Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 10:09 pm
For what it is worth, I have shellaced one of my pipes, and it is the best smoking pipe I have made (by the way, I've got to give a thumbs up to Mark Tinsky for the briar). Maybe I got lucky, but it smokes better than pipes I paid hundreds of dollars for. I loaded it up with some C&D Briar Fox for the ride home from the TAPS show on Saturday, and I was again rewarded with a remarkable smoke.
I also own a particular brand of pipe that I know the maker uses shellac on all his pipes (he told me so personally). His pipes smoke like a dream, and I plan on obtaining others of his when I can afford them (they are expensive, but well worth it).
There are a lot of beliefs in the pipe collecting world that are not based in fact. In my opinion, this is one of them. I don't know how shellac got such a bad reputation (it was before my time) but maybe people don't understand the difference between lacquer and shellac, and assume that it is all the same. Unfortunately, perception is often more real than fact.
I also own a particular brand of pipe that I know the maker uses shellac on all his pipes (he told me so personally). His pipes smoke like a dream, and I plan on obtaining others of his when I can afford them (they are expensive, but well worth it).
There are a lot of beliefs in the pipe collecting world that are not based in fact. In my opinion, this is one of them. I don't know how shellac got such a bad reputation (it was before my time) but maybe people don't understand the difference between lacquer and shellac, and assume that it is all the same. Unfortunately, perception is often more real than fact.