Do Wider Bowls Give More "Flavor?"

[henryp]

Hi Guys,
Been looking at some Savinelli bent pots, and some have a big (23 or even 26 mm bowl. They said the wide bowl is good for English blends and getting the most flavor out of these blends. It sounds like advertising to me, but is there any truth to it in your experience?
Thanks

 

[pipebow88]

I learned here that english blends do better in the larger diameter bowls(.75 and larger), and that virginia's did better in .75 and smaller diameter bowls. I didn't give that much credit at first till I tried it. Turns out those members knew what they were talking about. I could notice a difference.

B

 

[henryp]

Thank You Roth & 88,
All (3) of my pipes are 22 mm or less (Sav 606 KS, Peterson 999, old Pan-headed Meerschaum). The English I've smoked smoked well in the Sav (Nightcap local blend). The Peterson is newer and I've broken it in with some Lane's Ptr St 201 and cherry. I'm going on the (untested) theory that using aros in a new pipe is, primarily, a bit softer of a smoke and if I bomb it with Lat or Per there won't be too much ghosting from the aros.
As you can tell I'm new to this but I really love trying to replicate the first smokes off a pipe I had as a boyscout so many years ago. It was a straightish, billiard type a friend borrowed from his Dad. It had to be some sort of aro, or the real campfire smoke masked the Lat, but I don't think so.
Anyway, great talking,
Pat

 

[mso489]

I agree. English and Balkan blends, for example, spread out their flavors nicely in pots, princes, authors and similar

wide bowled pipes. Virginias seem to come across best in my smaller pipes, Rhodesians, bulldgogs, compacts.

Do I always observe this distinction. Never mind.

 

[JimInks]

I agree with Rothnh for the most part, but I would add that if there's a lot of complexity in a Va. based blend, it'll also do better in a wide bowl.

 

[flakyjakey]

Yes, agree completely. I use my pots whenever I wish to get to know a tobacco in depth - "English" blends, and others (apart from ropes and very strong tobaccos, eg GH Dark flake, when I prefer small/medium bowls).

 

[acme]

All right. I have an idea.

More smoke gives stronger flavor.

Cooler smoke gives better flavor.

Wider bowls offer the chance to create more smoke without heating up the result.
anthony

 

[bryanf]

I also agree. Wider bowls better for Latakia. Since I don't smoke much Latakia, I much prefer smaller pipes.

 

[salewis]

I agree that Latakia blends smoke well in a wider bowl. However, my experience is that Virginias and vapers also smoke well in a wider bowl. For some reason pot shapes are not too popular. Some think that a wider bowl shape pipe distracts from their 'look' and others don't care how pots look with their persona and smoke them because with some tobaccos they smoke better.

 

[henryp]

Thanks for all the great advice guys. Here's the pot I'm looking at

I hope it's ok to post that.
Anyway I think I'll have to try a wide bowl for my lats.
Thanks again for all your help.
Pat

 

[samanden]

I haven't really noticed a pipe's shape having a dramatic effect on a particular blend of tobacco. I know people say there are "flake pipes," but I have unconventional flake pipes that smoke wonderfully. I also have a thin-walled little pocket pipe that smokes Latakia blends very well. I think it mostly comes down to technique and, in my opinion, dedicating pipes to blends. I've seen all kinds of pipe smokers smoking all kinds of blends in all kinds of pipes; and they all seem quite content doing so. The one thing I've learned is to not get too hung up on these hard and fast rules.