Best Smoking Pipe

Duane · Post by **Duane** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 1:58 pm

This question came to my mind from the discussion in in “Stummels” / “heat dissipater”, but seemed off topic, so I moved it here. I’m new, so feel free to “delete” this post if it is out of line or has already been ask and I missed it.
I have read some of what people “think” makes for a great smoking pipe and the opinions vary, as with most things, but I would like to “see” actual pictures of what you, anyone, believes to be their “best smoking pipe”. I would like to see if there is a “trail of smoke” (common traits) running through each of them. I know aesthetics are important in the pleasure of pipe smoking, but I would like to limit it to just the “best smoking pipe” you have.
Thanks,
Duane

DMI · Post by **DMI** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 2:43 pm

I don't know that a picture will be of any help as the internal design is IMHO more important than the external, save maybe the bit but that is more to do with comfort.

A lot also depends on how a person smokes the pipe.

David.

d.huber · Post by **d.huber** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:34 pm

The appearance of a pipe from the outside won't tell you anything about how well a pipe smokes.

Check out the image below. Airway at the very center at the very bottom of the chamber. Airway at 4mm to 4.5mm. Airway in the mortise matches up with the airway in the shank. Airway in the stem tapers to 1/16" and then flares to the button. Voila! Great smoker.

kkendall · Post by **kkendall** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:42 pm

Duane wrote:"... I would like to “see” actual pictures of what you, anyone, believes to be their “best smoking pipe”. I would like to see if there is a “trail of smoke” (common traits)..."

Just a hunch - but around here - the (most) common trait would probably be that the pipe was a reject that couldn't be sold (for whatever reason), so it was added to the carver's personal collection and is the best smoking pipe in his/her rotation.

Duane · Post by **Duane** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 4:39 pm

So, if the engineering is good and the visiable shape and size doesn't matter....then, all that is left that could make a pipe my "Best Smoking Pipe" would be what?....Magic?

Has anyone ever seen the personal #1 "Best Smoking Pipe" of 10 or 15 fellow experienced pipe makers?
Duane

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:31 pm

Duane wrote: Has anyone ever seen the personal #1 "Best Smoking Pipe" of 10 or 15 fellow experienced pipe makers?
Duane

Yes.

Rad

d.huber · Post by **d.huber** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:37 pm

Duane wrote:So, if the engineering is good and the visiable shape and size doesn't matter....then, all that is left that could make a pipe my "Best Smoking Pipe" would be what?....Magic?

You got it.

Wow, Duane. You're figuring this all out rather quickly.

Duane · Post by **Duane** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:43 pm

Heeheehee! OK...did you notice any things the same about them, like wall thickness, bowl depth, stem length or whatever? I mean if a good percentage of them have some of the same things in place, then I want to move in that direction. I only make pipes for my own smoking pleasure and I figure all the knowledge here might save me years, and lots of briars, before I can say..."Yes! That's it!"

Thanks,
Duane

d.huber · Post by **d.huber** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:51 pm

Just for fun, here is my best smoking pipe:

It's the sixth pipe that I made and I kept it because it has a nasty flaw that went from the exterior to the chamber and I knew it was going to burn out. It didn't, and now I smoke it daily. I've always been a proponent of resting a pipe between smokes, but this is the only pipe I've smoked since September and it performs incredibly well every day.

What makes this pipe my best smoking pipe is that it smokes great, but it does more for me than that. It's exactly the weight and dimensions that I like, with a button width and height that I prefer, it feels great in my hands, and I have a positive personal history with the pipe. All of these factors make it my go to.

IMO, every one of these factors except how well a pipe smokes is what makes a pipe any one person's "best smoking pipe."

I'd say that equates to magic.

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:17 pm

There isn't one uniform "right answer" about how to build a pipe.

I think you can split the basic idea into 2 groups of "good smokers".

One idea is a Peterson System type pipe where you intentionally condense excess moisture and deal with it by storing it safely. This is done by making the smoke travel a circuitous route through the pipe.

The other idea that seems to work is just the opposite - provide NO reason at all for condensation - build a smooth, uniform airway with no voids, gaps, bumps, etc, and the moisture will stay in the smoke.

If you do that, your pipe will smoke fine.

Every once in awhile, you come across a piece of wood that just seems to want to be a pipe - never heats up, tastes better with every blend, stays lit for 10 minutes in your pocket. A magic pipe. But controlling that seems to be impossible. And... one guy's "best pipe ever" might be another guy's "oh, yeah, that one's okay" pipe, depending on what they smoke, how they smoke, and just how they taste things. So you can't get totally objective on "magic" as far as I can tell.

Personally, I'll take thicker walls over thinner walls, and larger airways over smaller.

Duane · Post by **Duane** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 10:02 pm

UberHuberMan wrote:Just for fun, here is my best smoking pipe:

It's the sixth pipe that I made and I kept it because it has a nasty flaw that went from the exterior to the chamber and I knew it was going to burn out. It didn't, and now I smoke it daily. I've always been a proponent of resting a pipe between smokes, but this is the only pipe I've smoked since September and it performs incredibly well every day.

What makes this pipe my best smoking pipe is that it smokes great, but it does more for me than that. It's exactly the weight and dimensions that I like, with a button width and height that I prefer, it feels great in my hands, and I have a positive personal history with the pipe. All of these factors make it my go to.

IMO, every one of these factors except how well a pipe smokes is what makes a pipe any one person's "best smoking pipe."

I'd say that equates to magic.

Thanks UberHuberMan and beautiful pipe!
But I see by your response that I’m stepping on sacred ground here. Like talking to a stranger about your lover…..it’s just too personal of a relationship to cheapen with a “show & tell”.
So, forget I ask the question! heehee! Just kidding! And yes, "just for fun" is important!

So, it is a very personal thing without set answers. I'll have to find my own "Perfect Pipe", but I found out where I'm going next: Thick walls and large airway (as Sasquatch mentioned)...which also fits the description of your pipe.

Thanks,
Duane

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 12:44 am

The thing is, Duane, a perfect pipe for one guy might just be a really crappy pipe or just an ok pipe for another guy. This happens all the time.

There's no secret formula.

Rad

wdteipen · Post by **wdteipen** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 12:53 am

So much of how a pipe smokes depends on the smoker. So long as your airway lines up and is open and things fit together well, the potential for a "magic" pipe exists. The only other real variables are pipe shape, tobacco chamber shape, diameter and depth, and airway diameter. I've found that the right combination of those varies depending on the smoker. To complicate things further, certain tobaccos tend to smoke better in certain combinations but not always for everyone. Your best bet is to stick with middle of the road, more typical characteristics. For example, a 5/32" airway diameter with a cylindrical 11/16" tobacco chamber between 1.25" and 1.5" deep in a straight shaped pipe like a billiard with a 5/16" mortise and tenon is a pretty standard setup with the most commonly preferred measurements.

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 1:05 am

11/16" is too small for the magic to fit in.

d.huber · Post by **d.huber** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 2:08 am

Sasquatch wrote:11/16" is too small for the magic to fit in.

Agree.

wdteipen · Post by **wdteipen** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:20 am

Sasquatch wrote:11/16" is too small for the magic to fit in.

Sorry, meant 13/16".

The Drinking Yeti · Post by **The Drinking Yeti** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 9:37 am

My two cents... Some pipes are just magical. Usually they look like shit, are drilled slightly off center, etc.
But, I like big bowls, thick walls, and a larger airway. Those three things seem to make it more likely that
a pipe smokes well(for me).

Duane · Post by **Duane** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 9:55 am

Excellent starting place for my first "real" pipe. I've been making "anything goes" and "mushroom" pipes for the last year. (And, no I don't smoke mushrooms in them....I don't even know if mushrooms are smoked???...heehee!)
http://s1320.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... 1084999767
But, I do have to apoligize because I'm sure this same information is elsewhere in this site, but sometimes us old people need direct assistance with things...heehee! So, thanks very much for answering this question again for the thousandth and first time.

TODAY my last "mushroom" pipe, TOMORROW....the REAL WORLD!
Thanks again,
Duane

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