I was reading some history of briar pipes the other day and found an interesting reference. Seems that during WW II when briar was nearly impossible to get here in the US, some pipe companies used Manzanita root to replace briar. Pipes made of Manzanita are supposed to smoke well. I thought it might be interesting to try. Anybody have any experience with Manzanita roots, seen or smoked a pipe crafted from it? I've seen a few roots and they seem to be full of voids and pits (worse than briar) so that may be a drawback.
I was looking at a big manzanita root at Woodcraft the other day. It looks okay, but expensive - and I'm not a burl cutter. If I'm going to go with a different wood, I'd rather use cherry, maple, or apple.
