As is often the case, it's important to dig deep and get to the root of the matter. The same can be said of pipe wood. If it weren't for bruyère, your new pride and joy would simply go up in smoke, tobacco and all, just as you were breaking it in.

On hearing the term "coupeur", a newcomer might well have a number of interesting ideas as to what it could mean but probably nothing concrete. A pipe lover, on the other hand, will prick up his ears at the very sound of this French word. He knows exactly what's behind this rare guild that contributes to making his enjoyment of smoking so safe.

Heather: that's all the word bruyère means in France. Among pipe aficionados it is the internationally recognized designation for wood derived from wild briar (Erica arborea). It provides the raw material used to make pipes and grows exclusively in the Mediterranean region. Every attempt at cultivating it elsewhere has so far failed.