Clay
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I've never had a clay either, I always imagined it would smoke hot. Well, I have to get a couple now thanks to you guys!
Been smoking clays for some time now along with the Meers
and Briars, love'em...snagged a few of the Pamplin clays (some for
me, others for gifts ) from PennValley (online) think they are like $8./ea
this month...Great lil smokers and the bowls hold a good amount of
bacci for about a 30-45minute smoke
and Briars, love'em...snagged a few of the Pamplin clays (some for
me, others for gifts ) from PennValley (online) think they are like $8./ea
this month...Great lil smokers and the bowls hold a good amount of
bacci for about a 30-45minute smoke
oddly, the only bad smoking pipes I have ever seen were all briar and the maker just didn't make the airway in some part or all of the pipe/stem open enough. Anyway, they are nice, I greatly prefer corn cob pipes to them, definatley check them out as well. They are even more open and even more cool and dry than clay pipes are. I do have a clay pipe though, it's fun to watch them color like meers do.
So I'm knocking around the web and find a pipe shop in upstate NY, in the Adirondacks, and they've got Briar Churchwardens and all different kinds of clays. I'm familiar with all kinds of briars, but am new to clays. I'm getting a combo from them. A 16 inch 'Continental Tavern Pipe (long graceful stem, slight curve) and one called a "Gouda" (obvious old New Amsterdam influence) as a package deal it's a bargain, but before I do, I need a few answers: How fragile are they? After smoking one, should you let it cool before cleaning out the inevitable 'dottle' in the bottom of the bowl? And, should they be 'rested' bowl down or up? I see them illustrated on the website bowl up, stem down. So, any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Puffinbudgie...
I had a bunch of clays in the 1950s. They cost almost nothing, less than a dollar, maybe 25 or 50 cents. When well broken in they were a great smoke. But they broke so easily that few of them lasted long enough to get broken in. Just lay one down carelessly, and the stem breaks. They started as churchwardens and ended up as nosewarmers.
I've smoked two clays. One my father owns, he bought it for the historical re-enacting he does. Little did I know it was about 100 years old. We had a bit of a laugh over that!
The other I bought while on vacation. Our hotel unexpectedly upgraded our room, including a walk out balcony, so I visited the local B&M I grabbed it from their pipe basket (as well as 2oz of their "Dublin" blend). $10 and smokes very well.
I have found that the tobacco does not smoke hot, but the bowl certainly gets hot. As in you cannot hold it because it will burn you. I also found that pipe cleaners don't really seem to go through the stem easily. The amount of pulling required combined with the fragility of clay means I don't even try any more. That may be the only reason to rest them...any moisture the clay can't absorb will have to clear out naturally.
I do remember reading that you can toss them in a hot oven and "bake" the ghosts out though, so it could make for a great "tester" pipe. Pipeshoppe sells bowls with replaceable stems. Once the clay I have bites the inevitable dust, I think I'll order some. To me, they look thick & sturdy and address the issue of the stem breaking too easily.
The other I bought while on vacation. Our hotel unexpectedly upgraded our room, including a walk out balcony, so I visited the local B&M I grabbed it from their pipe basket (as well as 2oz of their "Dublin" blend). $10 and smokes very well.
I have found that the tobacco does not smoke hot, but the bowl certainly gets hot. As in you cannot hold it because it will burn you. I also found that pipe cleaners don't really seem to go through the stem easily. The amount of pulling required combined with the fragility of clay means I don't even try any more. That may be the only reason to rest them...any moisture the clay can't absorb will have to clear out naturally.
I do remember reading that you can toss them in a hot oven and "bake" the ghosts out though, so it could make for a great "tester" pipe. Pipeshoppe sells bowls with replaceable stems. Once the clay I have bites the inevitable dust, I think I'll order some. To me, they look thick & sturdy and address the issue of the stem breaking too easily.
Have never smoked one... Like TopD stated, I always imagined that hey would smoke hot... But if the opportunity arises I would be more than willing to try one out.
Baron sent me a mini clay pipe and it is great for sampling new tobacco. I will eventually get myself one of those really long ones. I watched a video of as Dutch clay pipe maker. They seem so simple to make, but there is a lot more to the process than you would think. Here is the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G3nuBgnSDI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G3nuBgnSDI
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