How Long Do You Smoke?

[jazz]

There's been some mention here of group categories of pipes, 3,4,5, and so forth. I was unaware of these groups. I assume they refer to bowl sizes. How do you tell what group size your pipe is? I have mostly Peterson billiards, about four of the 107s: what size would these be considered? BTW, my smoking time, if there are not any interruptions, is about 15-20 minutes, 35 or longer if I'm smoking (rarely) my giant Nording. A Peterson 107 lasts me about 15-20 minutes.

Crikey! I received a 107 yesterday and it must be one of my deeper bowls. How on earth do you get through that in 20 mins?
I too would like to understand the group grading. It seems to make little sense to me. I thought and probably incorrectly that the grouping was a Dunhill thing. If that is the case, to say that something is a group whatever really means nothing to someone unless they have experienced a dunhill of that very grouping. If it is not just a Dunhill thing then what exactly is the criteria for a group 3? Well come to think of it what is the criteria for a Dunhill group 3?
Is there really any set dimensions for these groups?

 

[sparrowhawk]

Tell me, Jazz, what 107 do you have? I personally feel the Peterson 107 is the perfect pipe for the money, which is why I have several of them: 2 Dracs, an Irish Harp, a Dublin Castle, and the 2014 Christmas 107, beautifully rusticated; I don't know how Peterson will outdo themselves next year.

 

[griffonwing]

Currently, I only smoke in the car from home to work. And on occasion, when I go for walks. But this weather and time of year is greatly impacting my smoke-time. In more beautiful weather, I would also smoke a bit outside at work and on my back covered deck. I do not inside, as I am house-renting.
However, my new year resolution is to move out of my rent house and move into a small camper-trailer and so begin the road to tiny-house living. Once I have established that foothold, I will have the freedom to start smoking indoors, and this will allow me the opportunity to start up my reviews and enjoy my hobby more.

 

[phred]

I thought I remembered the issue of Dunhill group sizes popping up a few months back, and sure enough - here's the thread I was thinking of:
What is meant by "Group 3" or "Group 4", etc.
If I digested the information given correctly, it sounds as if the specific dimensions of the chamber are only one factor in determining group, as the group sizes are determined by the amount of briar used in a particular pipe. A large pipe with a huge chamber might use less briar than a slightly smaller pipe with a much smaller chamber, if my interpretation is correct.
To put it in Cob terms (which at this point I'm far more familiar with), a Country Gentleman uses a large cob, but is shaped like a barrel with a large chamber. The Mark Twain uses the same large cob, but is shaped differently with a slightly smaller chamber (I checked - I can get my thumb into my CGs, but not into the MT) - so a Mark Twain would be a larger Group number than a Country Gentleman (say, a 6 vs. a 5 in Dunhill terms, maybe - though it might be a 5 vs. a 4, if the General, Freehand, or MacArthur models are considered Group 6). Conversely, the Legend series would be about a 3 or 4, while the Pony Express (with the small barrel-shaped bowls and teeny chambers that I can barely get my pinky into) would be about Group 1 or 2.
And if it turns out I'm talking through my hat, please forgive this noob who aspires to be one of the cognoscenti someday. I'm off to the Iwan Ries website to see if my interpretations are anywhere close to correct. :P

 

[delro]

Typically I set 35min every evening for myself to sit and relax outside and have a smoke. Occasionally I'll have something else that has my attention and dump a bowl :/

 

[phred]

Hah! Nailed it - all of the MM Cobs listed at Iwan Ries are Group 3, either Legends or Missori Prides. :D

 

[jazz]

Tell me, Jazz, what 107 do you have? I personally feel the Peterson 107 is the perfect pipe for the money, which is why I have several of them: 2 Dracs, an Irish Harp, a Dublin Castle, and the 2014 Christmas 107, beautifully rusticated; I don't know how Peterson will outdo themselves next year.

I received it a couple days ago and it is the 2014 Christmas version. I did fall in love with it and had to have it. I had to order it from the US because it was sold out in the UK and EU. I did have problems with it when it arrived which I will not go into here as I mentioned it in another thread. Despite my issues when it arrived I agree that the look, size and shape of it is wonderful.( I am a big chap). I never liked the Christmas pipes before. I did not feel they were really in a Christmas theme. Not that that matters as I do not really do Christmas but I did want a 107 and if there is one thing I have always liked about Pete and the gang is the rustication. ( I too don't know how they will out do themselves next year either)
Anyhow the reason for my "Crikey" was that one of the reasons I wanted the 107 was for the larger bowl size. Perhaps not large to the likes of Bradley (The old Cajun) or many other pipers here but I wanted a 2 hour smoker. So when you said out of the 107 you had a 20 min smoke I could not imagine getting through that bowl size that quickly without either burning my tongue to ribbons or making myself quite sick indeed. (17 year cigarette smoker) I do smoke flakes almost exclusively but still.
Interestingly though I was thinking yesterday about my grandfather. This is a man I have not seen for many a year but he to would charge through a large bowl at that speed and then, when finished, fill and light again.
Peoples smoking styles is something which interests me as much as tobaccos and pipes when I think about it.