Peace Pipe

[badgreek]

I am trying to make an indian peace pipe. So far i have made the bowl out of a piece of curly maple.It's T-shaped with a 5/8" bowl. I shaped and sanded it and am pleased on how it turned out. My problem is making the stem.I want to make the stem around 15-20" long. What is the best way to make a hole thru the center? I have tryed using a wire heated to cherry red and tryed burning thru the center.This method is very slow,took me a half an hour to burn thru a 1/2" :surrender: Any ideas guys?

 

[BillinOregon]

Nicholas: Go with a reed or cane (or bamboo) stem and use the wire to burn through the nodes at the joints. Cane can be straightened with heat and gentle pressure, by the way.

 

[Birdman]

Nick, many were made by splitting the stem lengthwise and carving out the passage for the smoke, then glueing the two pieces back together, then finally doing all the carving n decorating.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Nick, many were made by splitting the stem lengthwise and carving out the passage for the smoke, then glueing the two pieces back together, then finally doing all the carving n decorating.

Exactly.

 

[omarick1948]

What type of PC glue would the NA used back then that would hold together?

:idunno:

 

[John Wasmuth]

Hide glue, nowdays its called tight bond. Or Elmers.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Hide glue, nowdays its called tight bond. Or Elmers.

While Frankin makes both hide glue and titebond glues they are different products. Hide glues would be period correct. Titebond is not, but titebond 111 is water resistant, hide glue is not!

 

[John Wasmuth]

Still made outa animal hides, parts and pieces. Elmers is still made outa animal hides parts and pieces. Tight bond may have a water inhibitor to repell water however it is still hide glue. It is a liquid protien emulsion.

 

[Birdman]

Nick if ya should go the route I suggested a hint might help. After ya carve out the groove the smoke will pass through put a hunk of string heavy enough to just fill it up in the groove. Make it long enough that you can grab it on one end, let your glue set up for maybe 6 or 7 minutes then pull the string out of the groove, that way the glue doesnt squeeze into the groove and block it off. When yer all done letting it set up n dry you can always run a hot wire through the hole to give it that authentic look n also make sure the hole is free n clear of glue. Beside the glue it never hurts towrap the stem in several places with some form of cord or even sinnew(sp) to help hold it all together n give it some stability. Remember that the " peace pipe" most folks think of was a plains Nation pipe. If yer doing an Eastern impression then a clay pipe would be more authentic for you to have. Also the "Pipe" was BIG MEDICINE AND IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT ANY WHITES WOULD HAVE ONE UNLESS IT WAS FROM THE SPOILS OF WAR OR HE SOMEHOW STOLE IT. Just somthing to think about before spending the time n effort of making one. there was a ton of religious conotation that went with a "peace pipe" it wasn't yer everyday set n have a relaxing smoke type of pipe. of course this is al My own humble opinion, YMHS Birdman

 

[David W.]

I am trying to make an indian peace pipe. So far i have made the bowl out of a piece of curly maple.It's T-shaped with a 5/8" bowl. I shaped and sanded it and am pleased on how it turned out. My problem is making the stem.I want to make the stem around 15-20" long. What is the best way to make a hole thru the center? I have tryed using a wire heated to cherry red and tryed burning thru the center.This method is very slow,took me a half an hour to burn thru a 1/2" :surrender: Any ideas guys?

I don't want to discourgae you from making the bowl out of curly maple, but I am afraind it may burn out pretty quick. I think you should at least choose cherry wood. Many native American pipe bowls are made from soap stone.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Many made from pipe stone bowl and cedar stems.

 

[David W.]

Pipe stone?

 

[hoochiepapa]

Pipestone. Otherwise known as catlinite.
I think you can get all the fixin's at Crazy Crow, including a ready-made stem. I got this locally. I've also read that when you get it all cut out and sanded the way you want, to coat it with Vaseline? Anybody know?

 

[John Wasmuth]

Pipe stone?

Catlinite. Comes from Minnesota. People from the nations would go there and gather pipestone, there was always a truce as it was a sacred place to the people and fights would taint the earth there.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Mike, The elders say they used tallow, never did say from what, so it could be deer, buffalo, elk, etc.

 

[hoochiepapa]

Thanks, I was hoping you would respond to that, I want to do it right.
That block is big enough for two pipes, if I do it right. And we got plenty of western red cedar. :v

 

[John Wasmuth]

Personal pipes are maller than cerimonial pipes, so if you keep that in mind you can maybe make more.

 

[badgreek]

Thanks again to everybody for the good advise and ideas. Birdman's idea of spliting the wood and cutting a groove down the middle worked out good for me.I used a bandsaw to cut the dowel down the middle then i used a 3/16" chisel to cut the groove.I have alittle more sanding and shaping to do on the stem but, it looks pretty good for the first one. I learned alot from making it so the next one (I hope)will come out even better.P.S. I was inspired to make one when i watched Jeramiah Jonhson and he smoked the pipe with the Crow indian named One Who Wears A Red Shirt.

 

[dyemaker]

I thought bowls were made of bloodstone. I may be mistaken or catalite may be bloodstone but it sure does'nt look like what I call bloodstone. Then again It may depend on where and when and maybe there may be more than one rock commonly called bloodstone. I was looking at animal efigy pipes from Ohio moundbuilders. Very interesting it was as some of the animals were from far away places. Manatee and elephant for instance. Pipes were used for ceremonies other than "peace pipes". The animal efigy pipes were used by shamans in "animal medicine" ceremonies.

 

[David W.]

Thanks micanopy and mike brines. I know what catalite is, but was not sure pipe stone is the same thing or not.