What is Brylon or a Brylon pipe?
In 1966, S. M. Frank developed a synthetic material called Brylon as an alternative to briar. The material is a high temperature resin mixed with wood flour. It was less expensive than briar, and supposedly more resistant to cracking, chipping, charring and burnouts.
However, many pipe smokers do not care for the material and cite several drawbacks to Brylon pipes.
- It is heavier in the mouth.
- It heats up more rapidly than briar.
- It lacks the beauty and character of briar.
In other words, the chief objection to Brylon is that "it isn't briar"!
Two lines of Brylon pipes were briefly tried in Kaywoodie, Marmont and Impulse brands, but they were abandoned in the late 1980's. However, millions of Brylon pipes have been sold in the past several decades and they continue to be part of the Yello-Bole and Medico product lines, in case you are interested in buying one of these. Personally, I'd rather smoke bad cherry wood than Brylon, while a cheap corn cob pipe suits my portable needs perfectly.
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