History of Briar - part III

"This type of wood (briar) is used for a combination of reasons.
First, it is tough enough to withstand the heat of burning tobacco, which commonly reaches 700 degrees F and under hard puffing may go much higher. Briar from burls that grew under arduous conditions and required decades to centuries to form has the tightest grain structure and performs best in this regard. And the very best is from such a burl when the plant itself has died and the burl has aged for years in the ground. This is the true so-called "dead root" of great fame.
Second, it has a grain structure that allows it to absorb moisture originally contained in the tobacco and vaporized during combustion but that starts condensing as soon as it is drawn away from the combustion zone into cooler areas of tobacco, the stem, and the mouthpiece. This absorption of moisture enables a drier smoke, much prized by those who truly enjoy the taste of tobacco. The best grain structure for such absorption of moisture is the grain structure that carried water and nutrients from root to trunk -- the exterior portion of the burl. Wood from this area is known as plateau briar, and the the exterior surface of the burl is always left untouched by the sawyer as proof to the pipe maker that such a piece is indeed plateau briar. ... to be continued"

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