| This article will provide you with some | | | | meerschaum pipes. |
| of the most basic information on tobacco | | | | · Clay - if you are wanting to buy a |
| pipes, from the parts that make them up | | | | clay tobacco pipe, it is worth spending |
| to the materials they are made out of. | | | | the few extra dollars to get one made |
| Tobacco pipes are made up of three major | | | | from an expensive clay rather than a |
| parts: | | | | cheap clay. Cheap clay pipes can add |
| · The bowl - this is the small chamber | | | | bad flavors to a smoke. They are also |
| in which the tobacco is placed. | | | | porous and low quality. Good clays, on |
| · The shank - this is the thin stem | | | | the other hand, can make some great |
| that leads to the bit. The smoke | | | | pipes. Many say that these good clays |
| travels up the stem. | | | | (made into good pipes) give a tobacco |
| · The bit - the bit is the mouthpiece | | | | smoker a pure smoke, meaning that there |
| of the pipe. | | | | is not flavor besides that which the |
| There is not just one material that | | | | tobacco itself imparts. |
| tobacco pipes are made out of. They are | | | | · Wood - if you have a wood tobacco |
| made from many different materials. | | | | pipe and you want to be sure that it |
| Some of the most popular materials | | | | will not burn, you can spread a mixture |
| include: | | | | of honey and water into the bowl. After |
| · Briar - this is the most common | | | | you use the pipe a few times, the |
| material for tobacco pipes. Why is it | | | | mixture will create a burn resistant |
| so common? Because, although it is a | | | | barrier. |
| type of wood (more specifically, it | | | | · Glass - hand-blown glass pipes can be |
| comes from the root burl of the tree | | | | very beautiful and interesting. You |
| heath), it is naturally resistant to | | | | will find that there is a large variety |
| fire. Also, it does not absorb moisture | | | | of colors and styles of glass tobacco |
| · Corncob - this is a very cheap | | | | pipes. A benefit of glass pipes is that |
| material to make tobacco pipes from. In | | | | they cannot affect the flavor of the |
| fact, because corncob makes such cheap | | | | smoke. |
| pipes, it is no wonder that the people | | | | · Metal - there are such things as |
| who built "Frosty the Snowman" did not | | | | metal tobacco pipes, but you will likely |
| mind sticking one into the snowy mouth! | | | | see them more commonly used with other |
| Yes, they are cheap, but they are still | | | | drugs like cannabis. Aluminum, brass, |
| effective. | | | | and steel are the metals generally used |
| · Meerschaum - before briar tobacco | | | | to make metal tobacco pipes. The |
| pipes became so popular, meerschaum and | | | | problem associated with metal pipes for |
| clay were the materials of choice for | | | | tobacco smokers is that the metal bowls |
| pipes. Meerschaum is a mineral that can | | | | need to have a break-in period of |
| be carved into beautiful shapes - you | | | | resination. Before this happens, the |
| will find many interesting and intricate | | | | smoke will have an aftertaste. |