Material. The cannons are 12mm stainless steel bars wrapped in bark tanned leather to a finished 14mm. Leather carries no metal taste and does not draw heat from the mouth, so there is no cold metal contact at the start of work. Saliva softens the covering until it takes the shape of that individual mouth and holds it, and the surface gives slightly under load, spreading the bearing wider than bare steel of the same diameter. The stainless core keeps the geometry and the strength unchanged, so nothing is given up for the softness. The leather is hand stitched with the seam running along the front of the mouthpiece, away from the tongue, and tapered down to a smooth finish where it meets the joints. Colour comes from vegetable oil and deepens with use. The centre lozenge is Aurion, a high copper concentrated alloy, which adds a taste stimulus that leather alone does not give.
Allow 2 to 5mm clearance at each side so the centre ring can rotate. Leather does not slide across the lips the way polished steel does, so do not fit tight. A backstrap is recommended, as it holds the bit steadier and limits rotation of the cheek.
Size and fit
| 4.5" | 5" | 5.5" |
|---|
| 115 mm | 125 mm | 140 mm |
Mouthpiece | 14 mm | 14 mm | 14 mm |
Core | 12 mm | 12 mm | 12 mm |
Centre ring | 65 mm | 65 mm | 65 mm |
