A Proper Hungarian

[Briar Lee]

I own four Hungarian (Oom Paul) shaped pipes and this one is the best made and shaped.

Pre 54 Marxman Hungarian



If correctly shaped an Hungarian is among the most comfortable of pipes to clench.

But to make a proper Hungarian the maker has to make a deep V cut in a block of briar, and shape two cylinders without much room between. My Real Briar is cracked, but it seals up when hot.



The top of the bowl should be level with the top of the shank.



The shape requires a lot of careful work in boring the draft hole.

The maker has to drill on a slant so the draft hole is below the tenon and hits the bottom of the bowl. Then a proper Hungarian will have a water trap below the air hole.



The tenon has to be beefy and it must fit snug, otherwise the stummel drops off the pipe.



The stem must be bent perfectly to balance the pipe.



If the maker gets it all just right an Hungarian will hang like it grew between your teeth.

And some smart aleck will look at you and say Oooo Sherlock—-Where’s Watson.

But I think every devoted pipe smoker should have at least one in their stash of pipes.

 

[didimauw]

I prefer a straight billiard. But I do like my oom Paul. I prefer the ones with more of an extreme bend in the stem. Think more 90 and less 45. My biggest and heavier pipes and it's one of the least noticable while hanging.

 

[alaskanpiper]

The Oom Paul shape is the antithesis of everything I love in a pipe (Light, minimally bent, and aesthetically pleasing).

More power to you though! To each their own.

 

[Briar Lee]

I prefer a straight billiard. But I do like my oom Paul. I prefer the ones with more of an extreme bend in the stem. Think more 90 and less 45. My biggest and heavier pipes and it's one of the least noticable while hanging.

The Hungarian (or Oom Paul) is a specialty shape like a Cavalier or a Volcano, except the point is to have this large full bent pipe that hangs effortlessly.

The length of the stem and the bend depend on the size and weight and angle of the bowl and shank. It ain’t easy or they’d all hang right.

The Marxman was hand made and cost somebody a lot of money for the era. It’s perfect.

My Real Briar and Mastercraft Algerian were cheap. They are usable but once you get one that hangs right you can tell.

My GBD Colossus is listed as a full bent egg but it’s an Oom Paul. It hangs right but doesn’t look like it came out of the Boer War, somehow.

It’s a shape best bought in person of you can try it out.

 

[Briar Lee]

The Oom Paul shape is the antithesis of everything I love in a pipe (Light, minimally bent, and aesthetically pleasing).

More power to you though! To each their own.

The looks are wild, but it’s a very comfortable outdoors pipe.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

Always likes the look of an Oom Paul/Hungarian. Had one years ago…just didn’t feel right or look right on me. Good history to those pipes though. Enjoy. ️

 

[Hillcrest]

But to make a proper Hungarian the maker has to make a deep V cut in a block of briar

The original ones or 'vintage' weren't that deep a cut. The bowl and bottom of stummel were more flat sided and appeared one piece rather separately delineated. When the western makers began making the shape they made the bowl more cylindrical (ala Savinelli 604 nka 620). (Probably to appeal to billiard smokers ???). Look at the older BBBs and BBKs below for original shaping. (Note: This is just my opinion based on observation and reading about them.) Also this was only one shape of the three shapes popularly known as Hungarians. My Cellini Hungarian doesn't have a chamber and is the driest smoking pipe I own. ( Just 2 cents adjusted for inflation probably 1.4 cents now)
BBB:

BBK:

 

[Hillcrest]

@ Briar Lee, I know your Marxman is wonderful, but check out some of these ...

The Historical Collection of the Hungarian National Museum :: General Pipe Smoking Discussion

In trying to determine what shape is properly and historically a Hungarian I cam across this pipe collection at the Hungarian National Museum and I can safely say I have no pipes that ornate ! ;):rolleyes: There is a 10 pipe slideshow of examples of their collection. Very cool pipes ... if only...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[Briar Lee]

My GBD “XL Full Bent Egg” had no water trap until I made one in it. It did need one, not all full bent pipes do.

I own a proper Tyrollean Hunter’s pipe with elm stem, horn bit, and two piece briar bowl and U shaped connector.

You see photos of Austrian Hungarian troops at the start of WW1 smoking them.

I think all full bent pipes, whether Cakabash, Wellington, System Pipe, Hungarian eggs and Oom Paul double cylinders evolved from the same idea.

Paul Kruger had one pipe.

All those soldiers and hunters we see with full bent pipes in old paintings and pictures had one pipe.

The full bent pipe can be clenched on horseback, in battle, on the march, or while hunting.

If you truly were a rugged outdoor man of action with exactly one pipe, a full bent would be the one.

I broke the tenon on this out of sheer stupid. I need to get it fixed.

 

[Christos D. Tsatsaronis]

Thank you for the info!
May I add that an old member of our local pipe club, told me that this shape was called here "Captain's pipe" because a sea captain could smoke it clenching from his mouth and resting on his beard, with his hands free on the ship wheel...
I too generally prefer straight pipes but I do have 1 piece in this style.
Be well friend.