Bruyere pipes - Advantages of briar wood
Briar Wood Pipes
What makes pipes made from briar wood so special? This is a question many pipe smokers – especially beginners – are likely to ask. Below, we’ll provide some insights into the unique characteristics and history of briar pipes.
What exactly is briar wood?
Briar is the French word for "heather," and the tree heath plant belongs to this genus. For pipe making, only the root burls that form between the root and trunk of the tree heath are used – the trunk itself is unsuitable for pipe production.
The tree heath thrives mainly in coastal regions of the Mediterranean, particularly on steep, rocky slopes. Attempts to plant and cultivate it in other regions have so far failed.
High-quality briar wood primarily comes from regions in Italy, Corsica, Sardinia, as well as Greece and Algeria.
Harvesting and Processing
The burls used for pipe production are at least 30 years old and about the size of a pumpkin or soccer ball. They are dug up from late November onward and stored for several months before processing in the sawmill. During storage, they are kept out of sunlight and regularly watered to prevent cracking.
At the sawmill, the burls are cut by specially trained workers known as coupeurs. When cutting the blocks, the grain pattern is carefully considered, which results in quality variations in the pipes made from them.
The best wood is obtained from the outer regions of the burl, known as plateaux wood. These individually sold plateaux blocks are later used for premium products. While the core wood can also be used for pipe production, it lacks the qualities of plateaux wood and is generally used for mass production.
After cutting, the blocks are boiled in copper kettles for about 2 hours. This process removes natural sap, resins, and acids from the wood, promoting faster drying and preventing cracks. Copper kettles are essential to keep the wood from darkening too much. If this process is done poorly, the pipe may end up smelling and tasting earthy.
Finally, the wood is dried in a draft-free environment for several weeks and then stored for several months or even years before reaching the manufacturers.
The Advantages of Briar Wood
A major advantage of briar wood over other types of wood is its resistance to heat, especially to fire. In terms of fire resistance, briar wood surpasses all other woods.
Additionally, briar wood has structural qualities such as hardness, strength, and porosity. Its porosity allows it to absorb the condensation produced while smoking. Furthermore, its hardness enables the wood’s surface to be smoothed and polished effectively.
A Brief History of Briar Pipes
The small town of St. Claude in the Jura department of the Franche-Comté region in France is today a pilgrimage site for all pipe enthusiasts. It was here, in 1857, that the production of briar pipes began.
Among the less affluent, briar pipes were highly appreciated for their fine flavor qualities. However, in higher circles, briar pipes initially couldn’t compete with meerschaum pipes.
It wasn’t until Alfred Dunhill began offering briar pipes with modern, functional shapes and mouthpieces in early 20th-century London that briar pipes gradually gained popularity among the upper class.
After World War I, several British companies, including Alfred Dunhill, continued to focus on quality, helping to establish the reputation of pipes “Made in London.” This also enabled larger quantities to be produced and sold at affordable prices.
Today’s most well-known briar pipe manufacturers include:
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