Clay Pipes-Worthwhile?

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sparrowhawk

Lifer
Jul 24, 2013
2,941
219
I'm curious about clay pipes. They are cheap, attractive, and appear to be low maintenance. Does anyone here have any experience with these kind of pipes, and are they worth getting/smoking?

 

ravenwolf

Can't Leave
Mar 18, 2014
302
0
It depends on how you go about your pipe smoking, I think.
They are somewhat fragile and brittle, and the mouthpiece isn't as comfortable as a briar stem would be (or a Missouri Meerschaum corncob stem - being more rounded and uneasy to clench in any fashion.
So, unlike a MM cob, I couldn't really smoke it while fishing - for example. Well, I suppose I could, but it would be more of a hassle and more prone to damage. Smoking while wrenching on a motorcycle, or gardening, etc and so forth... I find a good corncob to be more applicable.
If you're at home in your favorite chair, mayhaps you'd prefer one of your favorite briars or a meerschaum, when you have the convenience of time to treat them nicely. I wouldn't use a good briar or meer for the previous activities, but that's just me... I'd smoke it when I have the time to not abusive them.
A clay could be useful for some things though! Camping would be one. Bring a clay, a couple tobaccos, and smoke the living bajeezuz out of it. No need to bring a "rotation" of pipes. When you're done, put it in the embers of the campfire, and in the morning it'll be clean as new. It also adds a certain old world feeling to camping.
If you'd like to use it for taste testing new tobaccos, that'd be a good use. Cobs work for me, but clays are even more taste neutral I think.
If you'd like the novelty of enjoying a clay at home (and appreciate a smaller bowl capacity) - certainly nothing stopping you. I recently figured out that using a cutty shaped clay, you can hold the pipe next to a candle flame and draw the flame in sideways to light it. Kind of fun - so long as you don't use a scented candle :wink:
Clays are fairly inexpensive and unique... worth trying at some point for everyone. A little candle wax around the mouthpiece helps to keep it from sticking to one's lips, and avoid holding it by the bowl, which gets quite hot.

 

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,995
26,613
New York
I have written about clay pipes on here extensively so I not going to repeat myself again. Suffice to say if you can get your hands on the John Pollock clay's, which are no longer made but seem to be pretty plentiful you will be fine. They come in a variety of styles but all revolve around the 6 " cutty style and usually will run you about $7 a pop. These are more durable than tavern pipes and have a glazed tip which stop the pipe sticking to your lips as well as a foot at the base of the bowl to hold the pipe by as it will get pretty hot when smoked.

 

docwatson

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
1,149
9
New England
The above posted messages say it all. I will add that once you have smoked it a couple times it will become a wall piece to look at and nothing more unless you attend Civil War re-enactments and such types of outdoor rendezvous. Have fun trying one out, it's another enjoyable experience of pipe smoking/collecting.

 

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,995
26,613
New York
I forgot to say the pipes without the tips will result in lip cancer and clenching will give you pipe notches. If you google 'pipe notches' you will see exactly what I am saying! I have smoked clays since the age of 17 and I am a dentists worst nightmare as I have a pipe notch on my right hand side of my jaw from clay pipe smoking. I had a fellow from Harley Street who was a dentist ask me what is was like to live in the 1840s as he had never seen pipe notches.

 

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,995
26,613
New York
Sure! Without the glazed tip, the lip is exposed to porous pipe clay. The lip sticks to the porious clay and results in small injuries to the skin of the lip. That area when repeatedly exposed to tar and liquorum from toacco smoke at close range have a distinct probability of lip cancer. It is a small chance but has also been noticed in the young who use non-Swedish dip. I would further recommend The Lancet from 1892 (Ithink March) and the December edition from 1978 which have two extremely informative articles. Anything else?

 
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sallow

Lifer
Jun 30, 2013
1,531
3,771
Care to explain that one?

It is fairly well documented that smoking is not a risk free hobby.
I had a clay and never had a really good smoke out of it. I couldn't touch the bowl because it got too hot and couldn't clench it (I'm a clencher) so I had to hold it by the stem which was awkward. The tobacco once lit, didn't seem to pack well even with a tamper and just sort of rolled around in the bowl. I just couldn't get in the zone with it, like a briar.
My son eventually messed around and dropped it and it broke. I haven't bought another.

 

pipedood

Lurker
Jun 6, 2014
9
0
Well, pipe notches or not, I want to get a clay pipe. Maybe put some tape over the end of the tube? I've seen some of those rubber protectors on pipes. Maybe that would prevent those notches? Just thinking out loud...

 

sparrowhawk

Lifer
Jul 24, 2013
2,941
219
Sounds like while clay pipes are attractive and cheap, I'd probably do well without. Thank you for your input, as always, gentlemen.

 

bowler1

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 16, 2013
135
1
Williamsburg, VA
Supposedly they were popular in the colonial days for the very reasons stated above--they were cheap, and largely disposable. They also don't absorb flavor and moisture like briar.

 
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