Briar - seems mysterious to me

[paulbookbinder]

With any other type of wood, be it walnut, pine, maple, when I think of "grain" I think of the lines created by the annual growth rings. With Briar, the "grain" I think I am seeing are the vascular channels that run through the burl. On my smooth pipes I can clearly see this grain, and I can see that it ends in birdseye, so I know (or think I know) that those are the vascular channels. What I can't see are the typical "rings" of annual growth, yet in sandblasted pipes people talk about the "perfect ring grain" that the sandblasting creates, as if they are talking about annual growth rings. Does the burl of the briar indeed have annual growth rings like any other wood, and if so why is it not visible on the surface of a smooth pipe???


thank you,


Paul

 

[tyler]

With any other type of wood, be it walnut, pine, maple, when I think of "grain" I think of the lines created by the annual growth rings. With Briar, the "grain" I think I am seeing are the vascular channels that run through the burl. On my smooth pipes I can clearly see this grain, and I can see that it ends in birdseye, so I know (or think I know) that those are the vascular channels. What I can't see are the typical "rings" of annual growth, yet in sandblasted pipes people talk about the "perfect ring grain" that the sandblasting creates, as if they are talking about annual growth rings. Does the burl of the briar indeed have annual growth rings like any other wood, and if so why is it not visible on the surface of a smooth pipe???


thank you,


Paul

As i understand it, the ridges of a blast are the growth rings. They are visible before blasting in some pipes, but usually not. And too, you are correct that what we call grain are the vascular capillaries. FWIW, the "ring grain" runs ninety degrees from the "straight grain."