Briar Collection

If you are looking for a handle material that is as tough as it is beautiful, Briar is the gold standard. Technically a burl wood, it is renowned worldwide for its extreme hardness and resistance to heat. It feels solid and substantial in the hand, offering a dense, polished surface that seems impervious to the elements.

Visually, Briar is a spectacle of nature. Because it is harvested from the root burl rather than the trunk, the grain is tight, swirled, and chaotic. It is famous for its "Birdseye" pattern - tiny, tight circles that speckle the wood like drops of rain. The colour is typically a warm, deep reddish-brown or amber, often glowing with a natural iridescence when polished.

Where can it be found? Briar comes from the Erica arborea (Tree Heath), a shrub native to the Mediterranean basin. It is found in the rocky, arid soils of Corsica, Italy, France, and Greece. The wood used for handles is not the branches, but the "burl",a large, tuber-like growth that forms underground between the roots and the stem to store water during long droughts.

Where else is it used? Briar is the undisputed king of tobacco pipes. For over a century, it has been the premier material for high-end pipe making because it breathes, absorbs moisture and crucially, does not burn. If it can withstand the burning embers of tobacco, it can certainly handle anything your kitchen or pocket throws at it.

Did you know? Briar is a material that demands patience. The root burl takes decades to grow large enough to be usable—often 30 to 60 years. once harvested, it isn't ready to cut immediately. The roots must be boiled for several hours to remove the sap and resin, then dried slowly for months or even years to ensure the wood doesn't crack, making every finished piece a triumph of time.