here . And it is, try sawing a piece to get a nice specimen . Hmmmm, it occurs to me the wife's really nice driftwood piece would make a good pipe :hubba:

Scuse me, Art, this is a community property state. You go right ahead and use that piece of communal driftwood as if it were your own.

Lemme know how that works out for you.