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ssjones

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Staff member
May 11, 2011
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11,355
Maryland
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By my experience, used as a tamper, Doctors knives.
There are so many pipe tamper choices, I concluded that I would just buy ones that were designed to be pipe tampers...
 
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K.E. Powell

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 20, 2022
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Maybe it's because I suck at pipes, but I can't see how any tampers could improve on the utility of the one on the Czech tool.
Agreed. I've nicer tampers and they do work a little better, largely because they weigh a bit more and feel more substantial in the hand. But by and large, a Czech tool does the job pretty darn well at price of little more than a single U.S. dollar.
 
Jul 12, 2011
4,135
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Found an old thread, I had some fun with these designs using bolts and electrical tape
1709408691070.png

Battlestar Fans; The Cylon
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My latest fav is Larry Blackett's Pewter - Great weight for just the right tamp pressure
1709408941244.png

Got this one on IPSD this year by Tsuge
1709409006720.png
 
Would be a cool proof of concept hourglass tamper

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Found some hourglass pen kits that would probably work for this design;
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Hmmm… putting an hour glass ona tamper. I may have to play with that idea, but I imagine that they are more like egg timers at that size. Not sure why you’d need a timer, but it would be a cool design.

Here are some that I’ve made recently.
IMG_1829.jpeg
Guys complain about the stones and that they look too sharp to carry in your pocket, but really they are very blunt. I carry mine everywhere, and jam my hands in my pockets all the time. Never a scratch. But, I imagine guys just talk themselves out of a really nice tamper for any reason.
 
Jul 12, 2011
4,135
4,216
Hmmm… putting an hour glass ona tamper. I may have to play with that idea, but I imagine that they are more like egg timers at that size. Not sure why you’d need a timer, but it would be a cool design.

Here are some that I’ve made recently.
View attachment 293339
Guys complain about the stones and that they look too sharp to carry in your pocket, but really they are very blunt. I carry mine everywhere, and jam my hands in my pockets all the time. Never a scratch. But, I imagine guys just talk themselves out of a really nice tamper for any reason.
Those are outstanding designs Brother, The 2nd one from left-to-right looks like the one you had designed for me, still my #1 all-time favorite tamper
 
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Apr 26, 2012
3,381
5,604
Washington State
I don't think it being square has any issue on its effectiveness, but instead maybe the material is the issue. There are plenty of square tampers in use by plenty of pipe smokers.

If the tamper was cheap, I wouldn't waste my time grinding it down. Once the tamper builds up some carbon it should work just fine like you noted. If not, then don't use it and use your Czech tool instead.
 
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