Dear Pipe Doctor: Why do pipers like it rough?

[Joan]

Since starting the search for chubbies online, I find lots and lots of beautifully proportioned briars and meers alike that someone has _ruined_ by roughing them up. Of course I realize this is *my humble opinion* only.

Now, I DID buy a sandblasted spare Kirsten bowl, but only because it was the biggest inside diameter Mariner bowl that day in the retail shop. And the only reason it's still in the rotation is because it's easy for my pinkies to fish it out of the depths of the pipe bag from the other pipes without looking.

So... what's the big deal about rustication, sandblasting, pitting, etc?


Signed me,
Smooth Chubbies All Day Every Day

[PaulMac]

Originally Posted by Joan

Since starting the search for chubbies online, I find lots and lots of beautifully proportioned briars and meers alike that someone has _ruined_ by roughing them up. Of course I realize this is *my humble opinion* only.

Now, I DID buy a sandblasted spare Kirsten bowl, but only because it was the biggest inside diameter Mariner bowl that day in the retail shop. And the only reason it's still in the rotation is because it's easy for my pinkies to fish it out of the depths of the pipe bag from the other pipes without looking.

So... what's the big deal about rustication, sandblasting, pitting, etc?


Signed me,
Smooth Chubbies All Day Every Day

Many times pipes are rusticated or blasted to hide imperfections in the briar. Briar is notorious for cracks and sand pits, and finding one without imperfections is rare indeed, which is why the highest of the high end pipes cost so much.

For further reference:
http://pipedia.org/index.php?title=Rustication

They do not have a section on sandblasting yet

[ShawnP]

Originally Posted by Joan

Since starting the search for chubbies online, I find lots and lots of beautifully proportioned briars and meers alike that someone has _ruined_ by roughing them up. Of course I realize this is *my humble opinion* only.

Now, I DID buy a sandblasted spare Kirsten bowl, but only because it was the biggest inside diameter Mariner bowl that day in the retail shop. And the only reason it's still in the rotation is because it's easy for my pinkies to fish it out of the depths of the pipe bag from the other pipes without looking.

So... what's the big deal about rustication, sandblasting, pitting, etc?


Signed me,
Smooth Chubbies All Day Every Day

I think it is nothing more then looks. Some like the rusticated and sandblasted look, I myself like a smooth pipe that really shows the grain.

I guess if they all were smooth there would be less options when buying pipes and many would look similar.

JMHO

Shawn

[ButchA]

Sandblasted and rough textured pipes just have a certain character to them. Each one is sort of unique in a way. Maybe I'm weird, but I don't care for the high gloss, smooth textured, pipes.

[Mad Hatter]

Great look. Better grip. Lower maintenance. They're in sinc with my lifestyle

[ShawnP]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

Great look. BETTER GRIP. They're in sinc with my lifestyle

Hey now Mad we don't need to hear about what you do in your house when alone


Shawn

[Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by ShawnP

Hey now Mad we don't need to hear about what you do in your house when alone


Shawn

Practice makes perfect and I'm not perfect yet.

[JoelS]

Here's my take on it.

The burls that we use to make pipes grow underground. As a result, stuff that is in the way is often included, in other words, the wood grows right around the stuff that can't get pushed out of the way. Also, on occasion, improper curing can cause cracks and splits.

When shaping a pipe these things show up. Some of them are huge and result in a pipe that can't be sold. In other cases they are pinprick sized and vanish in the finish. Most often, they are large enough to be visible and detract from a smooth finish. In these cases the pipe is sandblasted or rusticated, depending on the flaws. If the pipe was blasted or rusticated, the flaws weren't bad enough that they will affect how the pipe smokes, so no worries there. Pipe makers discard those blocks that have flaws that bad.

And sometimes, a pipe that could be a smooth shows spectacular ring grain. These will be blasted as a matter of course as they make wonderful blasts.

So, pipes that have a textured surface are often done that way in order to get a saleable pipe. The briar blocks that many of us use are quite expensive, often up to $50 or more. So it's far too expensive to only produce smooth pipes. Those smooth pipes would end up very expensive due to the large amount of waste.

There are no perfectly clean pipes. Only pipes where the inclusions weren't discovered.

Hope that helps.

[Bruce]

I have examples of all 4 types....smooth, sandblasted, rusticated, and blasted/rusticated. I like them all for their uniqueness and inherent beauty.

[Thillium]

Originally Posted by ButchA

Sandblasted and rough textured pipes just have a certain character to them. Each one is sort of unique in a way. Maybe I'm weird, but I don't care for the high gloss, smooth textured, pipes.

I love em to! Don't get me wrong the glossy ones and etc are extremely nice but I prefer a sandblasted/rough texture pipe over a glossy one. For some reason I like the "visual" characteristic of the half/half rusticated type look. But I do agree there are some pipes out there that I wish came in the glossy type and sometimes wish other pipes look better with the rusticated look.

[IHT]

i PREFER sandblasted pipes.
most smooth pipes don't have the grain to be worth it, they should've been sandblasted or rusticated.

[Arizona]

I actually like the sandblasted or rusticated finish. I know they do that to hide minor blemishes and things, but it's a look that appeals to me anyways.

[nimravus01]

I'm a smooth finish guy myself. According to Hacker, proper sandblasted pipes need to have good grain or they'd just erode away in the process. A good quality, and often times pricey, sandblast pipe is such because it is still made of a good quality block.

[DubintheDam]

Historically pipe makers began sandblasting as a way of selling their lesser suited briar blocks. However these days it has developed way beyond a mere way to reduce wasted blocks. American pipe makers, in particular, have in recent years gained a reputation for brilliant quality, artistic rusticated and sandblasted pipes. I think it shows how innovative and original American artists can be. Names like Tinsky, Davis, Pohlmann and Wiley spring to mind.

[DubintheDam]

Just take a look at this one, sandblasting as a high art form: