How to Carve a Single Piece Tobacco Pipe

You can make beautiful handmade pipes.

Though advanced, intricate pipe-carving is indeed an art, carving a basic wooden tobacco pipe is easier than it might seem at first glance. With just the right wood, a knife and a drill, you can make pipes for yourself or as gifts to give to friends and family.

Things You'll Need

• Wood (any hardwood will do)
• Carving Knife
• Drill
• Sandpaper

Instructions

1. Find a block of wood that is somewhat bigger than you plan on making your pipe. About 5 to 7 inches square works well. You can also get a bigger block and cut it down to size. For sanitary as well as quality purposes, your best bet is to buy wood from a store. However, if you are using natural wood be sure to thoroughly disinfect it with bleach or by boiling it in a pot of water.

2. Design your pipe. Because you will be using a drill to make the hole from the bowl to the stem, you will need to make sure that the stem is straight. Apart from this, it's up to you. Keep in mind, however, that a deep bowl can be difficult to carve with a knife. If this is your first time carving, you'll want to make a shallower "spoon" design.

3. Carve out a rough version of your pipe. You don't want to have too much carving left after you drill the holes, but you don't want the pipe to be finished yet either. The thinner the wood is around the drill bit, the more likely it will crack.

4. Drill your hole. You should only need one hole running from the stem into the bowl of the pipe.

5. Finish carving your pipe and use sandpaper in progressively finer grits to remove any imperfections.

Tips & Warnings

• To protect the stem of your pipe, consider purchasing a plastic pipe stem from a tobacco supply store. These will glue easily over the end of your carved bowl and won't wear down as fast as a wooden stem.

• It is best to keep the outside of your pipe free of any poisonous substances. However, if you must paint it, be sure to leave plenty of room near the top of the bowl and end of the stem so that the user will not inhale fumes.

References

• Pipedia: Pipe Making

Resources

• Types of Pipe
• History of the Pipe