Freehand

Briar Pipe Finishes, Part 1: Smooths by CW Hawes Following its introduction as a pipe material in the middle 1800s, briar quickly became the dominant material for making pipes for the general pipe-smoking public. Briar is durable, and with reasonable care, a briar pipe will serve generations of pipe smokers. Another feature of briar is…

In this article, James takes a deep dive into the concept of the ‘freehand pipe.’ This is the first of a multi-part series exploring concepts like ‘freehand’ in and outside of pipe culture and history. Where possible, illustrations are included, but the reader is encouraged, if they are not already familiar with the pipes and…