Kaywoodie Pipes

[PlateauGuy]

Even though I've smoked a pipe for over 40 years, (I was a 1 pipe, 1 tobacco guy) I'm still in a learning mode.

At this time I have six Falcons, 4 Petersons, 2 Comoys, and a GBD. I'm trying to keep the PAD under control, but I keep reading posts about the Kaywoodie pipes and I admit it, I'm interested.

The Kaywoodie pipes are good looking, but the stinger concerns me. What are the pros and cons with this pipe?

 

[taharris]

In my opinion you're either a stinger guy or your not.

The purpose of the stinger is to act as a heat sink and condense any moisture in the smoke and keep it from getting to your mouth.

On the other hand a well engineered pipe will allow the moisture to stay in the gas phase until it reaches your mouth, thus eliminating (or at least reducing) gurgle.

I have several Kaywoodies and I have removed the stinger in all of them. They smoke just fine without it. I have never actually smoked one with the stinger in place. I always want to be able to insert a pipe cleaner if I need to.

Todd

 

[rmason]

Plateauguy, I think the biggest problem with stingers is that some won't want to pass a pipe cleaner. Out of the several Kaywoodies and Dr.Grabows I have I find they seem to smoke fairly the same with or without the stinger, but I usually opt into cutting the stinger off.
~Ron

 

[Fr_Tom]

I have some Kaywoodies and they all have the stingers except for the two "Gold" models which came with a push tenon and the Tuckaway which has an army bit. I don't mind the stinger and find it works ok. I have always been able to get a pipe cleaner through. They seem to be great smokers. I have one that is a carburetor model, and it has the stinger, so it suffers a double stigma for the purists out there. It provides a startlingly good smoke. This pipe smokes St. Bruno like it was made for it, and I had some Escudo in it today that was the best bowl of Escudo I have smoked so far.

You can get a decent estate Kaywoodie on Ebay for $15 or less shipped. Give one a try...

 

[Slartibartfast]

I'm not a fan of stingers in general and KW's in particular, but I do think their newer Hand Made Super Grain pipes (the ones from the mid 1990s forward, not the massive oversized pipes from the 1950s) are superb little pipes and they all have a mortis & tenon arrangement - no stingers.

The POYs are fine pipes as well and also have a push fit tenoned stem, but they tend to be a bigger pipe than I like.

 

[somedumbjerk]

mods maybe move this to the pipe rack?

 

[Aristokles]

I have no problem with Kaywoodie stingers. In fact, I consider a cut stinger as a destroyed pipe. Similar to a military bit they unscrew easily mid-smoke if needed without a problem (and thereby negate the will-not-pass-cleaner lament) and they work as described.

This acceptance does not extend to other style stingers in other pipes. I rarely smoke my Brebbia or Dr. Plumb merely because their stingers are not well designed and are more trouble than they are worth (which is nil, anyway).

 

[rothnh]

I think it's important to mention that, IIRC, removing the stinger on a Kaywoodie requires that the stinger be cut off.

Cutting off the stinger reduces the value of the pipe should you ever want to sell or trade it.

May not be a big deal on a $15 Kaywoodie estate pipe, but might be if it's a collector piece.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

I would probably never knowingly buy a pipe with a stinger.

 

[riff raff]

I think it's important to mention that, IIRC, removing the stinger on a Kaywoodie requires that the stinger be cut off.

Cutting off the stinger reduces the value of the pipe should you ever want to sell or trade it.

May not be a big deal on a $15 Kaywoodie estate pipe, but might be if it's a collector piece.

That is correct. I just bought my first vintage Kaywoodie this week, a 1930's 5183B. Interestingly the seller sold it only because the stinger WAS intact. If it were cut, he would have kept it but didn't have the heart to cut it off.

While I suspect the stem could be heated and a cut stinger removed and replaced with a complete stinger, that would be a tricky operation (I've realigned Grabow stems this way).

I smoked mine for the first time yesterday. The draw was surprisingly open given the metal apparatus. I packed the bowl lightly (English ribbon cut blend) and it smoked quite well. I have other British pipes from that era and the Kaywoodie compares quite favorably. The stem feel isn't quite like my Comoys, but it's pretty close (button is a bit smallish)

I'll definitely be on the lookout for other four digit Kaywoodies.

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

I'm a Kaywoodie fan. I have a few, but the two that really stand out are an old 4 hole stinger that I purchased NOS on ebay. I really had no idea what it was when I bought it, but it is one of my oldest and most favorite pipes. Someone told me it was from the 1930s, but I have know idea how you can actually tell. I also have one of their Sterling Line pipes (no stinger), that is really excellent.

 

[Centurian 803]

I have two Kaywoodies that were made without stems and they are both excellent smokers. I never have been a fan of the ones with stingers in them.