A Change in Pipe Style

[fshu2]

I found when i started smoking a pipe i was in love with bent pipes they fit nice they smoked great and were just exactly what i was looking for when i thought pipe but now it is much different. i find that my pipe selection has become majority straight pipes and with out noticing i have started to smoke them almost every time. i sit down and reach for a straight.
does any one else have any experiences like this?

 

[ssjones]

I think it does take a while to discover what shapes work for your own style. About 9 months in, it dawned on me that most of my regular rotation were bents. I slowly sold off my straight pipes so now I'm nearly 100% bents. That is the reason I advise new smokers not to invest in pricey pipes right off the bat.

 

[jsiddle]

I was recommended to start on a straight because the guy said "when you start smoking, you salivate more, and with a bent, it will roll down into the tobacco"...
so far i am enjoying the straight, but it seems i have to hold it more than i think i would with a bent... seems a bent would hang in your mouth easier for a hand's free smoke.
I think the idea that you're reaching for the straights, is because you prefer that style, nothing big, just who you are and what you like to smoke. Could be something with the way it smokes, how it hangs, etc

 

[jsiddle]

I think it does take a while to discover what shapes work for your own style. About 9 months in, it dawned on me that most of my regular rotation were bents. I slowly sold off my straight pipes so now I'm nearly 100% bents. That is the reason I advise new smokers not to invest in pricey pipes right off the bat.

It never dawned on me to not buy a pricey pipe because your unsure of what style you would like, i picked a cheaper pipe because i didnt know if i was going to like pipe smoking.... Good point Al

 

[daytonsean]

Right here. All three of my first pipes were bent. My Barling being my favorite. Since then I've acquired some straights, and it's easier for me to clench a straight. I got a nice little Medico from a fella on here a while back, and honestly, this pipe smokes great for me. It's light, straight, and bulldog; it has become my go to for day time and driving. And it fits into my shirt pockets.

 

[voorhees]

I have alot of estate pipes, most of which are straight. I prefer quarter bent now to a point.

 

[jsiddle]

And it fits into my shirt pockets.

Which style fits into a pocket better?

 

[cigrmaster]

I probable have a few more straights in my collection than bents but I enjoy both. When I began collecting I bought both styles and have not changed that. My mood dictates which style I pull from my rack. What has changed since the beginning is the size of the pipes I buy now. I used to really like larger pipes, but now I go for smaller and easier to clench pipes.

 

[hawk60ce]

I started out thinking that straight pipes Made no sense (for some reason) and that bent was the only way to go. Now I've got them all. My favorite was my Canadian but as most of you saw it is broken. Still haven't given a shot at gluing it. My second favorite is probably my jake bakery nose warmer.

 

[bentmike]

Yep I started with bents and then moved on to straights and now I enjoy both. Like cigrmaster I'll grab whichever style I'm in the mood for. I can't say I favor one over the other.

 

[adam12]

Agreed, it's a mood thing. But I have to say, I rarely smoke a full bent pipe anymore.

 

[wagnon85]

I agree with those above who say it's a mood thing. I started with bents, then got some that were only slightly bent, which led me to straights. So I have a collection (only ten pipes though) that is mostly made up of bents or slightly so, and two straights.
One strange thing is that all my aromatic pipes are bents, while the straights are in the English blend side of the rack...not sure if that's a psychological thing with me where I associate the straight billiard types as being typically British and therefore smoke English blends! hehe The only fully bent pipe on the English blend side is my Peterson Sherlock Holmes Watson...again it only seems appropriate!

 

[ocpsdan]

fshu--- I've noticed the same thing and tend to reach for my straights for more often than my bents. Not 100% sure why.

 

[pstlpkr]

you salivate more, and with a bent, it will roll down into the tobacco"...

Total BS. IMHO

Any gurgle you get in your pipe is most likely from moisture building up in the bottom of your pipe. (simply slow down)
As for starting with bents: I smoked nothing but bents for many years, but my sensibilities have change somewhat.

I now own a number of straights (especially Bulldogs and Canadians) but, I don't smoke them any more or less than I do bents.

 

[johncorosz]

I smoke them all and Churchwardens as well come in some interesting bent shapes. I have several of them and favor the 10" long stems with a slight bend. But I also have 3 straight pipes. The only reason I like them is the big bore hole, 7" stem and big bowls. It's the only reason I own them. But each type has it's moments and days when I think it's the best pipe I own and other days another pipe becomes the "best one I own". That's what makes the hobby so interesting.

 

[fshu2]

i still have a love for my bents but it seems i have to be in the mood to smoke them where as i pull for my straights almost instinctively.

 

[rigmedic1]

The balance of full bents makes them ideal for clenching, very good for working outdoors and tasks where your hands are otherwise engaged. In the humidity of the bayou I get less accidental juice sips with the bents, heh heh. That being said, it really is just a matter of personal choice. Last time I checked, I had 43 bent pipes and 26 straight. Two are churchwardens.

For me, the choice is what catches my eye for that moment. At present, it is Sutliff Top Shelf in a Peterson Dublin Churchwarden.

 

[ruggierm1]

I enjoy the bent a little more because it gives me the ability to smoke more hands free (I don't have that many teeth left on the sides of my mouth, so clenching a straight is difficult for me).

 

[shawn622]

I recently went through a change in pipe style although I don't care if they are bent or strait, My change was from huge bols of English to small bowls of flake and Virginias. All my large Pipes are collecting dust and all ,y English blends are aging. lol

 

[tjameson]

I had the exact same experience. I doubt I'll add a bent to my collection for quite awhile.