Copyright (C) 1999 by Stephen P. Masticola. All rights reserved.
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Pipes Digest FAQ
Revision 1.1 (Last modified 3-January-2000)
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PIPE: Narrow tube of clay, wood, etc. with bowl at one end for drawing in
smoke of tobacco. - Oxford English Dictionary
PIPE TYPES
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BRIAR: This is the closely-grained burl joint between the stem and roots of
the White Heath, a tree found on the hillsides of mainly Mediterranean
countries. Underground, this burl protects the briar wood, which is tough,
close grained, porous, and nearly impervious to heat. Good briar is hard to
find. The larger shrubs take a long time to mature...and the older the
shrub the better the briar and thus your pipe. The most suitable root may
be 80 to 100 years old, and the finest pipe briar may be from a shrub over
200 years old... aged and mellowed by time.
MEERSCHAUM: A German word meaning literally, "sea-foam," alluding to the
belief that it was the compressed whitecaps of waves. Meerschaum is a
mineral - hydrous silicate of magnesium - one of the most porous substances
found in nature. Composed of the fossilized shells of tiny sea creatures
that fell to the ocean floor millions of years ago, meerschaum is found in
red clay deposits. Meerschaum deposits of the highest quality are found
only in one place in the world - Eskishehir, in central Turkey.
AFRICAN BLOCK MEERSCHAUM comes from Tanzania, Africa and is usually stained
in varying shades of brown, black and yellow.
MISSOURI MEERSCHAUM: The All-American Corncob pipe. It is a length of
hollowed-out corncob, usually from a special hybrid variety of corn, with
a straight wooden stem and, sometimes, a inexpensive plastic mouthpiece.
Some veteran pipe smokers buy corncobs by the dozens, smoke one until it
burns out or goes sour, then throw it away and light up another. (If a
youngster uses yours to blow soap bubbles, buy another.)
CALABASH: A South African gourd similar to a squash grown specifically for
use in pipes. The shape is determined as the gourd grows by placing small
blocks under the stem, forcing it into a gentle curve. The mature gourd is
cut and dried, then fitted with a cork gasket to receive a meerschaum bowl.
The finished pipe offers one of the coolest, driest smokes available.
Immortalized by Sherlock Holmes and in Jimmy Durante's signature line -
"Good night Mrs. Calabash - wherever you are."
CLAY PIPE: Clay or pottery pipes were very popular in England and in Europe
before the discovery of briar. In London coffee houses and clubs,
long-stemmed "Church wardens" and "London Straws" were universally accepted.
The finest clay for pipes is said to be found in Devon, England.
HOOKAH: Also known as a WATER-PIPE or occasionally HUBBLY-BUBBLY. The
Turkish hookah filters the pipe smoke through water (or booz) for
extra coolness. Many styles of hookah exist including those with
multiple mouth pieces so that several may enjoy the tobacco (or
hashish) simultaneously.
The tobacco used in the hookah is usually dried whole leaf, soaked and
crumbled, or canned, mixed with various herbs and flavors. The very moist
tobacco is heaped into the bowl and covered with a small charcoal fire.
OPIUM PIPE: An Oriental water-pipe, normally made of brass with a very tiny
bowl used for smoking opium. Opium pipes are frequently seen with 12 or 18
inch long stems and fancy braiding.
CAST IRON: Normally used to carry natural gas.
PIPE PARTS:
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BOWL: The part of the pipe that holds the tobacco.
HEEL: The base of the inside of the pipe bowl.
SHANK: The part of the pipe that joins the bowl and the stem.
STEM: The part that connects the shank with the bit.
Examine it carefully. Its quality, finish and fit will reveal the maker's
carelessness or attention to detail.
BIT: The part of the pipe stem that fits in the mouth. Also called the
MOUTHPIECE.
BITE-PROOF STEM: A bit designed with a solid center portion at the mouth to
prevent the "canine" tooth from punching a hole in it as readily as is done
in a standard bit.
AMBEROID STEM: A fusion of Bakelite and pure amber - usually used with
meerschaum pipes.
BAKELITE STEM: Trade name for a synthetic resin widely used for lacquers
and varnishes and as a plastic. A common material used for the stem,
especially of mass produced pipes. An alternative to vulcanite.
AMBER: brittle, feels like glass to the teeth - Usually used with
meerschaum pipes.
VULCANITE: A dark-colored variety of India rubber that has been subjected
to vulcanization : also called "hard rubber." A common material used for
the stem, especially of mass produced pipes.
LUCITE: Trade name for a plastic. A common material used for the stem,
especially of mass produced pipes.
HORN STEM: Animal horn - often found on inferior meerschaum pipes
BONE STEM: Animal bone - often found on inferior meerschaum pipes
PIPE ACCESSORIES:
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PIPE CLEANERS: Indispensable - two types - "soft and fluffy" to dry up
moisture or "thin and wiry" to dig out deposits.
LIQUID PIPE CLEANERS: Also called PIPE SWEETENERS, dissolve the gum and tar
while leaving a fresh aroma in the bowl, stem and mouthpiece. Frequently
featured in the "Dennis the Menace" comic strip.
SMOKERS COMPANION: Also called MULTI-PURPOSE PIPE TOOL, a spoon, a pick,
and a tamper in a metal holder. Usually built like a pocket knife, often
accompanied by a "knife blade reamer."
PIPE REAMER: A tool for smoothing out the "cake" and trimming it down to a
desired size. Reamers come in a variety of shapes and functionalities.
PIPE RACK: A storage place for your pipes. To most enjoy pipe smoking one
needs several pipes to accommodate one's moods and activities.
HUMIDOR: A thing in which to store tobacco. Ideally - cheap and air-tight
(try Tupperware) - one places fresh tobacco in it and once sealed, it will
maintain the tobacco in a smokable consistency indefinitely. A major
alternate use of a humidor is the "re-moistening" of dried out tobacco.
For this action one adds a source of moisture to the tobacco in the humidor
before sealing.
PIPE TERMS:
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CAKE: A small layer of protective carbon allowed to form and remain in the
bowl of a briar pipe. The cake protects the briar from burning but too much
cake can split the pipe by causing uneven heating of the bowl.
DOTTLE: Unburned tobacco left in the heel of a pipe.
TONGUE BITE: Irritation of the tongue, usually caused by smoking
tobacco that is too wet, or by puffing too hard.
MYOB: Acronym for "mind your own business." Suggested rejoinder to
nasty antismokers who bother you for no conceivable reason.
PIPE FINISHES:
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SANDBLAST: A finishing technique which leaves a rough surface.
FILLS: Places where a wood filler has been used to smooth over surface
defects. Generally regarded as lessening the pipe's value.
CARNAUBA WAX: A very hard wax, used to give pipes their finish.
STRAIGHT GRAIN: Refers to the wood grain in the briar.
BIRDSEYES: Small circles in the wood grain.
PIPE STYLES:
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APPLE: A pipe with a rounded bowl, in the shape of an apple.
BENT: A curved stem pipe.
BILLIARD: A common shape. Straight stem, slightly rounded vertical
bowl.
BULLDOG: A pipe with a round bowl and a pointed heel and shank.
CANADIAN: An unbent pipe with a long shank and a straight vertical
bowl.
CHURCHWARDEN: A pipe with an extremely long stem.
DUBLIN: An Irish style, shaped after the clay pipe. Straight shank,
bowl leans forward slightly.
FREEHAND: Also known as DANISH FREEHAND. An asymmetric, one-of-a-kind shape.
OOM PAUL: A large-boweled bent stemmed pipe name for the Boer leader who
smoked this variety.
POKER: A cylindrical bowl and stem, without bend.
PRINCE: A squat, rounded bowl and a stem bent near the mouthpiece.
WOODSTOCK: The same as a DUBLIN with a slightly curved stem.
TOBACCO:
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TOBACCO: A member of the plant family "Solanaceae" which also includes
tomato and potato plants. Around 40 kinds of tobacco exist.
QUALITY: Tobacco is graded by leaf type and quality. There are five grades -
choice, fine, good, fair, and low. These are set by the tobacco's
uniformity, texture, age, oil, body, coloring, etc.
NICOTIANA: The botanical name for tobacco after Jean Nicot who introduced
tobacco into Europe around 1560.
RALEIGH, SIR WALTER: He popularized smoking at Queen Elizabeth's court
around the mid 16th century and was believed to be the first to smoke a
pipe in England.
TOBAGO: Columbus discovered it in 1498, and according to legend, named it
after the shape of a Carib pipe smoked on the island.
Tobacco Cuts:
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FLAKE CUT: Tobacco packaged as large, flat flakes. Must be rubbed
out to separate the flakes.
RIBBON CUT: Tobacco cut into long, thin ribbons, though not as long or
as fine as SHAG.
CUBE CUT: Tobacco chopped into small square pieces.
SHAG: Tobacco which has been shredded very finely. Renowned as the
type of preference for Sherlock Holmes; at that time, shag was
considered an inferior grade.
RUBBING OUT: Separating tobacco pieces prior to smoking, by rubbing in
the palm of the hand. Must be done with FLAKE or PLUG cut tobaccos.
Basic blending tobaccos:
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VIRGINIA - red / black / lemon / orange / orange-red
The mildest of all blending tobaccos has the highest natural sugar content.
Used in virtually all blends as it is a good burner and aids in lighting.
It imparts a light sweet taste when used in moderation
BRIGHT - From the Carolinas
BURLEY - "white Burley" - a natural tobacco taste with a soft character
that will never "bite."
CAVENDISH - Cavendish is a process of curing and a method of cutting
tobacco leaf; the term does not refer to a tobacco, but a type of
manufacturing process. The processing and the cut are used to bring out the
natural sweet taste that is a characteristic of Virginia tobacco. This
process will create a tobacco very light in taste, quite mild and easy to
pack. Black - Traditional Navy Cavendish, aged naturally with dark
Jamaican rum .
"Taste" tobaccos:
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PERIQUE - From Louisiana
Havana - From Cuba
Yenidji -
Oriental "spice" tobaccos:
LATAKIA - From Syria/Cyprus (richly smoked and fermented)
Latakia was "discovered" when a bumper crop resulted in surplus, and the
excess tobacco was stored in the rafters. The village farmers
traditionally used camel dung (or other dung, I suspect) as a source of
fuel, and the smoke cured tobacco was revealed the following season.
Today, Latakia is smoked over a smoldering fire of aromatic herbs. The
camel no longer has to process the herbs first!
DUBEC - From Turkey
XANTHI - From Macedonia province of Greece
KOMOTINI- From Macedonia province of Greece
DRAMA - From Macedonia province of Greece
SERRES - From Macedonia province of Greece
SAMSUN - From the southern coast of the black seas
IZMIR - From Western Turkey
CIGARS
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CIGAR: The Mayans are believed to be the first to put a cigar on the
pedestal it deserves. German philologists translated the Mayan noun
"Zik" for tobacco or smoke, and "zikar" the verb form. Thus the word
"cigar" evolved and was recognized in many ancient drawings and
carvings. A Myan carving dated circa 300A.D. depicts a long tubular
roll of tobacco in the mount of an obviously happy man.
BAND: A paper wrapper around the end of the cigar, originally meant to
protect white gloves from stains. Later used as a form of advertising.
CHURCHILL: A very large cigar, named for Winston Churchill, who
preferred big, expensive Havanas.
CLARO: A "clear" light brown wrapper, free of defects.
CUTTER: A device for clipping the end off a cigar. Some resemble
scissors with curved blades; others look like small guillotines for
making a straight or V-shaped notch. At least one variety looks like a
.44 magnum bullet, which pulls apart to reveal a punch that cuts a
round hole.
MADURO: A variety of cigars made with a dark wrapper.
EMS: European Market Selection
PYRAMID: A cigar shape with a pointed end.
RING GAUGE: Diameter of a cigar, in sixty-fourths of an inch.
SHADE GROWN: Wrapper leaf which has been grown under cotton shades,
for mildness.
TUBO: A cigar which is packaged in a glass or aluminum tube. Also called TUBED.
WRAPPER: The tobacco leaf used for the outer layer of the cigar.