woody350ep said:
That's pretty cool, but I don't know what it is. Can you explain its purpose? Thanks
A pipe tamper is used to lightly compress ash and burning tobacco in the bowl of the pipe while smoking, keeping the ember in contact with the tobacco. This avoids having to relight the pipe constantly.
OldWrangler said:
Where do you get bamboo with the joints so close together? The wild bamboo I collect locally has the joints 6" to 10" apart. This bamboo of yours is really cool.
Just sandblasting, huh. Would a wire brush worked longwise do about the same texture? Will have to try.
I actually get mine from another pipe maker. It's expensive stuff, on par with ebonite. He, of course, does not want to reveal his source.
But yes, this stuff is actually rather special (it's a certain kind of bamboo), and harvested specifically for pipe making because the knuckles are so close together.
I've never tried a wire brush, so I don't know. The texture you see is what's under the outer "skin" of the bamboo, which is what gets sandblasted away.