Conical Chamber Offerings

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beastkhk

Can't Leave
Feb 3, 2015
327
1
I currently only have one pipe with a conical chamber and I really enjoy how it smokes. It being conical was somewhat of a fluke as most website descriptions or ebay postings do not specify what type of chamber it is.
The pipe I have is somewhat of a Danish inspired bull-dog. From what I have read it would seem that the conical drilling is a little more common with a Dublin style of pipe or some of the Danish freehands.
Are there any mainstream factory offerings that have a conical chamber, or are known for them?(I feel like it is a little more of a precise process so I could see factories potentially avoiding them for that reason)
Ideally I would be looking for a lumberman/lovat style as that is my favorite, but I don't have a Dublin yet so if they are more common in that design I wouldn't be opposed. I just don't know how to find which pipes have them other than asking people currently in possession of them.

 

nachman

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 27, 2013
228
3
I thought all Dublins and Zulus had conical bowls. Mine do. I take it back. I checked and one of my Zulus, a Hardcastle, does not have a conical bowl.

 
I believe that most dublins have them. I have a dublin in just about every factory made that offers one as well as a few artisans. If you want me to just throw out a pipe name, then Savinelli or Peterson's dublins have good cone shaped bowls. My most interesting cone shaped chamber is a Becker bent rhodesian-esqua shape. It has an extreme cone that is drilled on an angle. It deceptively holds more tobacco than you'd think, but stoves down very quickly as I smoke it, making it become sweeter and more caramelized much quicker than any of my other tapered bowls.

 

stanlaurel

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 31, 2015
701
9
I have a large bent Savinelli Dublin with a nice conical bowl. It smokes great. It is my Escudo pipe.
My most interesting cone shaped chamber is a Becker bent rhodesian-esqua shape. It has an extreme cone that is drilled on an angle.
I just bought a new Rhodesian with a chamber just like this. I did not know it had this until I received it. I had never seen anything like this before. I will smoke it for the first time tonight.

 

buroak

Lifer
Jul 29, 2014
1,867
14
Peterson and Kaywoodie Dublin shapes seem to have conical bowls with what I consider a proper taper, though my statement regrading Kaywoodie Dublin pipes may only apply to smaller bowls or later-production pipes. Old Kaywoodie and Grabow Yacht/Zulu shapes have true conical bowls, but you may not like that the draft hole comes up through the heel of the bowl. Charatan Dublins and Gilpins have conical bowls, but the taper is not what I would really like to see, especially as regards the Charatan Dublins. Your mileage may vary, as my assessment is based only on pipes in my collection.

 
I just bought a new Rhodesian with a chamber just like this.

My biggest objection to this chamber is that it cakes like crazy at the top of the chamber, and not at all on the bottom, which is how it hangs from a clench. So, I am constantly shaving the cake out. But, it does give me an awesome smoke, if you like the way a Virginia stoves in flavor as it progresses.

 

beastkhk

Can't Leave
Feb 3, 2015
327
1
Awesome, thanks for the feedback; sounds like a Dublin needs to get added to my PAD list.
Edit: Might have to add on a Zulu for good measure too :)

 

buroak

Lifer
Jul 29, 2014
1,867
14
My biggest objection to this chamber is that it cakes like crazy at the top of the chamber, and not at all on the bottom, which is how it hangs from a clench. So, I am constantly shaving the cake out. But, it does give me an awesome smoke, if you like the way a Virginia stoves in flavor as it progresses.
cosmicfolklore, Our experience with this chamber shape is the same.
beastkhk, You are quite welcome. Cosmicfolklore is spot-on in his gripe about conical chambers. Uneven caking can be especially problematic if you select what is to my mind a true Yacht shape, one with a forward-canted bowl. In either a Dublin or a Yacht, if you clench and let the bowl tip down the heat and cake distribution will be uneven. I think Brian Levine warns about some of this in a past "Pipe Parts" segment, but my memory may be off a bit.

 

tarak

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
1,528
15
South Dakota
Savinelli Dublins are great factory made pipes with conical bowls. I own 2 and plan to own more. They smoke flake tobacco wonderfully. I have a Savinelli Roma 413KS and a Sav Punto Oro Mister G 413KS and they are by far my favorite pipes. The make a few other Dublin shapes too- 404, 904, 920 to name a few.
I had a third, A Mister G 920, but gave it to a friend who had fallen on hard times and no longer had a pipe. Another friend of mine but a Roma 920 and loves it.
For the money, if you like dark rusticated pipes, I think the Roma Series is a fine offering.

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
Conical bowls are my fave too, they definitely seem to enhance the flavors and richness for me.
True cones seem hard to come by, I think they were very prevalent back in the Danish freehand days but have lost favor for some reason?
I have a Preben Holm with a true cone and it's great!
I wish more makers noted what the bowl shape actually is.
I recently got a Martelo pipe that has a great semi-conical chamber, pretty rare on a straight billiard.

I'm pretty sure he uses these bits:

http://spoon-bits.com/

:puffy:

 

beastkhk

Can't Leave
Feb 3, 2015
327
1
Uneven caking can be especially problematic
Interesting, I haven't smoked the one I have enough to see if the cake is favoring a side, but I see where that could be an issue. Plus, the shape is not very conducive to using a run of the mill reamer. Likely have to bust out the trusty swiss army knife, which is fine.
I would also be curious if anyone has come across any of the science between one style of chamber vs the other? I feel like the conical would promote a more even air flow since the air would likely concentrate to a single point which also happens to be right where the draft hole is. Whereas, I feel the cylindrical chamber would cant the airflow more towards the side which the draft hole is(potentially causing an area of turbulence). In the grand scheme of things, it is likely negligible, since you wouldn't be drawing fast enough or hard enough to see the effect(or at least shouldn't be).
I just ask more out of curiosity. While searching through past threads to see if this had been addressed I came across a thread mentioning opinions regarding conical chambers having less dottle and burn through all of the tobacco. That sounds like a more efficient burn, which gets me thinking about a more efficient airflow. I get it; causation vs. correlation, but some of that got my brain noodling so I figured I would add the question on.
After looking around I think I am going to go with an unfinished Savinelli. I was looking for an excuse to pick one up from the feedback people gave them in another thread. I just didn't know which shape to go with at the time(excited that they don't put a filter on that shape). I would prefer acrylic, so was also looking at a Stanwell too; but, Stanwells should be on sale later this year so I will hold out until then. That is if I like how the shape smokes with the Savinelli.( :) in case you guys were wondering)

 

beefeater33

Lifer
Apr 14, 2014
4,090
6,194
Central Ohio
I'm not a fan of the conical bowl.......for me they burn hot. They also tend to plug with just the lightest tamp about mid-bowl. Maybe its just my technique, but for me U is GOOD, V is BAD.......... :puffy:

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
I would also be curious if anyone has come across any of the science between one style of chamber vs the other?
-
This is good reading:

http://passionforpipes.squarespace.com/neills-blog/2010/10/31/how-and-why-chamber-geometry-impacts-tobacco-flavor.html
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http://passionforpipes.squarespace.com/neills-blog/2010/10/28/finding-that-magic-fit-between-pipe-and-tobacco.html
-

 

buroak

Lifer
Jul 29, 2014
1,867
14
beastkhk, I have started using oak dowels wrapped with 220 grit sandpaper to trim cake in my pipes (I use 100 grit for heavily-caked estate acquisitions). I mostly use 3/8" and 1/2" dowels, but I keep 1/4" and 3/4" dowels on hand for some tasks. The dowel/sandpaper method should greatly simplify your work on conical bowls.

 

beastkhk

Can't Leave
Feb 3, 2015
327
1
Awesome articles misterlowercase, thanks. I am going to have to bookmark that site for further exploration.
Thanks, sablebrush52; I might have to add that to my cart. :) , also, the inner child in me got a giggle that the name of the reamer has "butt" in it. My memory is so bad that I could see myself walking into a B and M and asking if they had any butt reamers. Oh, the looks I would get :)

 

menuhin

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 21, 2014
642
3
I used to have a few of these tapered reamer for my other hobby of making musical instruments.

023reamer.JPG


However, it didn't do the job so right and I gave them away.
Now, I realize I need exactly tools like these to ream the bowl of my chimney pipes that have deep chambers in conical shape.

 
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