Tagua Nut (Vegetable Ivory)

Tagua is the name given to the ripened seed of ivory palms (genus Phytelephas) that grow in the tropical forests of South America. When the nutritive tissue inside the seed dries, it hardens like stone and takes on a matte white, faintly veined surface. This appearance is what earned the material the name "vegetable ivory." In the pipe world, tagua is known less as a bowl material than as one used for ornamentation and shank extensions.

Source and Properties of the Material

The ivory palm is found chiefly in Ecuador, in the rainforests along the western slopes of the Andes. The tree can take up to fifteen years to bear its first fruit; once mature, it goes on bearing fruit for decades. Inside the large, hard-shelled fruit clusters borne by female trees are seeds several centimeters across, arranged in rows. An unripe seed is soft and edible in texture; hardness only emerges over the drying process.

Once dried, the seed becomes too resistant to carve with a knife; working it requires a saw, files, and sandpaper. On the other hand, it lends itself well to cutting, drilling, and polishing to a high gloss; in this respect its behavior on the bench resembles animal ivory. Because dye only penetrates the outer layer, colored pieces show the white core in contrast with the darker surface. Records indicate it became one of the main raw materials for the button industry starting in the 1880s, a use that largely declined as plastic spread.

Use in Pipes

Tagua's most common function in a pipe is as the shank extension or decorative band placed between the shank and the stem. A seed no more than a few centimeters across is often not suited to producing a full-length pipe body; but it's more than enough for a thin band or a short extension. The contrast the white surface creates against dark briar and black vulkanit is what draws makers who choose the material for ornamentation. Even so, the number of makers who use tagua is limited, and the material isn't counted among the main materials in pipe making.

In Ecuador, local craftsmen are known to carve small pipes by hollowing out a whole tagua seed: the top of the seed is opened into a bowl shape, and a channel is drilled from inside toward the stem. These are mostly figural, souvenir-grade pieces. Being a plant-based tissue, the material isn't expected to withstand sustained burning heat as well as briar or meerschaum; in this respect tagua repeats a pattern seen in most bowl materials other than briar: an eye-catching surface, a limited service life.

The material's current appeal isn't just about looks. Growing sensitivity toward the trade in animal ivory has made tagua a well-regarded alternative. The seeds are collected from fallen fruit without harming the tree; this commercial value also helps keep the palm standing in areas cleared for agriculture. The Ecuadorian ivory palm is currently listed as "near threatened" by the IUCN.