Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-28
MAKING BRIAR PIPES
THE SERIES OF PROCESSES FOL-
LOWED IN THIS COUNTRY.
Most of the Skilled Workmen Are I'M
ported From Germany or Austria
NO Secrets in the Trade.

One of Rochester'S industries that is not
very well known and the extent of which
Is perhaps not fully recognized Is the max
ing of briar pipes. There are but eleven
such factories in the country and Roches-
ter has one of them. That the business Is
not overcrowded may be judged by the fact
that the local factory has enough work
ahead to keep it busy for two years to come
and has called in it's agents. In all but two
of the other factories the men Of the First
Smoking Pipe Makers Union of North
America strike. The local factory
is a union factory and does not therefore
expect a strike.
Though in the passage of pipe from the
rough to the finished article there are
many operations the processes are simple
and there are no secrets in the trade. In
the first place there is now such thing
as French briar. 1t was called French
br.ar when it first came into general favor
eighty years ago or thereabouts, because
Caabra, where it all comes from at pres
ent. and did at that time, was then French
territory. The wood is brought to this
country in blocks shaped roughly like pipe
bowls 1t is first placed in the dry room
where 1t remains for from six to eight
weeks in order to be thoroughly dr.ed out
These blocks are from four to ten inches
in length.
First Operation.
The first operation is that of reducing
the rough blocks to the size needed. This
is done by means of a circular saw, the
workmen turning out about twenty gross
of pieces per day. The saw simply takes
off some of the roughness of the edges
From the man at the saw the piece passes
to the French machine, where the hole Of
the bowl is bored out and the edge and
upper half turned off. This machine has
unique arrangement of knives so that the
operation is performed at the rate of ten
to fifteen gross per day.
Then comes the operation in which the
bowl and wooden part of the stem are form
ed The machine which performs this oper-
alton is called either the push or fraise ma
chine: On support is a model of a pipe
very large in size. The o zee of wood from
the rough edges of which may be seen the
bowl and its upper half is placed firmly on
this support little distan"e from the mod
pipe and on the same line. The operator
pushes on the support, holding the model
pipe against rapidly revolving steel
wheel At the other end of the support is
the fraiser or cutter, and as the model is
stem are cut. 1t is a simple thing but wen
thought out. The opera tor turns out six Or
eight gross of bowls every day.
Sanding the Bowl.
Then comes the sanding The bowl Is
shaped as we'll as it will ever be when it
reaches this machine, but it shows streaks
where the fraiser has cut it The operator
at the sanding machine holds the bowl
against wheel covered with sandpaper of
different grades. the first putting a rough
finish and the next little finer and so en-
down to the last or complete finish. The
pipe then goes to the buffer and then To the
selecter. who grades the bowls into ffrsts
seconds and thirds. They are filled with
putty. The pipe next goes to the drill
where the stem hole is put in. If there are
to be the two missions which sometimes
circle the bowl of pipes of the bulldog"
pattern 1t goes to the stitching iron or tool,
This Is like chtsel. with two points COM
ing N out at the end: The bowl is held against !
1t and In second or two the two streaks
are on 1t. This finishes the operations in |
what Is called the manufacturing depart
ment, and the pipe then goes to the mount
ing department
In this department the mouthpieces are
put on and the finer finish given the bowl |
The bowl Is pumice-stoned and then put on
the tripot buff. which consists Of wheel OF |
linen sheets. which are touched with n |
stone, thus polishing the bowl off when it
is held against them. Further finish is |
added by buffer of canton flannel. Here,
too, the seconds and thirds are taken care I
of Seconds are bowls In which there are
minute holes These are filled with red
putty. In which case the pipe Is oiled and |
buffed. Or. II a dark-colored bowl is de- I
sired. black putty is used and it is stained |
with walnut stain and then polished. The |
thirds, or bowls with large holes, have the
holes filled with black putty and are then |
stained WIN the walnut cOlorlng. In some /
cases, even In that of seconds sometimes |
the bowls are then vanished and the var !
nish polished.
The Mouthpiece.
The making and fitting OF the amber /
Is one of the most important |
and interesting parts Of the manufacture Of |
the pipes. The amber comes In cakes /
weighing from one and q quarter to two /
pounds. The clear amber looks like q cake
of glycerine soap. though 1t is not so long
as that found IN the drug stores, but Is
broader. Contrary to the opinion Of some.
cloudy amber In just as good ~ the clear.
being sold at the same price. One advan-
clear Is that the nicotine In the hole rum
ming through q mouthpiece Ii not seea "a In |
the case OF the clear. Amber also comes In i
smaller and irregularly shaped pieces called