just going to post this link cuz of the maple comment. http://workshoppages.com/WS/Misc/Wood-Hardness-Chart.pdf
As far as costs come in to play and all that, maple is still a decently hard wood, and on top of that a lot of those harder woods are more exotic (making them more expensive), and some dust from those hard woods are not good for the body (bloodwood and purpleheart for example are among that, where you even working with it in a shop you should be wary, another is spanish cedar like they use in humidors)
search for a maple tobacco pipe online and let me know how many you find There's just certain woods that are used for smoking pipes and ones that aren't. yuh worried about dust from certain wood, how about the smoke going into your lungs from others.. Soft woods, carbs, chambers, all of these things have nothing to do with smoking pipes. Fact is proper wood used in smoking pipes are all rather exotic.
i have 2 wooden pipes, not home made though, i enjoy them from time to time, i get bored of smoking the same pipes over and over. gotta have variety good idea though op! keep us updated
Its sick but you need the right tools http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=kGUtBBe2BX0&desktop_uri=/watch?v=kGUtBBe2BX0
When I was a HS senior I made a pipe in wood shop. Took a rectangular piece of wood, drilled the bowl and other holes with a drill press, and used the table sanders to shape the outside. Thing was badass, but I don't have it anymore. I was really proud of it
