Celtic Bog Pipe
The pipes are available in two sizes: around 2 ¾ inches and around 4 inches. Each one is hand-crafted by Rob, from the bog oak he collects, dries and carves - so each pipe is one of a kind.
The colour varies with the oak, from almost black to a deep raw umber: no two ancient trees are the same colour and the grain can sometimes be seen.
Historically, the wood was used for pipes because underground currents in the bogs erased all traces of tannin, resin and other ingredients - providing a neutral-tasting smoke.
It’s a traditional craft that has, perhaps inevitably, all but disappeared. We offer pieces that are beautiful and tactile, offering a tangible connection to Ireland’s ancient past - and that always provide a smooth smoke.
What is Bog Oak?
After the Ice Age retreated from Ireland, there were thousands of years where Ireland became completely covered by rich oak and pine forest - a landscape that thrived for five thousand years, before the climate shifted to favour peat-growing plants which eventually took over.
The oak forests collapsed into the peat bogs; deprived of oxygen and in the particular anaerobic and acidic conditions of Irish bog, the trees were preserved from decay over thousands of years, absorbing the tannins in the earth around it and turning darker. The bog oak we use represents the first step in the wood’s fossilisation.
The pipes are available in two sizes: around 2 ¾ inches and around 4 inches. Each one is hand-crafted by Rob, from the bog oak he collects, dries and carves - so each pipe is one of a kind.
The colour varies with the oak, from almost black to a deep raw umber: no two ancient trees are the same colour and the grain can sometimes be seen.
Historically, the wood was used for pipes because underground currents in the bogs erased all traces of tannin, resin and other ingredients - providing a neutral-tasting smoke.
It’s a traditional craft that has, perhaps inevitably, all but disappeared. We offer pieces that are beautiful and tactile, offering a tangible connection to Ireland’s ancient past - and that always provide a smooth smoke.
What is Bog Oak?
After the Ice Age retreated from Ireland, there were thousands of years where Ireland became completely covered by rich oak and pine forest - a landscape that thrived for five thousand years, before the climate shifted to favour peat-growing plants which eventually took over.
The oak forests collapsed into the peat bogs; deprived of oxygen and in the particular anaerobic and acidic conditions of Irish bog, the trees were preserved from decay over thousands of years, absorbing the tannins in the earth around it and turning darker. The bog oak we use represents the first step in the wood’s fossilisation.
The pipes are available in two sizes: around 2 ¾ inches and around 4 inches. Each one is hand-crafted by Rob, from the bog oak he collects, dries and carves - so each pipe is one of a kind.
The colour varies with the oak, from almost black to a deep raw umber: no two ancient trees are the same colour and the grain can sometimes be seen.
Historically, the wood was used for pipes because underground currents in the bogs erased all traces of tannin, resin and other ingredients - providing a neutral-tasting smoke.
It’s a traditional craft that has, perhaps inevitably, all but disappeared. We offer pieces that are beautiful and tactile, offering a tangible connection to Ireland’s ancient past - and that always provide a smooth smoke.
What is Bog Oak?
After the Ice Age retreated from Ireland, there were thousands of years where Ireland became completely covered by rich oak and pine forest - a landscape that thrived for five thousand years, before the climate shifted to favour peat-growing plants which eventually took over.
The oak forests collapsed into the peat bogs; deprived of oxygen and in the particular anaerobic and acidic conditions of Irish bog, the trees were preserved from decay over thousands of years, absorbing the tannins in the earth around it and turning darker. The bog oak we use represents the first step in the wood’s fossilisation.