EBONITE
L’ebonite (hard rubber) has replaced materials like bones and oxen-horns that were used in the origin. During World War II, due to the lack of raw materials, mouthpieces were even made of beech-wood and then painted in black colour: they were stricktly hand made therefore their production was not so large but enough for pipes hand made, as well.
Ebonite is a material created by Charles Goodyear (1800-1860) - inventor of the vulcanization process - and by the English Thomas Hancock (1786-1865). It is a compound very similar to real plastic materials and to rubber; its high complex molecular structure makes up the unique character of this material: it is characterized by a high dielectric power and has a considerable resistance to chemical products; it is quite hard and non-flexible. Further to be employed in the production of mouthpieces for smokers’ pipes, ebonite finds ample usage in the construction of pipes, tanks, partitions for electric batteries, anti-corrosion coverings, frames for photographic plates, mouthpieces for musical instruments, bowling balls and fountain-pens.
For the production of our ebonite mouthpieces, we create a mixture of syntetic and natural rubbers with the addition of sulphur (25-50%), organic and mineral matters: at first, the mixture is extruded, then it is preformed by compression using a mould made of two parts to obtain the correct shape of the mouthpiece.
As last, it needs a very long vulcanization time that allows it to obtain all properties that ebonite has. Our production process is completely artisan-made.
If well designed, ebonite mouthpieces are comfortable and quite resistant. When they are polished, their surface becomes glossy and brilliant; if they are warmed up, they get soft. Mainly pipe smokers appreciate and prefer ebonite because it does not change the taste of the smoke and keeps it warm, thus avoiding the phenomenon of the quick cooling that produces humidity.