Amber: A petrified pine resin used in the 1800's as a source for mouthpieces and stems.
Bit: The end of the mouthpiece that goes in the mouth.
Bowl: The chamber of the pipe where the tobacco is packed, lit, and smoked.
Briar: The wood from the burl found at the base of the White Heath Tree used in pipe making. Found only in the Mediterranean Sea area.
Carnauba Wax: The wax applied to briar pipes that enables the pores to breath and protects the wood from dirt and stains.
Cumberland Stem: A stem made of composite materials giving it a vein or stripped appearance.
Ebauchon: The center portion of the briar burl characterized by having an undefined grain pattern.
Fill: An area that covers a minor imperfection in the wood and then stained.
Firewood: A term referring to carved pipe blanks that are discarded or burned because of a major defect in the wood.
Fraising Machine: A pipe-making machine that shapes the bowl, shank, and heel of the pipe by turning the block of wood while a chisel cuts the wood automatically.
Meerschaum: A soft stone of fossilized sea animals used to make pipes. Often mistaken for ivory, this medium colors as the pipe is smoked.
Military Mount: A friction fit stem that does not use a tenon and mortise construct. Often the entire diameter of the stem fits into the mortise of the pipe.
Mortise: An opening in the shank of the pipe where the stem fits snugly into the bowl.
Mouthpiece: The part of a pipe the smoker places in his mouth to smoke and balance the pipe.
Plateau Briar: The outer cut of the burl and is distinguished by tight, straight grain.
Rustication: A surface treatment of a wood pipe to give it a rough texture.
Sandblast: A finishing technique in which the pipe bowl and shank is sprayed with sand to texture the surface.
Shank: The area of the pipe that connects the bowl to the stem or mouthpiece.
Diamond Shank: A shank that is diamond in shape in respect to the bowl.
Oval Shank: A shank that is oval in shape in respect to the bowl.
Square Shank: A shank that is square in shape in respect to the bowl.
Spigot: Similar to the military mount but in which both the stem and shank are capped in metal.
Stem: Synonymous with mouthpiece.
Tenon: The projecting part of the stem that fits into the mortise of the shank of the pipe.