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I will tell here something what I know about birch burl, if somebody is interested about it. Many trees can have burls. I don't know how or where burls come, but in most cases burls are in sick or old trees, perhaps it's some disease ?
I have worked with couple blocks of birch burl and here is my opinions about it :

+ It's very hard wood

+ Color is very beautiful

+ Grains are usually beautiful

+ It's easy to cut and carve with sharp tools

+ It's easy to finish

+ Dust is not causing any sicknes(but use breathing protect anyway)

+- It give some taste what is mild and strange, but it will go away in time

- It's hard to get

- Some blocks have areas called "fat", that is not so hard. If you start drill from hard area with hand drill and you don't see the "fat" area the drill will go too fast and that is not good thing, so try to avoid "fat" areas

Thanks Konta, very interesting

are you telling me that you can use birch burl for bowls? The only pipe i made of birch burnt out in the first and therefore last smoke. Mind you it was not burl.
Interested to hear your results

Let's raise this old topic.
Birch burl is exelent material.
Birch taste isn't proplem,birch need to boil in salt water.
I have drill holeles and preshaped pipe before boiling,that reduse boiling time.
Needs several boilings,when water turns yellow it's time to change water.
Usually 2-3 boiling times is enough,but it depens block size.
Boiled pipe stands heat more than unboiled.
Masur and "Glow" birch needs boiling too.
I have one "Glow"birch pipe which i just done,i add pics in pipe gallery.
Now i have burl pipe coming,pics later.

Allow me to show experiment. Very interesting material for smoking. I made them three years ago for myself and friends. Now they are similar to smoking properties with мееершаум, for dry, true taste of tobacco. (probably, the slang, not really well, I use the translator)

S. Vyzhanov wrote:Позвольте мне показать эксперимент. Очень интересный материал для курения. Я сделал их три года назад для себя и друзей. Теперь они похожи на курительные свойства с мееершаум, для сухой, истинный вкус табака. (наверное, свой жаргон, не очень хорошо, я использую переводчика)

Wut?

d.huber wrote:

S. Vyzhanov wrote:Позвольте мне показать эксперимент. Очень интересный материал для курения. Я сделал их три года назад для себя и друзей. Теперь они похожи на курительные свойства с мееершаум, для сухой, истинный вкус табака. (наверное, свой жаргон, не очень хорошо, я использую переводчика)

Wut?

Translated with Bing

"Let me show the experiment. Very interesting material for smoking. I did it three years ago for myself and friends. Now they are like smoking properties with meeeršaum, to dry, the true taste of tobacco. (probably your jargon, not very good, I use translator)"

d.huber wrote: ВТУ?

I apologize! Difficulties of the translation! I corrected the message.
Yours faithfully, Sergey.

Beautiful wood sir

very nice looking wood, the figure in those burls look great. i've seen a few of ropp's early pipes made from birch. its much harder than cherry and doesn't burn as easily on the sander.

Stunning wood!

Thank you for responses! ! ! Very much I am grateful to you! ! ! Still the tamper is. Burl of a birch, white acryle, ebonite, an ebenovy tree on a heel.

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