Stone Pipe

[t.caster]

This stone pie was made by a friend of mine back in the 1980s. He has since retired from muzzleloading and has dispersed his plunder.
I was wondering if this type of pipe (soapstone I believe) is supposed to have a stem or smoked & displayed as is? I have some bamboo stems I use for clay pipes and corncob pipes.
Thanks.
Tom C

[Daryl]

By the shape of the "stem", appears to me, that is the mouth piece, Tom.

[t.caster]

I kind of thought so too, but you'll get a hot lips from it. Perhaps it's ceremonial only.

[Tim Crosby]

 A shot in the dark: Wonder if maybe the stem fit over that bulge and was secured with a wrap of sort. I saw an original with a rather flat stem once.
 I would think if that  was the mouth piece it would be awfully not only hot but hard to hold. 

    Tim

[Richard]

My opinion… it would have a stem. Otherwise the smoke doesn’t have time to cool making it harsh and unpleasant. I am not aware of any native North American pipes that used only the bowl piece.
(Well except the ones used at rock concerts in the 1970’s and they had a mesh screen 😊)
Its possible cane was used but my guess is leaning towards the stem being carved from a wood that has a soft pith. The pith being either burned or drilled out. Somewhere I remember reading where a branch was set into hot animal fat and allowed for the pith to soak up the oil. Then a beetle was placed in a small cavity at one end, and covered with pine pitch. The beetle would chew the flavored pith to the other end leaving a perfect hole.
Looks like you have another project.

Something like this.

[Daryl]

Somewhat hot on the nose while lighting, too.

[Notchy Bob]

I made a few soapstone pipes years ago.  There were some "elbow" pipes made of clay by eastern natives that did not have a separate stem, but these had an elongated tube which served as a stem.  There were tubular pipes of stone and of bone that had no stem, but as short as this pipe is, I would think it would need a stem of some sort.  Typically, these would be inserted into the horizontal extension of the stone pipe, but the diameter of the hole for inserting the wood or cane stem would usually be in the neighborhood of 3/8" to 1/2", and the hole in that pipe looks too small.  I'm not sure what to make of the little "batwings" on either side of the mouth or stem hole, either.  Hard to know what he was thinking.  Does this pipe show evidence of having been used?

Notchy Bob

[t.caster]

Notchy Bob,
Yes, it appears to have been smoked at least once or twice. I think I will drill it for a bamboo stem.