What‘s grain?

Just like with wood, in general, where the number of rings indicates the age of the tree, the grain functions in the same way for the briar. The harder and older a pipe of briar is, the tighter the "veins" on it are. There are different patterns that can be found on a pipe: Straight Grain (the most sought-after and the most expensive), Bird‘s Eye (where the crossing of different "veins" creates what looks like little eyes of birds), Ring Grain (horizontal lines, which is the result of the maker‘s decision to cut the briar piece sideways), and Cross Grain (which is a mixture of different patterns).

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