Briar
Excerpt from the PipeSmokers Welcome Guide by kind permission
The briar has nothing to do with the briar rose. The name is a corruption of the French word "bruyere", or heath tree, a low shrub found throughout Europe, though mainly around the Mediterranean. The true briar is only made out of the very hard, dry root of the mature shrub which may be anything up to 250 years old.


Once selected, the roots are cleaned, inspected for flaws and cracks, stored for a season covered by earth, then cut into the "ebauchon" - a cube of root from which the pipe is made. This first stage in the production process is a painstaking one, and the loss rate high. Yet this is only the beginning. After the ebauchons are cut, they are examined again, boiled in water for twelve hours to destroy the remaining life, then stored for up to six months in drying sheds.

Then, and only then, is the briar released to the manufacturer. Originally each pipe was hand turned but, with the rapid growth in demand, pipemakers developed specialised machinery which allowed for the rationalisation of design - without sacrificing anything of the high standard demand of the end product itself. Today, five stages are involved in the manufacture of the briar bowls and seventy-five different operations in the complete pipe making process.


The making of a Briar Pipe


First the rough blocks are trimmed to a workable size; then passed to the bowl turning machine; followed by the stem turning machine; after which they are drilled; and finally, the bowls are graded. And it is here what is possibly the first, and greatest mystery of the briar is resolved: the wide variation in cost between two pipes which at first glance seem identical. It is not so much the time needed for the maturing root; nor even the craftsmanship demanded of the subsequent manufacturing process; more the high wastage rate even when the initial production process is complete.
Superficially, two pipes may look very much alike. In practice, they vary widely; a high grade proportion being "flawed"; a comparatively few being totally "clean". Once the grading (into as many as six different categories) is complete, the bowls are polished and the stems machine-bored to take the vulcanite mouthpiece. The finish is left to harden before the mouthpiece is inserted, then the whole given a last buffing down and another "briar" is complete.


Meerschaum
Pipes have been made from this material since the beginning of the 18th century. Meerschaum pipes mainly originate from Turkey where the material is mined. It is actually a mineral, a rock made up of magnesium which can be found at a depth of around 30 feet. The qualities of this material in the use of pipe making is that it is lightweight and very porous, it is also very easy to work with as regards to carving. The meerschaum pipe takes on a lovely colour of a golden brown as it is smoked over the years, adding extra beauty to the pipes appearance. Meerschaum can also be found in other countries, one company that springs to mind is Barling who use Manx meerschaum which is harder than the Turkish variety, Barling meerschaums normally come pre-coloured and are more resilient against knocks and bangs.


Corncob
Normally associated with the great smoking country of America. As the name suggests the corncob pipe is made from a corn cob, now specially grown hybrid cobs are cultivated for the making of these pipes. The cobs are dried for around 2 years before being treated and coated. One cob normally makes two pipes. The corncob pipe is very light weight and porous and adds a certain flavour to the tobacco smoked. It has a relative short life span but the small cost involved in purchasing these pipes do not make it such a problem. A very good 7 day smoke set can be obtained for very little money. Great for those outdoor pursuits where the likely hood of a broken pipe is quite possible.


Clay Pipe
These pipes where highly popular around the 19th century. Nowdays they are mainly manufactured for decorative purposes. Several different types of clay are mixed together to obtain a uniform colour. These pipes originated in England, Netherlands, Belgium and France. One of the more famous examples of clay pipes was made in Gouda. Clay pipes are very inexpensive but they do have a short fall of being quite fragile. I like to smoke these pipes for a nostalgic feel (good old swashbuckling film).
These pipes do smoke quite hot but one trick is to dip the pipe in cold water and shake of the excess before filling and lighting, I've even been known to pop the clay pipe in the fridge before smoking (be warned! my wife does not like this practice hehe!).
Clay's tend to give an earthy taste to the tobacco, quite unusual but not unpleasant.