In Defense of Sandblasts I am a sandblast collector, and my remarks are intended to address misconceptions widely held by pipe smokers and pipe store personnel about sandblasts, which tend to be viewed as second- class citizens of the pipe world. This article necessarily expresses my own tastes and reflects my experience with particular pipes. Ideally, this article should be complemented by one written by a pipemaker about the processes used to created sandblasts. Sandblasts are made from inferior wood too flawed to produce a smooth.
Good blasts have a tactile dimension lacked by smooths.
Sandblasting renders both cross and grain lines in bold relief. The fascination of a good blast derives from the interaction between the cross and the grain lines as first one, then the other, catches the eye in superimposed shifting images which change according to the light, angle, and accentuation in different parts of the bowl and shank. The treatment of cross and grain lines, as well as the cut of the wood and depth and definition of the blast, effect a high degree of individual variation in sandblast pipes. But the essential effect of a goodblast derives from the quality of the grain. If the briar is not well and closely grained, there is nothing for the blast to bring out.