What Makes A Pipe A Great Smoker?

[AJ]

Could material porosity have something to do with a pipe being a good smoker? Case in point being, I have yet to get a cob to gurgle or give me a sour smoke, but some briars I could burn mummy dust and it can bubble halfway through the smoke.  Same with stems. Acrylic spits first, then Vulcanite, then wood, depending on the wood's porosity. One of my favorite pipes that I can load anything into is a MM Diplomat cob with a maple wood stem. Granted, it needs a long rest between smokes, sometimes up to a week, but always a great experience. I can take SG St. James Flake straight from the tin, and once I get it burning, never a sound, no moisture. I could never get away with that with any briar I've ever had or have...

Explanations?

Our resident Wizard has brought up another intriguing element that needs to be discussed. Surely someone here can give us some insight into his question about porosity. Thanks OZ .

AJ

 

[KevinM]

Aye, the Wizard's point about porosity is apt. It goes to the (debatable) point that you can't pronounce a pipe a "good smoker" until you smoke it. Or can you? I like a pipe to smoke dry, tasty and deliver a neutral smoke. I've previously mentioned characteristics of favored pipes on my racks that regularly deliver, and I posit a cause /effect relationship between their characteristics and consistent delivery of satisfying smokes. To me, a promising pipe feels light in the hand -- porosity of the briar. I estimate porosity by dandling the briar. (Some pipers have said this is nuts, just a guess.) Monbla identifies other observable characteristics that contribute to successful pipe choices. Artisans, on the other hand, often attribute the secret of their craft to technical matters -- the "engineering" of the pipe -- much of which, unfortunately, is unobservable and, therefore, not helpful to a buyer. But these complementary POVs make for very interesting and generally useful discussions.

 

[AJ]

Some many have made great contributions to this discussion for the benefit of all. However there are so many other elements that haven't been discussed. What is it about some pipes that seem to make certain genres of tobacco really shine and yet blends from another genre doesn't fair as well in the same pipe? Many of us have pipes dedicated not only to a specific genre but also to a specific blend. Because dedicating pipes to a particular genre and/or blend is a  common occurrence, it seems logical that there is something about the way the pipe is made or some material used to cause this phenomenon. What element of the pipe is at the root of this? Those of you that have dedicated pipes to specific genres and blends could in all likelihood give an answer so please chime in with why you think some pipes respond in this manner.

AJ

 

[Lonecoyote]

A point I stated prior definitely works for me, so I will mention it again:

Whether it's a flake or Cube cut blends I find these tobacco's smoke best in a pipe that has a 7/8" chamber. The thicker the walls of the pipe, the cooler the pipe smokes and much more flavorful, no harshness or gurgle issues. Also, my pipe bowls that give the appearance of being heavy but in fact are really light in hand are my best smokers. Most likely porous briar, which makes for a superb smoking pipe.

In general my older Estate pipes I find smoke best for me, with the exception of a few pipes that were custom made and were purchased within the past five years.

You can take the most beautiful piece of flawless briar that's light in hand and make a stunning looker when finished. But, if the draft is not drilled properly, and the stem is not drilled and made properly your end result will be a pipe that might just be an okay smoker. If the mechanics of the pipe is off, even slightly you'll never achieve that superb smoke! Ocelot nailed it with his statement on " The Mechanics of a pipe "!



KEEP ON PUFFING!!!

 

[Zeno Marx]

I have a tendency to go along with the thick wall idea, but then... If for no other reason, I find it aesthetically superior. However, I've had a couple pipes in my time with walls bordering on ludicrously and obscenly thick that didn't smoke any cooler than any other more normal looking briar configuration. If anything, they seemed to smoke hotter. But there's the rub of it, thick walls might intuitively supposed to smoke cooler, but maybe that's all psychological game play. Then, I've also had a pipe or two that had walls maybe 1/8" thick that smoked as cool and as dry as the best pipes I've ever owned. I described one of these anomalies in one of Banjo's Radice threads. There wasn't a single aspect (no hyperbole) of that pipe that would indicate it would be a dry, cool, and phenomenal smoker, but it was. Which leads me to believe that it has a whole lot more to do with how briar is cured or aged or whatever it is they do after harvesting. Which is also why, to me, you couldn't really find a bad smoking Dunhill pipe for a long time. They'd nailed the curing process, and all the other mishaps in the process of making a pipe were afforded much larger margins of error. Dunhill is far from my favorite pipe maker, but I'll be damned if I've ever had a less than great smoking one (stopped smoking and trading for them in the early 90s). If I've owned 25 of the darn things, all 25 of them have been top smokers. Even my all-time favorite, Caminetto, doesn't have a track record anywhere near that.

I still look for thick walls. It's what I'm drawn to in pipes. I just am. But I might be playing the fool in making it such a big priority.

 

[KevinM]

Dedicating pipes -- I let the pipe decide. If it seems to like a Lat blend. That's what I'll feed it. Etc etc. But generally (uh-oh) I like flakes folded and stuffed in a tall, woodsy bowl. Unless I rub 'em out a bit and roll 'em into a ball in which case I'd reach for a pot. Ready rubbed hot burning Virginias seem to do best in smaller bowls. Coarse cuts get their first trials in a wide shallow bowl (pot).

This thread started by crediting good smokers to good engineering and starting with a decent chunk of briar. I detect a wee shift toward good packing and smoking technique. Wholehearted agreement with all of these POVs. Smoking is a subjective experience. People tend to think their own experience is definitive. Not that it isn't, of course. 8)

A droll illustration of pipe smoker subjectivity -- go to Tobacco Reviews and check out Granger. Reviews cluster into one group that thinks Granger is excellence bought cheaply in a tub. Unless they compare it unfavorably with lawn clippings. Fwiw -- I've noticed many of the former report using a cob. It actually makes some sense. Enjoy.

 

[CharlG]

Such an interesting thread! Thanks AJ, for pointing me this way.
(Although, you had me do a double take with the 1/4" thing! )
Todd, that Dublin of yours is very interesting! I don't think I've ever seen a pipe made with a bigger sized airway in the stem than the shank. The other way around, is of course more common (especially under the Danish).
Much better educated and more experienced people than me have posted so far, but here are a couple of my (very random) thoughts.
"Internals" (or engineering):
Important? Yip, most definitely! Although, I do think that there is a limit to both the smallest and biggest diameter airway that could work. (Calabash and RC's are very different and most often misconceived monsters!)
Button:
Not too wide or too narrow, not too high or too low, not too deep or too shallow. And more flat than rounded in the bite. Makes sense?
Briar:
From a making point of view, like Jesse said, old briar is crap to work with. It's hard, leave toolmarks easily and, in my experience, have a musty smell that is transferred to the smoke. The cuts are also pretty bad in relation with what we can get today. In those days, of course, the cutters were more concerned with quantity, than quality.
I've tried a handful of briar cutters (Spanish, Algerian, Grecian and Italian). The processing is very very important. The briarmill have to do things right. Personally, and in general (as in most things in life), you get what you pay for regarding briar.
But what makes a great pipe? All the above could make a decent pipe, but not great. One of the wonderful things about us humans, is that not one is the same. I have friends that love filtered pipes, some that like small bowls, certain lengths, etc etc. The list goes on and on. What might be the perfect pipe for me, might be a dud for somebody else.

 

[AJ]

What might be the perfect pipe for me, might be a dud for somebody else.

Thanks Charl for taking time for your busy schedule to post your thoughts on the subjuct. The above statement that's quoted rings true for many I think. I have an old Jobey bulldog that you can hardly fit a slim Falcon pipe cleaner through the stem. When one looks into the shank airway it may remind them of the inside of a cave with stalactites and stalagmities. By that I mean the airway isn't a bit smooth. There's enough headspace between the end of the tenon and the face of the mortise that one would think might allow the pipe to gurgle like a stream filled with large stones. But for some unknown reason, or at least unknown to me, the pipe really performs very well. It never gurgles and it handles GH & Co. Lakelands very nicely even when a bit moist. I'm sure many of the Brothers have similar stories they could tell about pipes they own. Could this mean that personal preference is the most important element in making a pipe a great smoker?

AJ

 

[KevinM]

What might be the perfect pipe for me, might be a dud for somebody else.

Could this mean that personal preference is the most important element in making a pipe a great smoker?

AJ

It might seem like a non-answer at first hearing, but . . .

 

[RDPipes]

Even though I drill most my pipes a 9/64" draft I think Sas has said it all with nothing to add.

 

[AJ]

Even though I drill most my pipes a 9/64" draft I think Sas has said it all with nothing to add.

Thanks Ron for your input. With so many people giving high praise to the pipes you've made no doubt your skills and knowledge are to be commended. I agree Sasquatch's postings were very informative especially concerning the importance of drilling, briar selection, and etc. but there are still some elements or characteristics that I'd like to see discussed. As mentioned earlier some genres and/or blends perform remarkably better in a certain pipe causing many of us to dedicate that pipe to a specific genre or blend. I for one would like to know what elements, characteristics, or combination of other factors, of that pipe, made the chosen tobacco perform and/or taste differently? Can a pipe be designed to perform differently from other or similar pipes when smoked using different tobacco?  

AJ

 

[RDPipes]

I've never went that way and have always just stuff the pipe I wished to smoke with whatever tobacco I wished to smoke.
Chamber size and shape may come into play here only in contributing to burn rate which as we know can change flavor but, I have no proof for fact so I won't comment.

 

[CharlG]

I think, in the end, that a great pipe is made with 90% human factor and 10% magic.
:lol!:

 

[Puffer Mark]

Wow. What a great thread. Thanks to all those who shared their knowledge.

 

[AJ]

Wow. What a great thread. Thanks to all those who shared their knowledge.

Your input would be welcomed.

AJ

 

[Puffer Mark]

Well, I certainly don't have the experience as most of the posters here, and I am consequently rather mystified by the topic.

I can say this, though. I am fortunate to have 2 Goussards in my collection along with some Dunnies, Charatans and other old Brit wood and whatnot. I can thus vouch for the fact that the 10% magic is certainly working for Charl, as both are superb smokers.

A caveat: although I have no interests in his business, I am fortunate to count him among my friends.