A New Stem for My Corncob Pipe!

How I hand carved a tiny olive tree stem for my corncob pipe!

Some time ago I was looking for a cheap pocket-size pipe and I ended up buying an almost basket-pipe. In the pipe shop I also noticed a lovely tiny mini corncob pipe made by Meerschaum of Missouri. I bought it believing it would last a couple of smokes and just for the fun.

It actually surprised me! I can pack a tiny amount of tobacco in it and smoke it for 25 minutes fine! The only defect was that the hole sat too high, so I had to add a bit of pipe cement (firewood ashes and some saliva) to level it up. This will also prevent the bottom of the pipe to burn away.

I have to admit I have a real bad habit. I like to bite hard on pipe stems. It helps me think. My vulcanite stems can stand a hard bite, but the little cheap plastic stem of my corn cob gave in after a few weeks and a deep indentation. It shattered between my lips into sharp pieces and almost wounded me. It serves me right!
So i glued it together to have an example to follow and went out searching for some aged olive wood. I just found a half dead olive tree, so I grabbed a piece of a branch and came home.

I worked with iron files (a large and a small one), small grit sanding paper, a kitchen knife, and a small drill bit. After shaping the pipe stem roughly I drilled the hole using my free hand, and twirled between my thumb and index finger so much that going through an inch and a half of olive wood gave me a nice blister.
I then refined it with the files and the sanding paper, and I am quite proud of the outcome.

The shape is slightly different, but the comfort in my mouth is far greater. The wood feels softer on my teeth and tongue, plus it helps absorb the humidity of the tobacco, giving me a much drier smoke. I found out that this also helps a lot with tongue bite, something such a small pipe inevitably gave me.

I found out that my olive wood pipe and stem (considerably larger and longer) also smokes more comfortable on my tongue, so definitely advise on wood stems. Perhaps they work similarly to the Savinelli Balsa System. They are much more expensive, but provide a much greater smoking pleasure.

Corn Cob as Alternative to Briar Pipes

Are corn cob pipes good briar alternatives?

Corn cob pipes are quite a bit different than briar pipes, but they certainly can be good alternatives, especially if you're looking for an inexpensive "throw away" pipe. Each pipe smoker will have his own preferences and views on which pipes are "superior" or "better," but there are several points that could be made when comparing briar pipes to corn cob pipes. Here are a few general comparisons:

Benefits of Briar Pipes

• Durable and long-lasting
• Beautiful (grain, finish options, etc.)
• Wood becomes "seasoned" by the tobacco and smokes increasingly better over time

Benefits of Corn Cob Pipes

• Inexpensive
• Little to no impact on the flavor of tobacco

In most cases, cobs do not tend to build cake like briar. But when they do last long enough to build up cake, the same basic procedures can be used to maintain them. If the cake gets too thick, it will interfere with the tobacco chamber and could cause the pipe to crack or split. But again, with cobs costing only a few dollars each, many who smoke them simply get a new one when they get to that point.

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Although I don't smoke them as frequently as my briars, I like to have several cobs on hand. I use them for trying new tobaccos or for times when I may be concerned about damaging or losing a valued briar pipe (such as when I'm working outdoors). I have absolutely no problem with corn cob pipes and find them to be a great option for enjoying the hobby. But I still prefer the beauty, variety, and craftsmanship found in briar pipes.