Does Shape Really Matter?

[GreenDragon]

So Deluxestogie's (Bob) publication of his awesome book on home blended pipe tobacco recipes inspired me to look into getting a pipe. I've made a few blends of DIY pipe tobacco for a few of my friends who are pipe smokers and I've gotten good reviews, but not having a pipe I haven't tried them myself.

Now free tobacco is free tobacco, and not many smokers will turn that down! But I would like to know if I actually have a nice blend or not LOL. Generally my blend is this: 80% cigar rolling scraps, 10% homemade Cavendish, 10% Perique (WLT) that has been pressed in a vice for a week to blend, then the cake is shredded and bagged.

Anyway, doing some research into pipes what I have found is that the main advice in choosing a pipe is to find one that "Speaks to you". So does that mean that the shape/material of a pipe has no effect on the quality of the smoke it produces? To me this does not jive with other instructions such as keeping the smoke / pipe cool during a session, etc. Using this logic, a thin bowl with a long stem like a Churchwarden would be the default shape as it would naturally radiate the most heat, or even the new metal "Radiator" pipes with a metal bottom/stem and a wooden bowl.

So! Long time pipe smokers who have a large collection of pipes (looking at you Sid) does the shape really affect the flavor / quality of the smoke or is it all down to ergonomics and preference? What would be a good "first pipe" shape? What's the difference between a $90 apple and a $400 apple shaped pipe?

 

[CobGuy]

The pipe is my main smoking implement and I have everything from Cobs to $400+ artisan made pipes.
Honestly ... an MM Cob (with the wooden bottom plug) is every bit as good at delivering a great smoke as my highest end pipe.
High prices are about aesthetics, for the most part ... fit and finish.
The best all around models, IMHO, are the MM County Gentleman, Diplomat 5th Ave, and Mark Twain (great for flakes).

Now, let's talk shape and the effect on smoke!
In GENERAL, larger and wider bowls make multi-constituent blends meld better ... English / Lat blends in an Author or Pot, for example.
Taller and more narrow pipes, such as a Chimney / Stack ( Diplomat 5th Avenue) seem to help Virginia's and Va/Per's concentrate as they go.
I'd say one of my all-time favorite combo's is a Burley blend in the MM Country Gent ... heaven!

Filters ... personal choice and try it both ways. (I don't care for them and never use them.)

Hope that helps some!

~Darin

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

This is my experienced opinion. I wonder if @Sid.Stavros who probably can explain more will notice this thread.

In Canadian prices, there is a fairly steep initial change in quality based on price. In other words, a $60 briar is significantly better wood than a $20 briar. I wouldn't touch a briar under $60. It would probably burn a bit of wood on every smoke and ruin the taste. Quality of wood to $ ratio becomes less when you go up. A $150 pipe is usually better than a $100 pipe, (but not always). But when you go above $150 Canadian dollars, there are slight improvements in reliability (you shouldn't buy a $250 pipe and discover it to be a lousy pipe), but you really start paying for appearance of the grain structure, brand name, artistry, rarity, and exotic materials, (general male endowment enhancement qualities).

I don't know how Canadian prices translate to American ones, but here, a $100 to $125 first briar is a reasonable proposition.

Shape is mostly about what you like, like how it feels to you in your hand. There are practical matters to consider. Will you be putting it down in random places and want a flat bottom so it will stand up? Do you want it to fit in your jacket pocket? Will you be always holding it, or do you want a light pipe which you can hold in your teeth, or a heavier one with a full bend so you can still go hands -free while it rests on your chin?

I think first pipers should avoid pipes where the inside of the bowl is tapered/V-shaped, where the top of the bowl shape is oval, and where the tobacco bowl doesn't go straight down. These things make it difficult to learn to pack properly.

 

[deluxestogie]

• Start with a Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipe. Make it a decent size (no funny ones, like mini or long-stem). See if you even enjoy smoking, before spending big money.
• A thin-walled pipe can become quite uncomfortable to hold. Thicker bowls are more comfortable.
• Some of my most visually appealing pipes (some expensive, some not) are handsome things to show off to others, but style doesn't equate with its smoking qualities. If you intend to make a fashion statement, then you'll have to go with "Speaks to you."
• If you expect to clench your pipe (hold it by your teeth, while not holding it in a hand), then lighter is better than massive. Clenching always eventually destroys the bit.
• The interior diameter of the bowl relates to smoke volume. Fatter tobacco holes lead to a denser smoke, because more of the tobacco is simultaneously combusting. I typically aim for at least 0.7 inch inside diameter.
• The depth of the bowl directly determines the duration of the bowl-full. I prefer at least 1.2 inches, usually a bit more. Very deep bowls (like an Oom Paul) provide a long smoke, and are more prone to moisture build-up at the bottom.

After nearly a half-century of pipe smoking, I have finally gravitated to the frumpy looking Canadian and Lovat styles (long briar shank with a shorter bit), because they seem to smoke better.
I have tried pipes with and without "radiator" gadgets. They are wholly unnecessary, unless you are smoking gloppy, top-dressed, cased pipe tobaccos (typical of so-called Aromatics), which generate a lot of bitter condensate. In pipes that I own that came with such a device, I have long since removed them.

If you look at quality brands of pipes, like Stanwell, you should be able to snag a decent one for $40 to $50. Last year, I found an "ugly" red brushed, rusticated Stanwell Canadian from PipesAndCigars.com on a special sale (nobody was buying them!) for $19.95. All of Stanwell, including that one, went right back up to about $60 each shortly thereafter.

Bob

 

[Alpine]

I seldom smoke a pipe these days, but I’ve been a pipe smoker for a couple of years. I own many pipes (briar, almost all Savinelli) and last year, on a whim, I bought a bag of seconds from MM. Now corn cobs are my favorites. For the first time pipe smoker, my advice would be to buy some cobs in different shapes (the ones that look more attractive to the eye) try to smoke them and see if pipe smoking is good for you. I still enjoy a pipeful from time to time, but I’m stuck with cigarettes for various reasons.
Check www.corncobpipe.com and see what is there, the “seven days seconds” could be a good starting point.

Pier

 

[Charly]

A lot of things have already been said, but if I can add my two cents :
The pipe renders your tobacco differently depending on a few factors :
- the material(s) of the pipe (clay, corn cob, meerschaum, briar, morta, other wood...)
- the shape (size of the bowl, shape of the bowl)
- thickness of the walls
- size of the air passage
- lenght of the stem
- ...
All these parameters alter the flavor, the temperature, the feeling of the smoke and it's all up to you to find what you like best.

Another thing to consider is the choice of the tobacco !
Some pipes (or materials) seem to work better with some tobaccos (for exemple, burley + corncob pipe, or balkan blend + morta...)

You may also take note that some tobacco can "ghost" your pipe more than others (aromatics for exemple, latakia blends too...)
So you may want to use some pipes for only one kind of tobaccos.

I only have few "high end" pipes, and those are not the ones that I smoke the most.
Of course they can be better than cheaper ones, but not always.
They are often beautiful, and have less "flaws" than cheaper ones, but the smoke they give is not "always" better.

If you want to buy a pipe but don't want to spend to much money, the best solution is the corncob pipes.
If you want to buy a briar or meerschaum pipe, avoid the cheappest ones, they can be of very bad quality.
If you have never smoked a pipe, I recommand you start with a straight one (avoid the bent ones, they are often less well crafted, mostly in the cheap ones)

But in the end, it's a matter of personnal preferences.

 

[GreenDragon]

Thanks everyone for your excellent advice. I popped over by the local pipe shop during my errands this morning and picked up this inexpensive La Croix to play with along with some 1 oz samples of a few blends to try out. I like the size and I don't like to hold things in my mouth for long periods (I usually hold my cigars), so I picked out something that felt comfortable to hold.



Stay tuned for future updates!

 

[burge]

Why not get some leaf man. I can guarantee you for pipes if will be much better than the 1 oz samples of a cheap pipe blend.

 

[GreenDragon]

Why not get some leaf man. I can guarantee you for pipes if will be much better than the 1 oz samples of a cheap pipe blend.

Hi Burge,

Yep I intend to. I need some Perique and Latakia. Other than that I’ve got plenty of great leaf - WLT, BB’s, and home grown. I just wanted a few examples as a general guide to what different styles are like so when I mix my own I’ll know what the general flavor profile should be.

I’ve got a couple of mason jars of scraps in the pressure cooker right now making some more Cavendish. I like to add a little to my cigars sometimes for that little je ne sais quoi.

 

[burge]

Cool I am really good at blending. How I do it is taste each tobacco individually and think something will go with something and I will try it. and like the taste. The cheaper blends are all cased and flavoured to mask the taste of the tobacco. As far as tobacco you can buy the best is the WLT and Big. WLT has genuine Perique and Latakia. I am a pure virginia guy. Love Canadian smokes.