Recent content by Amenhotep04

Years ago when I started smoking a pipe, the sales person said that people have a tendency to clench straight pipes, and to go with a quarter to half bent. The majority of my pipes are quarter bent, but I have a few straights that from time to time I enjoy. It is a personal choice. You go with...

I tend to do what Hermit does as well. :farao:

At first I was going to say, 'all of them'. But that isn't true. A couple are really bad. The others it just depends on the mood. I'd say my two favorites are (1) a Moretti rusticated horn; and (2) a Paolo Becker sand horn. The Becker is lighter and smaller, so it works more for working at the...

While I prefer lucite/acrylic over vulcanite/ebonite, a lot has to do with the quality of the vulcanite/ebonite, as well as the thinness of the stem. Paolo Becker, Scott Thile and a host of others do a great job with ebonite, to where I've had some of these pipes for several years and they are...

I tend to agree with the first paragraph here. Prior to this thread, when I thought of buying a bigger pipe, all I could imagine is having to sit and smoke the thing for hours. Given that I like pipes under 50 grams, I find these magnums more amusing than anything else. I don't find them...

As long as I'm not interrupted, 100% of the time. :farao:

Yeah, very few around anymore. There were three of us that would meet at a pub and smoke, but I think for them it was just a phase. Another friend has a young family, and he doesn't smoke around them. About the only time I see several faculty smoking pipes in public is during conferences. And...

Not sure if this counts, but I'm a professor, so at work I can and am expected to sit outside my office and smoke a pipe. The students seem to get a kick out of it. In essence, I am the stereotype. :farao:

I have a few of each of the Italians you list, as well as a Wiley. I rarely smoke the Wiley, and it's just a matter of preference. The feel is different than the Italians. I'd say buy a Viprati or Santambrogio and see if you like it. If not, stick with the Danes. Wiley to me is completely...

Absolutely there are differences. The weight, shape, quality of the materials, and size of the airway for me. Then there are differences in mood of the smoker. What am I feeling at that moment? That influences what I want from a given pipe. But I do believe and heard this from enough pipe...

Just like with women, I appreciate the beauty of the lines, shapes, and feel of all my pipes. Hard to show favoritism consistently. I get bored easily. :farao:

Absolutely. The moisture doesn't mysteriously vanish from the cleaner. Take the pipe cleaner out and let that pipe dry up. :farao:

I have couple basket pipes that I picked up in Kansas City about 11 years ago. Both have acrylic stems. They smoke as well as any pipe I have. If I was still living in K.C. I'd probably pick up a couple more. :farao:

You won't go wrong with either as long as you get a pipe that fits what you are looking for in terms of specs. All of the other pipe makers mentioned are rock solid. My preference are those of the Pesaro school. But of the North American types, certainly Bannard, Thile, Tinsky, and Rad Davis...

A little bit of bondo and it'll be good as new. :farao: