pipe shape primer?

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ragged claws

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As a novice to proper pipe smoking I'm looking for info on the different pipe shapes (billiards, brandy, bulldog, etc). Also, I've seen refferences to style numbers here but don't understand them. I've looked through several pages here but haven't found the info I need. Any links or other advice will be appreciated.

Thanks, Kim
 
Thanks, beetlejazz. That's just what I was looking for. Don't know how I missed this page on my previous visits to pipepedia.

Kim
 
Most traditionalists say the a Rhodesian has the same shape of bowl (w/wo groove/grooves in it ) with a round/ovoid shaped shank and stem whether bent or straight. The Bulldog has the same shaped bowl w/a diamond shaped shank/stem, some tapered, some saddle bit ( same for the Rhodesian, bit wise) . Then theres's Dunhill :twisted: :twisted:
 
ragged claws":5cwjk1p6 said:
...Also, I've seen refferences to style numbers here but don't understand them.
The numbers are something you'll just have to learn as you go. Manufacturers give their pipes numbers instead of names because of variations in naming conventions and multiple designs for individual shapes. Some are well-known, such as the Peterson 999. Others, like the Sasieni #5, are known only to their connoisseurs.
 
As to shapes Iwan Ries's pipe chart can be found here. Also, look around their site because it's chock full o'goodness. :)

PS, there's a few good sites out for pipe-related info but here's another one, and of course Pipedia.
 
soylentgreen":jyu5nh1d said:
Besides looks, comfort, size, etc.; many believe the shape of the pipe contributes to the taste of the smoke. I find these articles fascinating and find myself re-reading them from time to time...

How and why chamber geometry impacts tobacco flavor

Finding That Magic Fit Between Pipe and Tobacco
Also, here is the Greg Pease blog, that inspired the Neil Archer Roan blog.....

http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=7

http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=22
 
soylentgreen":t1vctsad said:
Besides looks, comfort, size, etc.; many believe the shape of the pipe contributes to the taste of the smoke. I find these articles fascinating and find myself re-reading them from time to time...

How and why chamber geometry impacts tobacco flavor

Finding That Magic Fit Between Pipe and Tobacco
Nice reads.

Usually, my only issue is the static science with such "studies," and if we all puffed exactly the same way, the tobacco was always consistent down to every factor, then this might just crack the case and solve everyone's problems that happen sooner or later.

Funny, my tongue has no brain, but it seems to experiment every day with many methods, sometimes quite unintentionally, and come to some very personal conclusions. Since it has no eyes, it is likely because it telepathically read these articles and had a leg-up on my scientific sensibilities. Or, that sense and desire are two powerful mother-effers.

I read two books on how to ride a bike before I attempted it. I still fell. The falling taught me more, but later read, the books with words unchanged, taught me the reason.

8)
 
Kyle Weiss":80mwlb7v said:
I read two books on how to ride a bike before I attempted it. I still fell. The falling taught me more, but later read, the books with words unchanged, taught me the reason.

8)
So true. You just have to try some things yourself before you can understand what others are describing. Hence my re-reads. All part of forming your own *informed* opinion.
 
Dutch":7hyjmfqi said:
soylentgreen":7hyjmfqi said:
Besides looks, comfort, size, etc.; many believe the shape of the pipe contributes to the taste of the smoke. I find these articles fascinating and find myself re-reading them from time to time...

How and why chamber geometry impacts tobacco flavor

Finding That Magic Fit Between Pipe and Tobacco
Also, here is the Greg Pease blog, that inspired the Neil Archer Roan blog.....

http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=7

http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=22
While I have great respect for Greg's thinking, I'm not sure why you think Greg's blog inspired my posts. My posts came from my own research into research accomplished by tobacco chemists in the 1950s through the 1970s. In fact, Greg has written several times that he disagrees with my premises and conclusions.
 
On the Savinelli site there's a nice display of their standard pipe shapes (as opposed to freehand). However, Sav uses only numbers, not the standard nomenclature of billiard, bulldog etcetc. Even so, it is useful to ditinguish what tweaks differentiate different iterations of something as functionally straightforward as a pipe.

The standard nomenclature seems to be shifting into the realm of specialist jargon. When I was looking for my Dublin, I'd go onto a site, put "Dublin" into Search and come up empty, even though the seller offered this style. In other cases, the Dublin took a sharp eye to distinguish from a billiard. As I remember, even Peterson has a Dublin style, but doesn't use the term for it. Instead, I think Pete uses the term Dublin to denote one of their lines, Like Kilarney.

In my experience, most young pipers do not seem to take an interest in the traditional styles, limiting their early exploration to straight and bent. Maybe an interest in the tradional types will develop later when it becomes necessary to give the significant other some plausible, creative reason why it's necessary to add pipes after you already have half a dozen. "But dear, I only have apples and billiards. You wouldn't be happy with one or two brown purses, would you? And just look at your shoe museum."

The young pipers are just following the conventional pipe-site presentation which divides all pipedom into four parts -- smooth or blast, straight or bent. You want a straight, smooth Dublin with nice grain? Go fish! (Which I did and got a nice, new-to-me Upshall and a new Aldo Velani.)
 
ZuluCollector":bhjykhwm said:
Dutch":bhjykhwm said:
soylentgreen":bhjykhwm said:
Besides looks, comfort, size, etc.; many believe the shape of the pipe contributes to the taste of the smoke. I find these articles fascinating and find myself re-reading them from time to time...

How and why chamber geometry impacts tobacco flavor

Finding That Magic Fit Between Pipe and Tobacco
Also, here is the Greg Pease blog, that inspired the Neil Archer Roan blog.....

http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=7

http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=22
While I have great respect for Greg's thinking, I'm not sure why you think Greg's blog inspired my posts. My posts came from my own research into research accomplished by tobacco chemists in the 1950s through the 1970s. In fact, Greg has written several times that he disagrees with my premises and conclusions.
Neil, I apologize, I should have clarified that and been more specific. What I meant to say, was "inspired them to be linked" instead of "inspired them to be written." :oops:
 
These discussions often concentrate on the pipe or type of tobacco when they shoud take more than passing interest in the cut of the tobacco. Remember the old physics lesson: a fire needs heat, air and combustible material. It's the fire triangle. You can tell just by looking at that little heap of a broad ribbon cut of combustible material in your palm that it will not do well in a small or narrow bowl, because air won't get to it, unartful use of the tamper will worsen matters, water will be a byproduct of the pipers' frantic efforts, and soon the pipe will be gurgling and the damn thing "won't stay lit." Surprise! Conical bowls are great for smoking a broader ribbon to a "fine what ash at the botom" but require careful packing and sipping to avoid early formation of a wet glob of dottle. A pot bowl will handle flake IF it is rubbed out. Folded flake will do better in a tall billiard of chimney. Granted there are a lot of variables and some pipes are more accommodating than others, sometimes for no discernible reason, but the cut of the tobacco is one easily observable factor that takes a lot of mystery out of the problem.

 
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