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Whether you like to collect smoking pipes or love to smoke them, you have great options as there are many types of smoking pipes available for you. A pipe can be a very simple machine-made briar pipe or an expensive handmade artistic pipe that turns to be an invaluable collectible. Although the designs of smoking pipes vary from one type to another, they essentially have a chamber, or bowl, in which tobacco or other substance to be smoked is placed, a stem of some sort and a mouthpiece through which the smoke is sucked or inhaled.

Smoking pipes are categorized on the basis of the material and shape which also have influence upon the aesthetics of a smoke.

Briar Pipes: The most common types, the Briar, can be machine made or hand-made. Briar is a very good wood for making pipes. It is naturally resistant to fire and has a good ability to absorb moisture. Thus, it can absorb moisture which results due to combustion. Briar is obtained from the root burl of the tree heath found in Mediterranean regions. Two types of blocks are cut from the center and the outer part of root burl- ebauchon & plateaux. Artisans prefer plateaux because of its superior graining. Some pipe makers also use Brylon, a synthetic material having properties similar to briar. Meerschaum Pipes: This hydrated magnesium silicate, found only in central Turkey, can be molded into many decorative figures. “Meerschaum” means "sea foam" in German, suggesting its natural white color and very low weight. It is very porous and absorbs elements of the tobacco during smoking process, and gradually changes color to become golden brown. However, sometimes such pipes are also made from meerschaum dust collected after carving and mixed with an emulsifier. It is then pressed into shape of a pipe. These are low quality meerschaum pipes that are not absorbent, do not color, and lack the smoking quality of the block carved pipe.

Clay Pipes: Pipes made of fine white clay are of good quality. Pipes made from porcelain slip poured into a mold have lower quality which impart unwanted flavors to smoke. Making clay pipes is a labor intensive process. All the air has to be beaten out of the clay and then each pipe is hand-rolled before molding. They are then pierced with a fine wire before careful firing. They tend to become hot while using and as such less preferable for actual smoking.

Calabash Pipes: Made from Calabash gourds, sometimes from mahogany wood, they have their own classic shape. Those made of gourds are very expensive. They usually have meerschaum or porcelain bowls set inside them. There's also an air chamber beneath the bowl which is for cooling, drying, and mellowing the smoke. A well finished pipe gives one of the coolest, driest smokes available.

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