Elder Wood

[FatFlamingo]

Hello Guys. I am new to making pipes and I am currently making an Indian peace pipe and I would like to use Elder wood. I couldn´t find anything on google regarding this topic so I would like to ask wether it is safe to smoke through. It wont be the part which contains the tobacco, so it won´t burn itself. I want to use it because it already has this natural soft core which is easily removed and the round shape. But I am not sure if it will crack or bend when it´s dried. Has anyone of you got any experience regarding elder bush/tree wood?

[oklahoma red]

I for one have no idea inre its toxic properties (or lack thereof). I do have fond memories of elderberry wine from long ago.
If you're into Harry Potter, elder wood was a component of the most powerful wand there was. AKA the "deathstick" or "wand of destiny".
From a quick internet search:
"weak and prone to splitting,
Ancient Greeks used the tree's roots as a laxative.
In Biblical times, Judas was thought to have hanged himself from an Elder tree.
During the Middle Ages the Elder tree was thought to house witches and cutting it down would bring bad luck.
Shakespeare referred to the Elder tree as a "symbol of grief."
In Russia, it is considered good luck to plant an Elder tree near your home as it wards off snakes."

I've used stabilized box elder burl for trim rings on pipes with success.

[DocAitch]

Are you thinking of using stone - red pipestone or slate for the bowl with an elderberry stem?
It would then depend how elderberry works- i.e. whether it splits etc. when you drill it.
I have seen ash used for a stem with a stone pipe.
DocAitch

[mcgregorpipes]

you're talking about boxelder right? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_Elder
it has a soft pith you can bore out with a hot wire like white ash or dogwood when its green, I think its an acceptable material for the long shaft of a peace pipes. its super soft and hard to work with, like its same janka is softwood. now the burls are awesome. I would fit it with tennons like bamboo and use lots of shellac.

[FatFlamingo]

Thank you guys for your support. My project is safely proceeding and I have now successfully removed the soft core and dried the branch without it bending or splitting. Regarding Doc Aitch´s question. I haven´t really thought about what kind of marterial I want to use for the head but I am considering to use a metal pipe/sheet that wraps around the branch which also has a a thread so I can attach the head safely and maybe use multiple head without it splitting. Sorry I am not talking about box elder, I am using this plant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus . I am sorry for the confusion since I used google translate from my language to english it wasn´t clear what I was talking about.

Thank you for the small lore about the elder tree oklahhoma red, really interesting and also gives the the pipe I´m making a little more meaning/ soul if you know what I´m talking about.