Does anyone know about clay pipes?
- Thread starter daveO
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Actually you just reminded me of another thing I found on a job. It must have been about 10 years ago now I found a full tin of tobacco in the loft of an empty house. I kept it just for the cringy tin artwork but the tobacco inside still smells lovely. It's on the shelf in my office next to an unopened bottle of 1983 Guinness that I found in the back of a cupboard at my Gran's old house. The tobacco must be 1930s era I think, from more innocent times anyway...
Actually you just reminded me of another thing I found on a job. It must have been about 10 years ago now I found a full tin of tobacco in the loft of an empty house. I kept it just for the cringy tin artwork but the tobacco inside still smells lovely. It's on the shelf in my office next to an unopened bottle of 1983 Guinness that I found in the back of a cupboard at my Gran's old house. The tobacco must be 1930s era I think, from more innocent times anyway...
I've smoked that! Must have been in the 1960s. We were more innocent then. Think seaside postcard rather than internet.
I've smoked that. Must have been in the 1960s. We were more innocent then. Think seaside saucy postcard rather than internet.
Borkum Riff.
Not sure if it is/was a Swedish brand.
The British pipe tobacco's (tobbacoes?) were world famous for being flavoursome and mild. Caressed your throat and lungs......
Not sure if it is/was a Swedish brand.
The British pipe tobacco's (tobbacoes?) were world famous for being flavoursome and mild. Caressed your throat and lungs......
a very poor quality photo of my small collection of clay pipes ( click on the image to enlarge ) Only the top one has been used.
I used to smoke Borkum Riff Cherry cavendish all the time until I discovered Gawith Hoggarths Black Cherry Exclusiv and thats all i'll touch now, just on high days and holidays.
Over the years I've been lucky and more or less accidentally picked up a fair number of new clays , mainly for pennies. The only time I paid full whack is when we went to a old pipe factory near ironbridge and that was almost a charitable donation to support the place! The churchwardens are excellent smokes and when i've sourced the right wood i'm going to make a copy of the inn pipe rack they have in the local museum. Herself got them to open the cabinet and take measurements for me to go with the photos. Assuming i can find
them.
ATB
Tom
Over the years I've been lucky and more or less accidentally picked up a fair number of new clays , mainly for pennies. The only time I paid full whack is when we went to a old pipe factory near ironbridge and that was almost a charitable donation to support the place! The churchwardens are excellent smokes and when i've sourced the right wood i'm going to make a copy of the inn pipe rack they have in the local museum. Herself got them to open the cabinet and take measurements for me to go with the photos. Assuming i can find
them.
ATB
Tom
that put me in my place alright ! hahaha
The red coloured tips, what is that ? For?
It must have been difficult, to enjoy a pipe while you are imbibing alcoholic beverages!
Those pipes are beautiful!
Wonder why nobody makes a modern version, with a ceramic beautiful bowl set into a wooden (=strong) stem?
This thread makes me hungry for a smoke, but I WILL resist!
One year and 7 months now!
It must have been difficult, to enjoy a pipe while you are imbibing alcoholic beverages!
Those pipes are beautiful!
Wonder why nobody makes a modern version, with a ceramic beautiful bowl set into a wooden (=strong) stem?
This thread makes me hungry for a smoke, but I WILL resist!
One year and 7 months now!
The red colour on the tips is probably glazing to stop mouth damage. In my research I found quite a few pics of notches in teeth worn away by the pipe stems and the raw clay sticks to your lips as well.
Apparently one of the best places to find intact historic pipes is along the Thames. I found this great youtube channel about 'mudlarking' http://https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3sLyHQtjmzQ
I have seen loads of worn teeth due to pipe smoking. All on old guys, as pipe smoking is out these healthy days.
During the last quarter of the 19th C they started painting the mouth pieces with a special sort of wax, like a runnier form of sealing wax to stop the clay sticking to your lip and pulling a chunk off ( done it, hurts like crazy for the size of the wound ), before that they sometimes applied a slip/glaze before firing or polished the stem with wax or whatever. if you keep the mouthpiece wet ( dipping it in your drink or just wetting it in your mouth occasionally) you don't have a problem.
I've been picking them up for near 30 years when they have been cheap. Best buys was when a antique dealer emptied a fancy mahogany deep frame advertising display thing of pipes (Why!?) and he had the pipes in a flower pot for a couple of quid a go and I got all the longest ones in the picture, wish i could have bought the lot. Now a days you can pay the best part of 20 quid for a really long one, probably more now.
They did indeed make a sort of clay with a stronger stem of a different material, way back in the day you could just get just the bowl and fit it to a wooden , hollow reed or even iron stem. The best smoking short pipe I have is a clay with a plastic stem.
The bowls still fragile but not so bad as a traditional clay. I just have to remember not to tap it out on walls! I got it on a flea market stall for a couple of quid and it sat for a long time in its box unsmoked until earlier this year.
I've broken surprisingly few clays so far, you can usually find somewhere safe to carry them especially if you habitually wear a broad brimmed hat. Traditionally they were shipped in sawdust. My one attempt in trying to send one that way to someone resulted in it never arriving so i don't know if it worked or not!
Traditionally there was two ways of cleaning them, burning in a fire, usually in a sort of protective iron cage or burying them for however long ( none of the books have said and I've never tried it ). I assume something in the soil breaks down the gunk. No doubt plenty were never dug up hence the occasional finds of examples in still usable condition. Some where continued to be smoked when the stems were so short that they would burn the cheeks of the users, indeed some were made that short deliberately as they were easier to hold in the mouth on short stems, were less in the way while working and back when everyone wore a hat of some sort the closer to your face the more protection they got from the rain. Mind saying that smoking them upside down sorts the rain problem. Hardly owt falls out just you get even more funny looks than usual!
ATB
Tom
I've been picking them up for near 30 years when they have been cheap. Best buys was when a antique dealer emptied a fancy mahogany deep frame advertising display thing of pipes (Why!?) and he had the pipes in a flower pot for a couple of quid a go and I got all the longest ones in the picture, wish i could have bought the lot. Now a days you can pay the best part of 20 quid for a really long one, probably more now.
They did indeed make a sort of clay with a stronger stem of a different material, way back in the day you could just get just the bowl and fit it to a wooden , hollow reed or even iron stem. The best smoking short pipe I have is a clay with a plastic stem.
The bowls still fragile but not so bad as a traditional clay. I just have to remember not to tap it out on walls! I got it on a flea market stall for a couple of quid and it sat for a long time in its box unsmoked until earlier this year.
I've broken surprisingly few clays so far, you can usually find somewhere safe to carry them especially if you habitually wear a broad brimmed hat. Traditionally they were shipped in sawdust. My one attempt in trying to send one that way to someone resulted in it never arriving so i don't know if it worked or not!
Traditionally there was two ways of cleaning them, burning in a fire, usually in a sort of protective iron cage or burying them for however long ( none of the books have said and I've never tried it ). I assume something in the soil breaks down the gunk. No doubt plenty were never dug up hence the occasional finds of examples in still usable condition. Some where continued to be smoked when the stems were so short that they would burn the cheeks of the users, indeed some were made that short deliberately as they were easier to hold in the mouth on short stems, were less in the way while working and back when everyone wore a hat of some sort the closer to your face the more protection they got from the rain. Mind saying that smoking them upside down sorts the rain problem. Hardly owt falls out just you get even more funny looks than usual!
ATB
Tom
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I had a Meershaum pipe with a plastic stem. These are carved from a lump of rock which hardens on contact with air. This is also the principle on which first nations "peace pipes" were made from calumet. It occurs to me that these types of rock are exhibiting similar characteristics as clay. Although I know a bit about clay used for pottery, I know nothing at all about the materials used for calumets and meershuams and I wish I did. I'm going to be very surprised if someone out there doesn't know a great deal more then me!
Also, Tom: when I smoked a pipe long ago, I found that wind was more of a problem than rain because the wind made the tobacco burn fiercely. I seem to remember having a clip-on gadget to minimise this rather like a chimney cowl. So glad I simplifies my life by giving up smoking!
Also, Tom: when I smoked a pipe long ago, I found that wind was more of a problem than rain because the wind made the tobacco burn fiercely. I seem to remember having a clip-on gadget to minimise this rather like a chimney cowl. So glad I simplifies my life by giving up smoking!
I do believe I have one of those clips,
i've not used it much, just back when I had to wear a suit and was in mortal fear of burning a hole in it or in herselfs fancy frock!
I rather fancy some baccy now, its been a couple of months since my last couple of ounces. I only ever smoke outdoors now and when i'm still rather than moving so there will be fewer chances to mellow out in the sun soon. I tend to find somewhere nice and sheltered so things burning too fast is rarely a problem. No one within 12 miles sells the stuff I like now but I have to go to Blackburn on Wednesday and there's a decent tobacconist there still.
ATB
Tom
i've not used it much, just back when I had to wear a suit and was in mortal fear of burning a hole in it or in herselfs fancy frock!
I rather fancy some baccy now, its been a couple of months since my last couple of ounces. I only ever smoke outdoors now and when i'm still rather than moving so there will be fewer chances to mellow out in the sun soon. I tend to find somewhere nice and sheltered so things burning too fast is rarely a problem. No one within 12 miles sells the stuff I like now but I have to go to Blackburn on Wednesday and there's a decent tobacconist there still.
ATB
Tom
Just consulted a publication from 1979 called Clay Tobacco Pipes by Eric G. Ayto, Shire Album #37. There's a picture of a similar if not identical shaped Cutty pipe dated 1880 on page 7. Interesting reading, nice find you have there.
Calumet is a word meaning pipe.
The actual pipe stone is a lithified mud but not layered like shale.
The Haida have exclusive use of a deposit of black argillite on Haida Gwaii.
Mostly used for carvings, some are worth millions.
I'd like to carve some, just for the experience, but it's better left to those who will produce a respectable result.
It turns out to be easier for me to buy any amount of soapstone from Brazil than to buy any Canadian carving stone.
The actual pipe stone is a lithified mud but not layered like shale.
The Haida have exclusive use of a deposit of black argillite on Haida Gwaii.
Mostly used for carvings, some are worth millions.
I'd like to carve some, just for the experience, but it's better left to those who will produce a respectable result.
It turns out to be easier for me to buy any amount of soapstone from Brazil than to buy any Canadian carving stone.
Heat? No idea. I know that it shrinks a little as it dries so the water content must be considerable, like alder and birch.
I would have to ask a couple of Haida carvers about that when I see them in December.
By law, nobody but the Haida can use the deposit on Haida Gwaii.
Anybody could carve something out of steatite soapstone and attach a stem to it.
Obviously, the American pipe stone was very well suited to pipe carving.
I would have to ask a couple of Haida carvers about that when I see them in December.
By law, nobody but the Haida can use the deposit on Haida Gwaii.
Anybody could carve something out of steatite soapstone and attach a stem to it.
Obviously, the American pipe stone was very well suited to pipe carving.
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