How to recognize a briar of great quality?

Today, you are going to learn a lot more about pipes, and you will once again strengthen your knowledge. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced pipe smoker, it is always useful to know the vocabulary used to describe the wood of a pipe. Thanks to this blog article, you will be able to choose your next pipe depending on the quality of the briar. At the end of this blog article, you will also be able to understand and explain the following words:

• A flamed grain
• Birdseyes
• Plateau rim

Briar is a shrub that grows in the Mediterranean Basin. Its scientific name is Erica arborea. To make a briar pipe, only the upper part of briar's roots is used. You should therefore never forget that a pipe is made of wood. Each pipe will therefore have a different wood grain. These small details are very important since they will allow us to precisely describe the briar.

A flamed grain:

A flamed pipe is obviously a pipe that stands out. The briar indeed has a very particular wood grain, and "flames" can therefore be seen. For an outstanding result, we prefer the flames to be vertical and as thin as possible. Ideally, they should start at the bottom of the bowl and run up to the top. It is the best that you can find!

A perfect pipe with beautiful regular flames is the centerpiece of a pipe collection. You should however know that a "classic" pipe (that does not have a flamed grain) is as good to smoke.

Jean, La Pipe Rit

So that the flames can even more stand out, some pipe makers use special techniques. They apply a dark color on the wood before polishing it again. The dark color will be absorbed by the softest parts of the wood, and the flames will stand out as you could never have imagined.

Pipe makers and craftspeople who do not work for major brands only make a few models each year. They even choose the most beautiful Italian briar themselves (most of them come from Sicilia, Calabria, Liguria region...), or briar that comes from Corsica and the Mediterranean Basin. You will therefore find magnificent pipes with an incredible flamed grain among unique creations. On www.pipeshop-saintclaude.com, we propose for example beautiful pipes made by the famous Danish pipe maker Poul Winslow. All of them have an incredible flamed briar.

Every major pipe brand proposes pipes with such a grain pattern. A flamed briar will however have an impact on the price of the pipe, and it will be more expensive than a briar pipe that does not have any particular grain pattern. In France, the famous brand Chacom proposes the "Superflamme" collection, in which you will find models with very flamed briars. The Italian workshops Il Ceppo and Amorelli are also famous for their briar pipes on which we can see a lot of flames.

We talk about a straight grain pattern when the briar has flames on the bowl like described previously, as well as birdseyes under and at the top of the bowl.

Bastien, La Pipe Rit

Birdseyes:

Birdseyes can easily be recognized: they look like small "rings". These patterns can be seen on flamed pipes. Most of the time, birdseyes can be seen at the top and under the bowl. As you will have understood, birdseyes are actually the cross-section perpendicular to the flames.

Some pipes, that are as magnificent as models with a straight grain pattern, have a horizontal flamed briar. Beautiful birdseyes will therefore be seen on the sides of the bowl. Everything is possible!

Plateau rim:

When a pipe maker decides to leave the roots of the briar natural at the top (not polished), we most of the time talk about Fleur shaped pipes. It is actually one of Pierre Morel's specialties. These models can easily be recognised thanks to the top of their bowl. This design is called a "plateau rim", and it is actually the briar root left natural.

Other things to consider:

Flamed briars and birdseyes are two very interesting characteristics if you are looking for an exceptional model. However, there are other important things to consider...

The weight of the pipe:

The lightness of a pipe is also a quality criterion. The more the briar is lightweight, the more it is of great quality. The weight of the pipe will obviously vary depending on its size (length, width), but also depending on the thickness of the bowl. On www.pipeshop-saintclaude.com, we take the time to weigh each pipe. You will therefore be able to know the weight of a pipe in the characteristics. If you like bent pipes, the weight will be very important because if it is lightweight (under 40 grams), it will hold more easily in the mouth. Some pipes that look big at first glance are sometimes actually lightweight given their size. If you see this kind of pipe, do not hesitate, because it is the sign of a high-quality pipe!

The natural imperfections of the wood:

When the briar is chosen and then worked, no one can know how it looks inside. Just a small imperfection can lower the quality of the briar: a sand pit, a small hollow... These small imperfections are most of the time only one or two mm long, and they will not bother you when holding the pipe or smoking it. Some pipe makers prefer to remove these small imperfections and to put putty in them. Obviously, the best is to get a briar without any imperfections. If so, it will have a natural finish. We can therefore think of Stanwell pipes of the "Authentic Raw" collection.

On www.pipeshop-saintclaude.com, you will find all our pipes that have small imperfections with a discount on the dedicated webpage. For each pipe, we tell you the imperfection we noticed.

Claire, La Pipe Rit

The age of the briar:

A high-quality ebauchon that has dried for a long period of time will allow an unforgettable experience. The wood of an old briar will reveal all the aromas of your favorite tobacco. Jeantet pipes, for example, are not manufactured anymore. However, they were manufactured a few years back, and will be even more pleasant to smoke.

The brands' pipe classification:

Some brands and craftspeople have their own way to classify their pipes. This classification allows to define the quality of a briar. Even if the classification varies from one brand to another and is sometimes difficult to understand, we always indicate in the characteristics of a pipe its grade given by the brand.