Wet Briar

[d6monk]

Hey everyone,

I just got a new shipment of briar in last week, and when I cut into a nice big piece with my band saw today I found that a spot in the middle was still wet (it was a more reddish color with darker streaks and was moist/cool to the touch). I went ahead and rough shaped it anyway, but the wet spot was definitely weird to sand etc. It turned into a very nice pipe that I think is going to end up being a smooth so I want to make sure I wait long enough for it to dry so that it will not effect any of the finishing or the way the pipe smokes. Any recommendations on how long I should wait before finishing it? Just long enough so I can't tell a difference between that area and the rest of the pipe?

Thanks.

[KurtHuhn]

What supplier did this come from? Generally you shouldn't see that.

[d6monk]

Mimmo

[ToddJohnson]

It's very rare that Mimmo sells briar that is dry to the point of being immediately workable. He's also usually very up front about that. Sit on it for about six months I would say.

TJ

[d6monk]

Ah, thanks for the info Todd. I did get two blocks in the shipment that had 'not dry' written on them, but this was not one of them so I imagined it would be ok. Seeing as it's my only briar at the moment I'm going to have to use it, but I will remember to order early and let it sit next time. I'm still working at making enough money from pipes to pay for briar and equipment so thats difficult for me to do right now. Anything I should watch out for when using wet briar?

[RadDavis]

If you've drilled and rough shaped it, it will dry out in a couple of weeks. You can speed it up buy placing it in a south facing window that catches sun all day.

Weigh it from time to time, and when it stops losing weight, it's dry.

Rad

[KurtHuhn]

It's very rare that Mimmo sells briar that is dry to the point of being immediately workable. He's also usually very up front about that. Sit on it for about six months I would say.

Interesting. I wouldn't have expected that.

I used to see that type of thing from time to time, but not recently - though I don't use Mimmo's briar. The Algerian and Spanish stuff I get has always arrived dry and ready to work. The Spanish stuff being absolutely desert, bone dry.

[ToddJohnson]

It's very rare that Mimmo sells briar that is dry to the point of being immediately workable. He's also usually very up front about that. Sit on it for about six months I would say.

Interesting. I wouldn't have expected that.

I used to see that type of thing from time to time, but not recently - though I don't use Mimmo's briar. The Algerian and Spanish stuff I get has always arrived dry and ready to work. The Spanish stuff being absolutely desert, bone dry.

That's because it's been sitting there waiting for someone to buy it. In all seriousness, Mimmo runs a pretty lean operation and has very little stock--at least of plateaux--just sitting around. Typically what I get is six months dry and I sit on it for another year or more. I've still got some blocks from as early as '04, but that's just because I haven't had the balls and/or inspiration to use them yet. Rad is absolutely right, though. You can speed up the drying time by reducing the mass--i.e. shape them, drill them, and put them in a south facing window.

TJ

[d6monk]

Thanks guys,

I guess I'll try using some of the smaller blocks and see how that goes--I also ordered a few cross cut blocks and they look really old and dry, so maybe I'll give those a shot too (I'm still a little intimidated on trying my first blowfish though). If they are still wet I will follow your advise Rad and wait a couple of weeks for them to dry after rough shaping before I finish them.

Thanks again, you guys are really great!

[KurtHuhn]

That's because it's been sitting there waiting for someone to buy it.

*snork* Tea -> nose -> keyboard.

Fair enough.

But given what happened to the Algerian stuff over the years, I think I'll withhold overall judgment of my Spanish source for at least 5 years, lest it go down the same road....

[Mike Messer]

That's because it's been sitting there waiting for someone to buy it.

In all seriousness, I'm not saying she's fat, but her high school picture was an aerial photograph.
(what does this that mean?... consider the bullshit factor )

From: http://www.todd-m-johnson.blogspot.com/ "As most of you know, I recently traveled to Italy for a party that my briar cutter Mimmo was throwing..."

Well, I didn't actually know it until I read your blog, but Yea, Todd, this is what I mean by "the bullshit factor." And, yea, bullshit works in business, politics, show business... the world's full of it. But that's not what's bothering me. I can tolerate your bullshit, you're really pretty good at it, but you also seem to feel like you have to kick other people down, too, and that's where you cross the line.

For example from your blog,
"Recently a number of finished pipes by makers other than Bo, have been advertised as having been created from "BO NORDH BRIAR!" Now I don't begrudge anyone their marketing ploys, but occasionally, I think tactics need to be identified as just that, marketing ploys..."
Of course, when you say, "Having become close friends with Domenico Romeo (Mimmo), the man behind Romeo Briar I have become something of a student of this noble plant..."
and this is not a meaningless marketing ploy, naa.

and while we're on the subject of marketing ploys...
"I will start by saying that I credit my own teachers--especially Tom Eltang--for taking the time to help me develop my skills some ten or so years ago. This is not a process that took place over the course of an afternoon or weekend, but rather several years."
So, Todd, exactly how long did you work in Tom Eltang's shop?

and, Wow, you must be really important...
"I've really had my nose to the grindstone these past several months--finishing up commissions, making Christmas presents, caring for sick family members, hosting various pipemakers and aspiring pipemakers, attending to my honey-do list, interviews and photo shoots for P & T, the list goes on and on."
Well, you did get the last part right.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jaume Hom's Spanish Briar is excellent, and he's the only cutter who allows you to see images of the actual blocks you are purchasing. I wish all sources would do this. I don't mind paying 10% more to see what I'm getting, especially in blocks costing $20 to $50 each, or more. He also has specialized grades and categories, like Extra Tight Grain, Birdseye, and Canadian. It's a good thing. He's very progressive.
Bottom line, bullshit is no substitute for real wood.

I don't claim to be an authority on this subject, but
I like the Jaume Hom, Spanish Briar I got at: http://www.briarblocks.com/
but I've only seen a few blocks (the 4 blocks, front-left).


Other Sources:
I don't know if all of the Tuscan Briar at Pipemakers Emporium in the USA looks this good, but here's the link: http://www.pipemakers.org/


And there's the French Briar at P.E.Hermanns in Denmark: http://shop.hermanns.dk/


And the Corsica/Tuskany /Sardinia Briar at Janzen Pfeifen in Germany: http://www.janzen-pfeifen.de/

[Nick]

Wow. I think some one got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning...

[kbadkar]

Wow. This is all getting too personal.

[ToddJohnson]

Golly Mike, you've sure got a lot of spare time, don't you. I'm glad you're enjoying my blog, by the way. As usual, your commentary is incoherent and difficult to follow, but I'll try to respond to you in the best way I know how.

First of all, I'm not sure precisely what you've taken offense to here. My only real point in the initial response to Kurt was that for Mimmo demand outstrips supply and that that's not the case for most suppliers. So, in other words, Mimmo typically has no inventory while other briar suppliers typically do.

I make no claim that all other briar suppliers are inferior, only that I buy strictly from Mimmo. This is an issue of loyalty and mutual support by two artisans, who hope to be doing the exact same thing decades from now. I'm not sure what you feel you've turned up with all this investigative reporting, but Mimmo and I are good friends, and I've never hidden that fact. Are you claiming that makes me a "biased" supporter somehow? He's got all the business he can handle, and the success of his business certainly doesn't hinge on my endorsement. How exactly is my friendship with Mimmo a "marketing ploy?"

Since you seem to spend most of your waking hours in front of a computer screen--or doing meaningless epoxy experiments--you probably think you know something about briar from looking at pictures of it on the internet. The problem is that you're just looking at pictures on a screen. I do know a lot about briar, Mike, because I've handled a great deal of it and worked with it through the whole process--from its beginning as a living plant to it's end as a shiny little smoking object.

With respect to Tom, I would visit him for a couple weeks at a time, and visited him on three occasions over the course of several years. A couple of times I just took the train in to visit Tom for the day when I was in Denmark. We also kept up a healthy e-mail correspondence and saw one another at various shows and events throughout the year. He was always very generous with his time and his expertise. Again, I'm not sure what you're getting at exactly, but my purpose in mentioning Tom is not so I can "name drop," but to give him the credit for helping to turn me into a really good pipemaker--something I wasn't when I first visited him.

On a more personal note, you are clearly not a man in full control of his faculties. You are abrasive, obsessive, and seemingly delusional at times. Your posts come off as having been written either in a fit of rage, a flight of fancy, or in some kind of delusion that you're doing extremely important cancer research that might change the world. These are just pipes, man. They're not rocket ships or nuclear reactors, and you're clearly not an expert on any aspect of them anyway. Since you have nothing to learn from anyone here, and you can't seem to contribute anything useful, just exactly what are you doing here? I don't want you to leave because I often get a chuckle out of reading what you've written, but seriously, why are you here? Maybe knowing that would help us communicate better.

TJ

[Mike Messer]

On a more personal note, you are clearly not a man in full control of his faculties. You are abrasive, obsessive, and seemingly delusional at times. Your posts come off as having been written either in a fit of rage, a flight of fancy, or in some kind of delusion that you're doing extremely important cancer research that might change the world. These are just pipes, man. They're not rocket ships or nuclear reactors, and you're clearly not an expert on any aspect of them anyway. Since you have nothing to learn from anyone here, and you can't seem to contribute anything useful, just exactly what are you doing here? I don't want you to leave because I often get a chuckle out of reading what you've written, but seriously, why are you here? Maybe knowing that would help us communicate better.

TJ

I disagree. You are the one who is on the offensive. Every harsh comment you have heard from me was initiated by a harsh comment from you, Todd, and there have been a lot of them, including the quote above. Does that help?

P.S. I'm here to improve my knowledge of pipemaking, and to share information, and I do have a bit to offer sometimes, whether you agree or not. I would really prefer to keep it civil, technical, factual, but you are the one who repeatedly initiates the insults toward me and others who don't deserve your wrath, and I have absolutely no use for it.

[Sasquatch]

Here's the deal Mike: Your opinion on this stuff doesn't matter to anyone here. We've never seen your work. We've never smoked your pipes. Do you make pipes? So while we definitely look to more than one source for our collective wisdom, not one guy here sees you as part of that source. You have no credibilty, Shore-D testing aside. You constantly barge in on conversations between people who actually know each other, and the subject matter, intimately, in defense of some or other paradigm or truism which isn't being questioned in the first place.

I suggest you start your own forum, where you can be in control, and be the expert on whatever you like.

[Mike Messer]

Here's the deal Mike: Your opinion on this stuff doesn't matter to anyone here. We've never seen your work. We've never smoked your pipes. Do you make pipes? So while we definitely look to more than one source for our collective wisdom, not one guy here sees you as part of that source. You have no credibilty, Shore-D testing aside. You constantly barge in on conversations between people who actually know each other, and the subject matter, intimately, in defense of some or other paradigm or truism which isn't being questioned in the first place.

I suggest you start your own forum, where you can be in control, and be the expert on whatever you like.

You are entitled to your opinion, Sasquatch, but this is an open public forum, not a private club, and I have a right to participate, as much as anyone else here. So, I disagree. No deal. You see what I mean?
If you want a private conversation, you should use the PM function, else it's public.
I don't mean to be harsh. You seem like a good guy to me, but I don't think you speak for everyone, here.

[baweaverpipes]

Todd is a POOP-HEAD, Todd is a POOP-HEAD, Todd is a POOP-HEAD, Todd is a POOP-HEAD!
And................he's mean! Every time we work together, he insults me. My feelings get hurt, bad.
He thinks he knows everything.
All I've learned from him is to be a prick. So, you're a POOP-HEAD, Todd Johnson.
Hope that makes you cry!
Plus, you know nothing about briar. Just look at your pipes, they only have straight grain and birds eye. What ever happened to the pits? Everyone has briar with pits, but you don't. Nah, nah, nah, nah!

[Mike Messer]

.... Everyone has briar with pits, but you don't. Nah, nah, nah, nah!

That's because he's always doing promo for Mimmo and PME so they give him the good briar and dump the shit on everyone else. I suggest you try Jaume Hom.

[Sasquatch]

Mike, naturally you have the right to participate, as with us all, at the discretion of the moderating staff.

Todd took a little shot at the briar of an internationally known pipe maker. Kurt is very careful and fussy about briar. Therefore it is ironic and therein we find humor.

Why you would attack Todd over that I can only guess.