This post started out to be a continuation on the bamboo finish thread and I
got kind of carried away in several directions. Please don't read too much
into these ramblings.

Pipe making, including artisan tamper making, can be broken down into 2 main
categories, small and large. Small makers would include hobbyists and
artisans. Large makers would consist of factory operations like Peterson,
Savinelli, etc. There is a third category which I'll call artisan factories
or workshops, which would consist of makers like Castello, Becker, Ashton,
etc. This third group is the one most common to the types of pipes we enjoy,
but they are unique as they use some techniques from the small makers and
some from the large.

I am also not trying to state that every step is the same by any maker, I'm
just trying to explain the "eye appeal" final polish coat finishing used on
wood, as it could be applied to pipes.

Finishes for wood and other materials - note that all finishes can be
colored, some naturally are some have pigments added, but for this
discussion clear or slightly amber is the color used.

Pipes as a rule are colored when new which is typically a stain applied
before the polish coat. Pipe bowls are also usually waxed over the stain and
lacquer, varnish, Polyurethane, etc are not typically used on briar bowls.
It is a fairly common practice to use a small about of shellac in the
staining process for many pipe bowls.

Staining side note:  Stains are usually in powered form, add a few shellac
flakes, add alcohol as a carrier then brushed or dipped.  The two primary
drying methods are set on a peg and air dry or light a flame and burn the
alcohol off with a slight warming of the stain into the wood surface.

Comments are general comments, not meant to discuss every type of wax or
finish, just a general idea of wood surface finishing which could be applied
to pipes or other wood type surfaces.

Method of application offers the moat common, such as lacquer can be brushed
and varnish can be sprayed, but those are not their usual methods of
application on wood or larger surfaces due to various headaches involved.

Lacquer:  sprayed on, very thin hard coat, dries very fast, very strong
surface. Excellent resistance for heat, moisture, and dirt getting into the
surface.

Varnish: brushed on, slight to medium amber color, slow drying, even slower
"curing", in most cases today "Varnish" is synthetic and not "liquid amber",
think Polyurethane or plastic finish. True Varnish is available, but it is
expensive and slow curing.

Shellac: brushed on, fast drying, slightly "rough" finish until sanded, then
very smooth, typically several coats are used. Non-toxic, used as an edible
finish for pills and candy (I don't think it was "brushed" on in this case).
Dissolves in Acetone or alcohol (alcohol is the usual carrier for shellac),
does not hold up well to water, alcohol or heat contact.

Wax: wiped or buffed on, high gloss, typically used over a barrier surface.
Poor protection to water, alcohol, hand contact (water, salt, dirt, dinner,
etc).

Small and artisan pipe makers, say those that make, 20, 50, 100 even 200
pipes a year are more concerned with each piece and have the luxury of  time
to experiment with their methods for color, finish, blasting, design, etc.
Factory production consists of something that works with their volume
schedule. Workshop production follows the factory mentality, with the
willingness to look for new ideas and experiment with various projects.
Again, there is a cross over here, just understand the difference between
practical production and artisan creation.

Although I mentioned artisan tamper manufacture, this is a very small and
limited field, especially when you toss out metals and plastics. Horn and
bamboo are used with tampers, as are many types of wood, however tampers are
typically "capped" with a metal surface for heat and do not have to consider
internal pipe functions such as moisture absorption.

Using bamboo as a specific, which is what got me going on this discussion in
the first place, bamboo used for tampers goes not need to consider all of
the factors that bamboo as a pipe shank needs to include.

Bamboo is a very strong, but porous material. With a tamper, protection of
the surface color and finish are considered, thinking a year or two of use
what will it look like?  With pipe shank production the bamboo is drilled
out and not only must you consider thinking a year or two of use what will
it look like, but how will the shank distort over time, how will the surface
told up to internal coloring, how to maintain the bamboo "leak free" and
still natural looking.

Note that surface cracking known as spidering or webbing is generally
considered a good thing in used bamboo so a maker has to consider this, yet
not allow the finish to either split or look plastic.

Shank bamboo is purchased by factories and workshops in more of a production
state rather than raw state (I will assume here that hobbyists and artisans
can buy and use raw bamboo for shanks and tampers if they choose). Bamboo
"rods" for lack of a better term are supplied in 2 to 3 foot lengths,
prefinished. What I mean by prefinished is that the bamboo is cleaned,
colored, and dried. Most workshops will dry their bamboo for another year or
two before they use it for pipe shanks.

Bamboo rods are graded by straightness, diameter, number of knuckles  (aka
nodes) and finish. Finish can be completely natural colored or more
typically "burned knuckles" which is a darkening or burn color around the
knuckle. Burning is done to add character and to seal the knuckle from
leaking. I've never really looked much about sealing the nodes on the
knuckles with epoxy or mastic putty, but its probably done under the "burn"
to seal leakage and to smooth out the surface of the knuckle - mainly
leakage I would assume. The final finish is lacquer because it shines, it is
strong, it resists water, heat, alcohol, it is thin and more natural looking
and it seals the surface color being the slight yellow and dark burn colors.
By sealing the surface you insure a more even internal coloring over time
which also highlights the spidering.

Here again, artisan and hobbyist makers can experiment with bamboo shanks
and finishing, workshops and factories are using a "component" to make their
shanks (think ebonite rod for cutting and turning stems rather than
pre-cast, hand poured, or 4x6 foot sheets).

Once the workshop decides to use a bamboo shank a piece is cut from the
bamboo rod (rod being my name, they are 2 to 3 foot long pieces of bamboo),
the bamboo is drilled out, sleeved on both ends, then attached to the bowl
and stem using various methods. Once the complete pipe is being finished,
the shank is waxed along with the bowl and stem, however the actual real
finish is not the wax, it is the lacquer. The wax is just a top coat and
will not hold up over time, nor will it function as a barrier finish for the
shank.

In furniture and wood working wax is known as a top coat to finish the
finish. While I believe a good understanding of wood finishing is important
for pipe makers, to understand stains and how the wood reacts to surface
treatments, finishing a pipe bowl is not the same as finishing a table
surface as the function of the wood is different, very different in each. Of
course to state the obvious, pipe bowls use stain and wax with many times a
bit of shellac. Bamboo shanks on the other hand are finished with a hard
furniture type surface because its purpose is mainly static, both function
and appeal. The internal function of a bamboo shank, as far as pipe smoking,
has nothing to do with its surface and much to do with its internal
absorption properties.

FWIW,

-RCH