Bamboo Apple

6" long, 1 7/8" tall, 3/4" bore and 1.45" stroke. 41g. Bamboo shank with natural horn floc. Handcut vulcanite stem with stainless tenon.
 
Every so often I wind up with a stummel or a piece of briar that calls for a bamboo shank; there is a box for those. Those pieces sit until I forget what a pain in the tuchus it is to make a bamboo shank, and think, "You know, I haven't done a bamboo shank in a little while."
 
There was a time -- thinking of old Dunhills here -- when makers would just sand the bamboo like it was any other material without caring too much, but now the aesthetic standard is for the outer skin to remain unbroken, as much as possible at least. Above ground, this skin on the stalk is hard as glass, but on the underground rhizome, which is what the pipe shank is, the skin is only a couple thou thick and is about as tough as your wife's feelings on your anniversary. Sanding level across the briar and the vulcanite without nicking the bamboo is something I'd probably get faster at if I did it a lot, but right now I don't reckon I'll do another one for a little while.