native style pipe

[uncleduck]

Any one ever make a NA style pipe? Just looking for advice/ get pointed in the right direction before I start. Thanks

[Pat B]

With soapstone or Katlinite? Do a search on "Primitive Skills". It seems not so long ago someone posted pics of a pipe.

[Wolf Watcher]

Am making one as we speak for my brother.  Using Katlinite for for the bowl and mouth piece and juniper for the stem.  Since the bowl needs to be unattached when not in use I plan to make a display stand and a white deer hide scabbard for transport.  Joe

[BowEd]

Yes.If you get close to Pipestone,Minnesota the natives there will sell ya some pipestone,or have a bowl made to your liking.Red or possibly green too although I think the green pipestone is from another part of the country.

[JW_Halverson]

I have made a couple.  It carves pretty easy with just the usual tools.  Pick up a couple of cheap hacksaw blades to saw out the general shape.  Then switch to cheap carving knives to get your finish shape.  A cheap set of junky carving chisels will allow you to more detailed carving.  Pick up a couple small cheap files at a pawn shop or flea market...mighty handy for creating flat surfaces.  Then finish with little pieces of sandpaper, going finer and finer to work out the carving marks.  Once you have it finished, heat the stone slowly in a 180 degree oven for about 10 minutes and rub beeswax into it. 

Notice how I keep harping on cheap tools?  That's cuz this stuff will ruin good woodworking tools. Wicked sharp tools are not a necessity for working this mudstone/Catlinite.  If you have a mortar and pestle, save the chips and bits, as well as the dust.  A little work with the mortar and pestle and it can be turned into a flour consistency.  You can mix it with a binder like hide glue as an earth pigment.   

[KrisDelger]

Made one quite some time ago but I cheated and used a scrap of briar for the bowl  and a polished bone (sanitized obviously) mouth piece sadly I gave it away at a black powder meetup. I'll have to see if the guy still has it around so he can snap some pictures for me.

[uncleduck]

Thanks for the advice. I did a search like Pat B suggested (probably should have done that first) and found a few good posts on the subject. As far as making a stem, I guessing most use a wood with a pith that can be pushed/burnt out(with a hot wore perhaps)? or some sort of cane that is already hollow? I guess I am looking to avoid the power drill route, keeping it in the primitive skills realm.

[BowEd]

uncleduck....It's easily worked stuff as said.You can drill it too.Use your imagination.Draw up a plan and go for it.The powder pigment should be rubbed in with a wooden stick or bone stick onto rawhide that is.I think Indian Guy could tell ya even more about that.

[BowEd]

Diddo on the stem.Wire with a hot tip.

[searcher]

hi guys,

i,ve made a couple native american style pipes catlinite bowls and cedar stems

the pic is a 20" stem with a almost 6" bowl along with white elkskin pipe bag and
matching tobacco bag decorated with crow beads turkey and pheasant feathers horse
hair and hawk bells

[BowEd]

That bowl looks great.Nice use of those crow beads & horse hair too.

[Oglala Bowyer]

I'd like to chime in if I may, I typically make 8-10 pipes in a summer as this is when a lot of people ask me to make them for ceremonial purposes. I prefer ash as it is very strong and drill the stem. I used to burn the pith with a rod but have since stopped because as the hot wire passes thru it typically will burn passed the pith not by much but enough to suck in hot ash. This may happen with your cedar as it is a softer wood. Before becoming a bowyer I was strictly a pipe maker.  The alternative would be to split it in half and carve out the pith which I've done hundreds of times. During the winter I cut up to 20 ash stems. About half will be workable stems. I use catlinite and from time to time steatite aka black pipe stone.  In short, I would not recommend burning out the pith with a hot wire.  Good luck

[Olanigw (Pekane)]

Well, what Nation's style are you shooting for?
My folks used Sumac.  Way back they split and carved the stem, more recently they drilled.

I use this guy's method:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgjheMgxZsQ

The wire needs to have enough malleability to follow the pith, and be tough enough to not break on you.

Cheers,
Pekane