Q&A

When were clay pipes used in Ireland?

When were clay pipes used in Ireland?

Using the original tools and techniques, clay pipes are painstakingly hand made using the same skills employed by the artisan’s centuries ago. It was the popularising of tobacco by Sir Walter Raleigh at the end of the 16th Century that led to the growth of the clay pipes in Ireland.

How do you date clay pipes?

Clay pipe bowls can be dated with some certainty according to their shape, size and decoration, and with even more accuracy if they feature a maker’s-mark on the ‘heel’, the protrusion under the bowl. The top pipe bowl above dates from 1640-60 while the one below is a fairly typical decorated one from 1780-1820.

When were clay pipes used?

16th century
Clay smoking pipes were first used in Britain in the 16th century following the importation of tobacco from the Americas. Early pipes tend to have small bowls as tobacco was relatively expensive at the period.

How were old clay pipes made?

The traditional techniques for making a clay pipe were practised from the 1580s. Clays were prepared, and blanks or ‘dummies’ were rolled. A wire was inserted along the stem and the dummy was pressed in a pre-oiled, two-part mould. A stopper is then inserted to form the bowl and the wire pushed through into the bowl.

What are clay pipes called?

terra cotta
Clay pipes, sometimes called terra cotta, are very susceptible to root intrusion and leaks. Once those tiny tree roots invade the pipe via a loose joint, the roots grow bigger and eventually break away the clay much like tree roots raise concrete sidewalk panels.

How old is a clay pipe?

The history of clay pipes dates to at least the 16th century, with some scholarly sources indicating they were produced in England around 1558, shortly after the introduction of tobacco from North America.

How do you clean clay pipes?

To clean a clay pipe, gently wipe out the bowl with a slightly damp rag, or, for deeper cleaning, set it on the very top rack of your oven, as close to the top as possible, and set the oven to “Self-Cleaning” mode. This will eliminate any residue left in the pipe.

How long did a clay pipe last?

Clay pipes are extremely durable, as has been proven over periods of hundreds and even thousands of years in service. Clay pipes have long been the preferred option in a broad range of aggressive conditions and can carry all effluents acceptable to sewage treatment plants.

Where did the clay for Irish pipes come from?

When I send the smoke a-curling from my soft clay Dublin pipe. From The Gael, 1904. *According to our research, most of the Irish pipes made of clay are created from clay imported from England. This may explain why the English government did not ban pipe smoking – there was a business interest involved.

Who was the first person to smoke a clay pipe?

Pipes of clay were first smoked in England after the introduction of tobacco from Virginia in the late 16th Century. Devon born sea captain, Sir Walter Raleigh, who founded colonies in the New World, was one of the first to promote this novel habit, although religious leaders did not approve and persecuted people for it.

When did Knockcroghery stop making clay pipes?

Production of the pipes in Knockcroghery ceased abruptly in 1921, when the village was burned down by the Black & Tans during the War of Independence. In 1997, Ethel Kelly revived the craft on the original site of Curley’s clay-pipe factory, using the tools, moulds and methods dating back almost three centuries.

When did the clay pipe industry reach its peak?

By 1700 the clay pipe industry, like many others involved in trade, reached a peak and the pipe in the picture above with the makers initials on the side is a good example of how much larger the bowls had become and how the form had taken on a more refined upright shape rather than the bulbous forms of the earlier smaller pieces.