Now in our Etsy Shop - Briar Wood smoking pipes and handcrafted jewelry.
Robert started working with pipes several years ago. He
chose Mediterranean Briar wood burls, as this type of root wood is extremely
dense and slow burning. It is the preferred wood to make quality smoking pipes,
and the patterns created by the grain are beautiful. The burls are grown and
harvested, then set to dry for several decades before they are considered
mature enough to use. The current burl wood we are using was cured for a
century before we began working with it.
We had several traditional tobacco pipes created, but had an
order for a cannabis pipe. So we created some pipes with a club-like shape and
medium sized bowl. The smooth taste created by smoking out of wood was
desirable, and it did not heat up as quickly as glass or metal pipes do, so it
was a more comfortable smoke. Because it is made of Briar wood, the pipes are
sturdy and will last decades in your collection. They are coated in Bees wax,
and the more they are handled and smoked out of, the deeper the grain stands
out. We currently have gorgeous flame grains and swirl patterns, and we offer a
straight grain pattern in one of our tobacco pipes.
During the shaping process, we were left with small pieces,
but the wood is so beautiful, we didn’t want to throw it away. So we sanded them
down and polished them up. These little pieces were truly unusual. They felt
like glass, but were deceptively lightweight. We called them Peace Gems, since
they worked similar to worry stones. Because it is a root, sometimes we run
into "inclusions" which is caused by a grain of sand or rock from the
soil embedding itself and the root growing around it. In order to sand them out,
grooves are formed in the wood. While the smooth Peace Gems are nice, the
grooved ones gave more texture for the fingers to follow.
We gave several to our friends and family, and got a
positive response from them. My aunt said she loved wooden jewelry, so we made
one into a pendant for her, and she wears it all the time. Metal necklaces
react with her skin, regardless of gold or silver, so these wooden pendants
with leather cord worked perfectly for her. Each one is shaped and sanded by
hand, taking between 6-10 hours per piece. Once it is sanded to a glass finish,
it is then polished with bees wax so the grain design pops out. Each one is
unique, and carefully contemplated as it is being shaped. They start out as a
light brown color, but get darker as they are handled and the oils from your
hands seep in. And touch them you will! They roll around easily in your hands,
and you will find yourself touching them often.
We hope you will take a look and see what we currently have
up in our store. Since they are hand crafted, once the design is sold,
reproduction is not guaranteed. Our sanding process starts with 250 grit
sandpaper, and ends with 1,000 grit sandpaper. We final polish the pieces using
a Dremel tool. The only industrial tools used are to form the bowl shape and
the rough cut out of the piece. Keep them from being immersed in water, since
they are made of wood, and they should give you years of enjoyment!
(Click on images to view full product details)
(More items available in our Etsy store)
(More items available in our Etsy store)
$95.00 - Briar Wood Premium Smoking Pipe - Smooth
Bottom - This beautiful smooth bottom pipe is perfect for kicking back with
your favorite smoke. Crafted out of a Mediterranean Briar Wood burl that was
cured for 100+ years, the gorgeous grains are a mixture of straight grain and
flame. Nice large bowl size for a long comfortable smoke. The wood is polished
with natural bees wax, and will darken over time with handling, enriching the
grain texture of this pipe. A quality pipe for your collection that will last
for decades!
$150.00 - Briar Wood Premium Smoking Pipe - Plateau Top - This Briar Wood pipe was hand sanded to expose the beautiful grains in this wood. A fine straight grain pattern on one side, with straight grain on the other. Medium size with plateau top, natural finish. This fine quality pipe will last decades in your collection!
$225.00 - Briar Wood Premium Smoking Pipe - This Briar Wood pipe was hand sanded to expose the beautiful grains in this wood. A swirling flame pattern on one side, with straight grain bursts on the other. Large Billiard style, natural finish. This fine quality pipe will last decades in your collection!
$18.00 - Solid Briar Wood Nugget Pendant - Gorgeous briar wood nugget pendant, Simple in design, smooth as glass. Briar wood is the chosen wood for pipe making, the tight grain polishes to a stone-like quality. Lightweight, polished with Bees wax.
$22.00 - Solid Briar Wood Block Pendant - Gorgeous briar wood block pendant, Simple in design, smooth as glass. Briar wood is the chosen wood for pipe making, the tight grain polishes to a stone-like quality. Lightweight, polished with Bees wax.
$22.00 - Solid Briar Wood Drop Pendant - Gorgeous briar wood drop pendant, Simple in design, smooth as glass. Briar wood is the chosen wood for pipe making, the tight grain polishes to a stone-like quality. Lightweight, polished with Bees wax or carnauba wax.
