Filters are a bunch of horse radish & it kind of pisses me off

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hakchuma

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 13, 2014
791
77
Can I run a cheap pipe cleaner down the stem? No. Does the water stay in there? Yes. Is it gonna leave the pipe anytime soon? No.
These things are just down right offensive. Savinelli has probably come the closest to being reasonable with thier filters. The rest are just a bunch of bull shit.
Look at those monster filters in my Stanwells. Look at the hippie filter in my Big Ben. Do they provide an insert to fix the draw like Savinelli does? No. Does the insert that replaces the Savinelli do anything?
Well... #%&$@...
I don't #$&@ know.
All I know right now is that I am smoking a mop. And it's a mop because of the stanky a$$ wet mopey SOB filter in my pipe right now.
"Hey John, our numbers don't look good. Sales are down, we need something to supplement our lost income. Let's make a gizmo thing A MA JIG and tell them they gotta keep buying them."
"That's a great idea bob. Not only that but make them so damned big and so god awfully stupidly complex that we can make even more money from it.
Have you seen how freaking large these filters are for my new Stanwells and Big Ben?
What did they do, contract NASA to develop them?
Ya, it kind of pisses me off.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Luckily there are a world of pipes designed without filters. Savenelli makes several series without them -- the Oscar Lucite series, the unfinished pipes, their churchwardens like the 601, and some others. With Savs you can just leave the filters out, same with recent Dr. Grabows and others. With 6mm filter pipes, the Sav adapter narrows the airway a bit if you find smoking without filter too airy. But mostly, many many pipes are designed without them, so focus on those and avoid the frustration!

 

agnosticpipe

Lifer
Nov 3, 2013
3,332
3,413
In the sticks in Mississippi
Ok, I understand your frustration, but you don't have to use a filter to smoke the pipe. Most smokers in the US don't use filters that much. Any filter pipe you buy new usually comes with an adapter to smoke without using the filter. Shoot, you don't even need to use the adapter if you don't want to, and like a really open draw. Now if you really like using a filter but want a system that really works, buy a Brigham pipe. Probably the best filter system made and it passes a pipe cleaner. The filters are reusable probably 8-10 times, and you can even get more milage out of them if you want to bother to rinse them out with water, as they are made of rock maple. Not all that expensive either.
Just take a deep breath, relax and enjoy those new pipes you have. :puffy:

 
Jan 4, 2015
1,858
11
Massachusetts
I have never liked filters or stingers for that matter. I always remove them. The adapters seem to restore good draw and they solve the glop accumulation problem in the filter chambers. For the most part they come in two sizes (6 & 9 mm) which pretty much covers what most brands use.

 

anchovyd

Might Stick Around
May 17, 2015
52
3
Hear, Hear!!! These big 9mm filter do suck, even the Savinelli balsa filter. They just suck the life out of the tobacco. I really don't get it. I purchased a couple of these 9mm filter pipes when I was in Europe and always get angry when I try using the filters. I really don't get the fancy german activated charcoal filters, I mean if I wanted to puff purified warm air, I'd just attach my mouthpiece to the tailpipe of a TDI. Ohhh wait, that's right those germans cheated the system so their diesels could crank out poisonous, life threatening nitrogen dioxide but they strong-arm pipe companies to make crappy pipes with cankle shapes shanks and fat stems and force 9mm Vauen filters down our throat and "protect" us against healthy smoke.
Hey Merkel, why don't you fix your g.d. pollution wagens before you steal the flavor out of my pipe with a p.o.s. 9mm activated charcoal abomination.
Yeah they suck alright.

 

hakchuma

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 13, 2014
791
77
I was expecting a filter system on these pipes. I was also expecting an adapter to fix the draw. Neither Stanwell or Big Ben Provided them with the pipes like Savinelli does.
Now, granted I Dont know much but I would at least hope a pipe was designed with a draw pressure in mind. And if that is the case and the pipe doesn't ship with an insert of some kind to at the VERY least give the customer an idea of how thier product is intended to function.
The costs of pipe shouldn't matter.
"Hey Bob, we made a pipe.... I don't give two shots how it works as an instrument that is intended to function, but doesn't it look cool?"
"That's right John, looks cool, some people think we actually had an intention of how it should perform. But, we are smarter than that. We will just make the draft hole large enough for it to accommodate these filters designed by NASA."
"I agree Bob." "The intended function is not as important as product." "regardless, we need to focus on moving product, and everyone else is using said filter and they are selling better than the pipes."

 

maxpeters

Can't Leave
Jan 4, 2010
439
20
I just use the Savinelli 6mm adaptor on those pipes. Works great. For the 9mm filters pipes I use this little adaptor. I've found it works the best. I can't remember where I got it, but it was just recently. I bought several. The adaptor just snaps into the tenon, and reduces the air hole to about 3mm. No shake, or rattle. You can even run a cleaner through it. If I remember where my order came from, I will pm you. They were really inexpensive. There are shorter ones, and even one with a stinger, but I've found this one works best.


 

hakchuma

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 13, 2014
791
77
Right. Savinelli supplies that. The others are just like:
"Bob... Please get off my back. I already told you I don't give two shots of how our product should perform. What I care about is that we sell filters... And that we sell a lot of them."
In the end the damned pipes smoke, but gesh, I made the mistake of thinking that the pipe market has become such a niche that the performance with or with out a filter would be very important. I guess they just don't care.
Ya I'm starting to bash. And looks here Peterson. My pit-filled pipe just doesn't look like the pipe I bought after six months of smoking it.
Hopefully they will take thier profits in pipe filters and start manufacturing airline seats for fat people. Specifically for the fat people on nutrisystem. That would be a fine prouduct indeed.

 

phil67

Lifer
Dec 14, 2013
2,052
7
Then simply don't use them! I never have and never will as I find them useless and just another thing to replace/purchase. Pretty simple eh!

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,042
400
Before you totally bash filters try this for a 9mm filter. Since I tried it I haven't gone back. Doesn't impact the taste and makes for a nice dry smoke with no airflow impact. http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/pipe-cleaner-as-a-filter

 

hakchuma

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 13, 2014
791
77
Sorry. I refuse to smoke a filter. My intentions are to smoke a pipe.

 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,206
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
Damn! That's a lot of complaining over a filter in a pipe.
It's pretty simple really. Don't buy pipes designed for filters. Then you won't have to run in circles, screaming, shouting and peeing down your leg. Do a bit of diligent research prior to purchase, a phone call or e-mail to the vendor if buying over the net. A lot of pipe smokers prefer filters, many do not. Some like a tight draw, others a freer one. You're just one of thousands of pipe smokers and the manufacturers obviously forgot to call and get your input before designing their product.

 

ccdeere

Might Stick Around
May 15, 2015
80
2
Phoenix, AZ
I leave the filters to the side...and don't use the insert in my savanelli...works wonderfully. Don't see the sense in a filter tbh, I was that flavor and have honed down my smoking to where it's not really that wet anymore...personally think they are just a sales gimmick...like those freaking stingers!

 

hakchuma

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 13, 2014
791
77
Hey warren. You sure sound pissy tonight.
And you are right. I'll call next time. And I'll pee down the leg that I bought the pipes from tomorrow.
I'll send back the Stanwell contraptions since they look pretty enough to to look at.
The Barbados stays with me. It is small enough to clench in my teeth while I fight some one.
It's gonna be fun making my own pipes anyway.

 

fnord

Lifer
Dec 28, 2011
2,746
8
Topeka, KS
You cats are feisty tonight.
Warren: On point - as usual.
Hakchuma: Fabulous rebound, "The Barbados stays with me. It is small enough to clench in my teeth while I fight some one.."
I've been on my feet at a trade show for the past four days, caught a cold, feel like hell and this is the best grin I've had all week.
Thanks, guys!
Fnord
P.S. Orley's right of course. The only filters in my cellar fade my pair of well loved Brighams.

 

hakchuma

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 13, 2014
791
77
Ur welcome fnord. And thanks for reminding me to laugh at myself. Warren. No hard feelings. Just got loose for a second.

 
Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
Every time this subject comes up I still have to wonder why people object to having that space in a normal pipe, when in something labeled "Reverse Calabash" they will pay extra for it.
Most of my 9mm filter pipes actually have had the entrance to the airway tapered, though I did still find cleaning them up a tiny bit did help with the feel of the airflow. It's surprising how varied the effects can be from changing the shape of the airway entrance.

Regardless, I'm pretty sure the ratio of 9mm pipes with that extra bit of attention to detail actually outweighs the non-filter pipes I have, including a few hand made British pipes.
If your pipe is smoking wet, one of the first things I would look at is whether the entrance to the airway in the stem has a sharp corner or is something rounded or angled. At the very least it changes the feel, at worst turbulence from the corners can give you a wet smoke.

I'm actually tempted to polish that area of the stem.

 
Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
Also, filters suck.

Not that the idea of using a filter sucks, but I have yet to see one for sale that I'm satisfied with. Which is maybe good, because then I don't have a lazy alternative.
I do think using a piece of curled up pipe-cleaner in your 9mm filter pipe makes the smoke more enjoyable. Even if only because it prevents tobacco and ash from getting to your mouth.

 
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