Sycamore

[m0xre]

Hi, I have been cutting my teeth on pipe shaping using sycamore as i have abundance of it, although this may be a good wood to practice and learn with, would it be safe to actually smoke? I believe Sycamore is part of the maple family, and have seen lists of alternative materials for pipes and maple was on the list, just want to be sure its safe before i poison my friends when i give them away. Thanks in advance

[Sasquatch]

Looks like you shouldn't let your horse smoke a sycamore pipe.

All woods contain some amount of sensitizer/allergen/poison. Will you die if you smoke a pipe made from sycamore? Probably not. Should you burn all kinds of sycamore and smell the fumes? Probably not.

[Sasquatch]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITZ4YW6XECw

I dunno man, sounds like a wood I'd leave off handling a lot of.

[caskwith]

Well I learned something new, the tree you call a sycamore in the US is not the same tree we call a sycamore here in the UK.

[m0xre]

Looks like you shouldn't let your horse smoke a sycamore pipe.

when i read your reply i was like horse??????

then i found

The toxicity level is different in each seed or seedling, ranging from mild to extremely toxic. The seeds and seedlings of the sycamore tree contain the toxic agent hypoglycin A, which causes severe muscle damage. If a horse ingests the seeds or seedlings of a sycamore tree he will develop atypical myopathy.

the problem is sycamore over there is a different species to over here (UK) our have seeds that have wings so that when the seed falls from the tree it spins like a helicopters rotor blade, i guess so it falls as far from the mother as is possible, i dont know if your species do that too, however, our leaves do not have the fuzzy undersides that make people cough so still dont know about safety in smoking a pipe made from it, but its free material for me to learn and practice with, meanwhile ill hold onto the results until i get i definitive yay or nay on its safety

[m0xre]

first attempt with sycamore

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171371013_444447760170664_7609121145281212598_n.jpg (14.23 KiB) Viewed 1629 times

[wdteipen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITZ4YW6XECw

I dunno man, sounds like a wood I'd leave off handling a lot of.

Could have used this video a few years ago. Parked my boat under a huge sycamore tree at the old house and a massive branch broke off and smashed the windshield.