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Hello everyone

I searched on this question and did not find a lot related. It might be my search skills.

I am new to the forum, and new to making pipes. I am not new to smoking them (37 years on and off) or working wood (20+ years). I am about to embark on my first pipe making project, and will have questions along the way, but before I start cutting wood, or even marking it up, I have a couple of questions about orienting the grain.

How important is grain orientation for a good smoke? I have read where it is all important to the way a pipe smokes to it isn't important at all. I purchased a few of blocks of briar from Pimo along with a couple of his tools and his book. Two are ebauchon and one is a plateaux. I'm saving the plateaux for last, or at least later on. Of the two ebauchon blocks, one is an ER block, which in its "maximum use" orientation, would put the eyes on the sides of the bowl. However, it looks like I could squeeze out a nice straight grain bowl if I flipped the thing over on its side, as long as I am careful with cutting it. Would I be better off staying in safe territory with lots of wood for screwing up, or should I go straight for the straight grain? In asking this question, I am already well acquainted with the risks of screwing up a piece of wood. I am an expert on that already.

As far as I can tell, grain orientation has no effect at all on the way a pipe will smoke.

Rad

I say go for the gold. If you fail, you fail hard. But if you succeed, you'll be mighty pleased.

As far as grain orientation goes, it doesn't matter. It's one of those myths perpetuated in the collecting community as a way to explain why one pipe might smoke better than another. Grain orientation is irrelevant to the way a pipe smokes.

Edit: What Rad said.

Thanks guys. I was suspicious of the whole grain orientation thing, but being a noob, it can't hurt to ask. Yeah, it's only wood. The stuff grows on trees around here. Well, maybe not this particular kind, but you know what I mean.