why boxwood???

[wisemanpipes]

so ive been making pipes for a while now and i see it is the culturally excepted thing to do generally the same old song and dance when it comes to shank accents or ferrules. ivory, bamboo, ebonite, acrylic and BOXWOOD.

out of all of the gorgeous woods on the earth, why are we using boxwood. is it rarety, is it density, is it to imitate ivory or is it something else. to me it just seems so milky and boring (im a grain hound).

i was looking into getting some but then it dawned upon me. why am i subjecting myself to what is generally done. i agree it looks nice but why on lots highgrade pipes do i see it. i by no means what to insult people that use boxwood, but im just so curious. cheers
evan

[RadDavis]

Easy to work, beautiful, and a natural material. If you don't like it and think it's boring, don't use it.

Rad

[Sasquatch]

It's stable and it stays really white where a lot of woods turn yellow with age or finishing.

Get some tagua nut if you want something more challenging.

[birba]

where can I get boxwood and other exotic woods? I'd rather ask before I buy something that is too young or not dry enough for this purpose

[wisemanpipes]

sorry rad, no insult was intended or am i in anyway putting down pipes with boxwood accents, i just thought it seemed odd that such a plain jane accent was used on such pipes with stricking grain, but the reasons make sense, not to mention the accent grain may contrast with that off the briar. i think its nice all in all and it is a beautiful colour but there are so many nice natural materials out there, i bought some very nice holly and white ebony today, never worked with it before so i hope it turns as easy as boxwood and stays a nice ivory off-white.

sas, i picked up some tagua nuts today at a specialty wood shop before i read your post. kinda of an impulse buy. i was actually on the hunt for amboyna burls (btw its like gold if no ones ever bough large amounts of it, beware). they look pretty cool. i dont know how many accents ill get out of one nut because they are quite the funky shape.

thanks for the post guys
evan

[wisemanpipes]

where can I get boxwood and other exotic woods? I'd rather ask before I buy something that is too young or not dry enough for this purpose

theres a few places, online there is obviously ebay, make sure you ask the seller if its stabilized or air dried. it says you live in texas so i couldnt give you locations. most major cities like dallas, austin, fort worth, arlington etc.. have an exotic woods outlet retailer, if your from the north west USA youll have a great selection, they normally specialize in veneers or large slabs for tables and desks. check online for a retailer, its best to get a first hand look at the wood before you fork out the cash.
evan

[birba]

theres a few places, online there is obviously ebay, make sure you ask the seller if its stabilized or air dried.
evan

and the wood needs to be either, air dried or stabilized?

[mredmond]

I think boxwood's plain grain is part of its charm. If you have a pipe with a striking contrast stain (smooth or blasted) and you add a piece of highly figured wood as an accent, it starts to get really busy. Some like that, some prefer a more restrained aesthetic. Boxwood works like ivory in that regard, it provides warmth and contrast without making the composition too busy.

Griffin exotics sells boxwood and have decent shipping rates.

[RadDavis]

It's stable and it stays really white where a lot of woods turn yellow with age or finishing.

That's odd. All of the boxwood I've used is a very nice yellow color. Not even close to being white.

Maybe Canadian boxwood is different.

Rad

[RadDavis]

sorry rad, no insult was intended or am i in anyway putting down pipes with boxwood accents, i just thought it seemed odd that such a plain jane accent was used on such pipes with stricking grain, but the reasons make sense, not to mention the accent grain may contrast with that off the briar. i think its nice all in all and it is a beautiful colour but there are so many nice natural materials out there, i bought some very nice holly and white ebony today, never worked with it before so i hope it turns as easy as boxwood and stays a nice ivory off-white.

sas, i picked up some tagua nuts today at a specialty wood shop before i read your post. kinda of an impulse buy. i was actually on the hunt for amboyna burls (btw its like gold if no ones ever bough large amounts of it, beware). they look pretty cool. i dont know how many accents ill get out of one nut because they are quite the funky shape.

thanks for the post guys
evan

Holly is a little more difficult to work with. Although you can't really see it, it has a loose grain structure and is pretty soft and porous. I use a lot of super glue on it.

Rad

[wdteipen]

I think boxwood is a great accent for pipes when you want the focus to not be the adornment. It also works well as shank caps on more artistic shapes where you need to tone things down. Holly works well too but good luck keeping the bright off-white color. As Rad stated, it's soft like balsa and is easy to work and sand into whatever shape you want but it soaks up whatever it comes in contact with like a sponge. If you find a way to stabilize while keeping it white please share.

[Sasquatch]

All the raw boxwood I've ever handled was bright white (all 2 pieces). Maybe .... geez Rad, are you sure you didn't get a load of pine instead??

[wisemanpipes]

All the raw boxwood I've ever handled was bright white (all 2 pieces). Maybe .... geez Rad, are you sure you didn't get a load of pine instead??

thanks for the advice gents. i think ill do an ebonite spacer to try and prevent the bleeding. is it a must that it is stabalized. ive only ever stabilized not white woods and ivorys.

also anyone work with white ebony. i got a nice cut from my exotic wood store. and rad, maybe canadian boxwood is really white because when i looked at it yesterday it was nearly the same colour as the holly but had a couple blotches of yellow.

micah, i very much agree that it can get a lottle busy on a pipe especially if you get a nice contrast stain or a blast. i cut the tagua nuts today and they are pretty odd, mine were a tad wet i think ill let em dry before i put em on a mandrel.

evan

[wisemanpipes]

Holly is a little more difficult to work with. Although you can't really see it, it has a loose grain structure and is pretty soft and porous. I use a lot of super glue on it.

Rad[/quote]

rad,

took it out the box i use to carry it from the store to my house along with the rest of the wood i bought. took it out and it was almost like it was stained with dirt. i can see that it is porous now, hopefully it doesnt do that when i make the accent.

wayne, when you stabilized your holly, did it go yellow or did it go yellow slowly after many smokes?

thanks
evan

[RadDavis]

All the raw boxwood I've ever handled was bright white (all 2 pieces). Maybe .... geez Rad, are you sure you didn't get a load of pine instead??

All my boxwood are look like this:



Also, boxwood does not need stabilizing. It's very dense and easy to work with very little tear out.

Rad

[Gershom]

Rad, that's briar.

Hope this helps,

Jon

[wisemanpipes]

rad,

i dont need to tell you how nice that pipe is, but yeah thats a nice off white colour, the wood i saw yesterday was mix between that colour and holly with some yellow spots.

[RadDavis]

Rad, that's briar.

Hope this helps,

Jon

The part on the stem, you door knob.

Rad

[Sasquatch]

I thought it was masking tape. Who knew?

[Gershom]

Oh. Wow Rad, you're getting fancy! Good job!