At a glance
- A tobacco pipe has two main assemblies: the stummel (bowl + shank) and the stem (mouthpiece). The stummel is usually one piece of wood or mineral; the stem is usually a separate removable piece.
- Key parts: bowl (holds tobacco), shank (connects bowl to stem), mortise (socket in the shank), tenon (plug on the stem that fits into the mortise), stem/bit (the mouthpiece you hold in your teeth).
- The four traditional pipe materials are briar (Erica arborea root burl), meerschaum (hydrated magnesium silicate mineral), corncob, and clay.
- Most modern commercially produced pipes are briar. Meerschaum, corncob, and clay each have distinct characteristics.