Preferred Va/VaPer Pipe Shape/Dimension

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fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
Ok I'm curious as to everyone's preferred pipe dimensions for smoking Va's and Va/Per's.
Do you prefer a conical bowl such as a Dublin? Do you prefer a narrower bowl? How narrow is too narrow? How wide is too wide?
I generally prefer a taller narrower bowl. Around .8 diameter and 1.6 or so for the depth is around my sweet spot. I've yet to own a Dublin but will soon hopefully.
Edit: I need a disclaimer that says I still have issues finding taste in some Va's but I'm trying to smoke them more frequently to try and discover what I'm missing. I do smoke slowly just sipping and I find them very one dimensional. Although some Va/Per's like Annie Kake I've found that I love the bready sort of taste.

 

samcoffeeman

Can't Leave
Apr 6, 2015
441
4
My best Va/Per smoker is a Canadian with a massive bowl, almost 1" diameter and 2" deep. It breaks the mold of what people say usually works best for them.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,249
108,349
Never put much stock in which shape for which tobacco. My pipes always let me know what works best for them, and none of my best genre smokers fall into the supposed catagories.

 

kane

Can't Leave
Dec 2, 2014
429
3
I have heard the standard rule as smaller narrow bowls for concentrating the flavors of simpler VA's, and larger wider bowls for giving more room for complex English blends. I say trial and error with the actual pipes you have.

 

pipestud

Lifer
Dec 6, 2012
2,010
1,749
Robinson, TX.
Never put much stock in which shape for which tobacco. My pipes always let me know what works best for them, and none of my best genre smokers fall into the supposed catagories. - chasingembers
Ditto. The pipes will tell you what they like best.

 
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drennan

Can't Leave
Mar 30, 2014
344
3
Normandy
I've got half a dozen dublin bowls for falcons and everyone does a surperb job of smoking virginia blends. Oddly, considering the name, they're a billiard shape and quite narrow at 18mm dia.

 

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
Never put much stock in which shape for which tobacco.
Hmm that's interesting. For me without a doubt Latakia based blends smoke better in wider bowls. As for Virginia's I will need to experiment more.
Does anyone have a minimum size bowl? I was looking at a pipe earlier and the diameter was .71 and I was thinking that's way too narrow but maybe it would be a great smoker.

 

ashdigger

Lifer
Jul 30, 2016
11,378
70,056
60
Vegas Baby!!!
Experimenting is the only true answer. Bowls sizes are one thing, smoking style matters.
You can have the "right" bowl according to others but you can have a terrible smoke.
Experiment and keep notes.

 
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blueeyedogre

Lifer
Oct 17, 2013
1,552
30
My two best Virginia flake pipes are a glazed clay with a vulcanite stem I found at an antique shop for $10. 6" long, very thin walled chamber that is .75" by 1.25" deep. Second best is a cheap Medico "Varsity" volcano shape pipe. Not real pretty, took forever to break in and smoked really hot while doing it but now it's one of the best flake pipes I have. I even when back and bought 3 more of the same model and shape and none of them smoke as well as that first one.

 
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bigtex

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 2, 2015
160
26
TX
Despite popular opinion, I have recently found that my larger bowl, Jake Hackert pokers smoke McClelland Virginias and Virginia/Oriental blends very well. They really make the tobacco flavors seem bigger than they seem in a smaller bowl pipe.

 

cynicismandsugar

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 17, 2015
773
4
Springfield, Mo
Personally, my three top Virginia smoking pipes are:
1.) Medium sized [Brebbia] Calabash: tall(er), narrow, with a tappered bottom.
2.) Medium Italian poker: tall(er), narrow.
3.) Medium Meerschaum billiard: tall(er), narrow(ish), and something about the Meerschaum just smokes most Virginias clean. Actually, that pipe smokes most things pretty well.
I have a Peterson dublin shape that I've tried smoking Christmas Cheer in... but the jury is still out for me.

 

jndyer

Lifer
Jul 1, 2012
1,020
725
Central Oregon
A very interesting discussion. I prefer a wider bowl for the vapers I smoke; however with Kajun Kake I have found that I like a narrower bowl with a bit of depth to it.

 
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