Long before pipe smoking was discovered in Europe, it was already being practised in other parts of the world. The Mayans smoked tobacco 2,000 years ago, as did the indigenous peoples of South America, although mostly only in ceremonies. Tobacco finally arrived in Europe in the 15th century.

Initially, smoking tobacco was reserved for the nobility – or it was used in medicine. After tobacco was banned around 1600, the commercial production of pipes began. The first pipes were made of clay and meerschaum. It was not until later that they were made from the wood of the tree heath, or briar.

This tuber of the heather plant (Erica arborea) grows exclusively in the Mediterranean region.

It probably serves as a store for the plant during the warm summer months and cold winters. This is why the wood is what it is: very hard, yet light and breathable.

It takes about 30 years for the tuber to reach the size of a football. It is harvested exclusively in winter. Root and plant residues are removed and reburied to protect the stock.

In very rare cases, after splitting the tuber, one finds extremely good quality wood, known as plateau wood, from which the finest pipes are carved.

Two-thirds of the tuber is waste, which is why briar wood is so expensive.

The plateau woods are characterised by an excellent grain, for example:

• Straight Grain – straight grain
• Flame Grain – irregular flame grain
• Bird's Eye – bird's eye grain (similar to small knotholes)

After rough sawing, the scantlings are boiled in a copper vat for 12–24 hours. The minerals contained in the wood are dissolved and growth is stopped.

The staves are then left to dry for 1–2 months. Only then do they reach the manufacturers, who sometimes store them for even longer before processing them into the beautiful pipes we enjoy.