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Got my new Knucklehead pipe!

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DrBob

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This is the new pipe I won from world famous pipe maker Knucklehead. Aint it a dandy?
What kind of wood is it?
How do I break it in?
It is not for sale.
 

DrBob

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I had been thinking about getting a pipe for a while. If I had ordered a pipe from Knucklehead this is exactly what I would have wanted. Perfection This is a well made pipe it just feels good to handle.
Dr.Bob
 

Knucklehead

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Thank you. boboro started a thread on pipe sweetener that turned into a pipe break-in thread with good suggestions from such well known pipe smokers as JBD and deluxestogie. The pipe is made from briar wood, the stem is handmade from ebonite and the rings are brass and maple. Check out my thread in pipe smokers forum titled Pipe Supplies and Sources. It takes you from my 1st pipe to yours. welcome to the pipe smokers forum. LOL We needed more visitors.
 
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Knucklehead

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Sure is. Gorgeous! It seems the triple ring should be his trade mark.

Thanks John. On the pipe makers forum most rings are wood and acrylic. I like the organic materials. Bob gave me the idea to try some leather and bone from one of his posts about knife making material sellers as a source. I have yet to do it. of all the pipes I saw on that forum I can't remember any using metals in the rings. some companys spin silver as a cap to go over the shank but I haven't seen any stem rings with metal.
 

johnlee1933

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Thanks John. On the pipe makers forum most rings are wood and acrylic. I like the organic materials. Bob gave me the idea to try some leather and bone from one of his posts about knife making material sellers as a source. I have yet to do it. of all the pipes I saw on that forum I can't remember any using metals in the rings. some companys spin silver as a cap to go over the shank but I haven't seen any stem rings with metal.

A couple of thoughts: Pipes sometimes fail because the briar at the wood/stem joint splits. Could one of your "trademark" rings be used to reinforce the briar?
The Osage pipe you gave me is showing an interesting and lovely (to me) trait as I smoke it a bit. The softer portion of the grain is starting to darken while the hard portions are remaining light thus Increasing the contrast as you go around the pipe. Really neat. Right the effect is pretty subtle an I doubt if I could show it in a pic. If it continues as I expect it will I'll try for a good one.
 

deluxestogie

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If the softer grain is coloring that quickly, you might want to buff a good coating of carnauba onto it, before tars actually seep out to the surface. It took my very first briar over 35 years to visibly darken through the grain.

Bob
 

Knucklehead

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A couple of thoughts: Pipes sometimes fail because the briar at the wood/stem joint splits. Could one of your "trademark" rings be used to reinforce the briar?
The Osage pipe you gave me is showing an interesting and lovely (to me) trait as I smoke it a bit. The softer portion of the grain is starting to darken while the hard portions are remaining light thus Increasing the contrast as you go around the pipe. Really neat. Right the effect is pretty subtle an I doubt if I could show it in a pic. If it continues as I expect it will I'll try for a good one.

Most people remove the stem too often. If it will pass a pipe cleaner you shouldn't need to remove the stem for a long time. Rather than stem rings, some people use a shank extension of acrylic or other materials with an ebonite liner inside the shank for reinforcement and to accept the tenon. I suspect a repair could be made in much the same way.

Also never try to pull the stem straight out of the shank. Twist it in and out in the same direction each time. Either clockwise or counterclockwise but twist in the same direction for removal as for installation.
 

Knucklehead

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If the softer grain is coloring that quickly, you might want to buff a good coating of carnauba onto it, before tars actually seep out to the surface. It took my very first briar over 35 years to visibly darken through the grain.

Bob

I use three polishing wheels mounted on the lathe. One for red tripoli compound, one for white diamond compound and the last is used only for carnauba. I have gone over the carnauba with minwax wood paste wax to give it even more shine. (On DrBob's I think, not John's. I've only done it once) It also dries hard like carnauba but doesn't require a wheel. It is very similar to the old Johnson's wood paste wax. I use the minwax on gunstocks for environmental protection over the hand rubbed linseed oil finish. John may want to try the minwax on his pipe. Home Depot, Lowe's or most places that sell Minwax stains should carry it.
 

BigCasino

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Awesome job AK, are those rings on the stem or attached to the shank?
Also never remove a stem while you are smoking it or even right after you are done it is best not to take it out for a full 24 hours after smoking, the heat and moisture makes the briar swell and tighten on the tenon, you can only remove stems while smoking if you have a Military mount
 

DrBob

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I posted a photo of my new pipe on facebook this morning. In 1 hour I got a lot of comments, there are a lot of people that want a custom pipe. The first question is what is it worth? I can only reply that it is priceless to me.
 

Knucklehead

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I can't believe you already put that pipe up on e-bay. Let me know what it goes for so I'll know how to price them. LOL
 

SmokesAhoy

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I'd put one on eBay for .99 and see where it goes. I'm guessing pretty high. They really are first rate.
 
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