For you, how big of a pipe/bowl is too big for you? I have only three decent pipes. 2 are compact to medium sized, I think 5/8" x 1.5". One is much bigger (also much nicer) and is nearly 2"x3.5". I like all of them, I just prefer the bigger bowl. I think I prefer the ~1:2 ratio as well. If I'm at home, I almost always grab the big pipe, if I don't want to smoke for a long time, I just fill it half way or less. What are your thoughts?
How big is too big?
- Thread starter wesquire
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Presuming we're talking internal bowl size. I like the standard billiard u shape and seem to buy mostly 20 x 40mm, or .78" x 1.5" in old money, as I find it does a good job of smoking most tobaccos. I do prefer a slightly wider pipe for English blends.
As for pipe size, ideally less than 50g total weight and never over 60g for the pipe. I just don't like heavy big pipes as I find them cumbersome and uncomfortable
As for pipe size, ideally less than 50g total weight and never over 60g for the pipe. I just don't like heavy big pipes as I find them cumbersome and uncomfortable
It's like a rope, cut it too short it ain't worth a shit, Big don't mean you got to fill it up, but if you have time for a long smoke you got it.
Wesquire- I think they're referring to VaPer flakes, because flake tobacco tends to burn much longer than ribbon cut. Peterson's Irish Oak is a ribbon-cut VaPer, and there's no sense in restricting yourself to a small bowl of that stuff! I know all of my preferred flake pipes are on the smaller side.
I like to have all manner of sizes, but have two pipes whose bowls are so large that they are seldom used. YMMV!
The theory goes that wider chamber shapes allow more complex blends, such as English or Balkan, to open up and release their flavors. These blends are made up with more pungent tobaccos. Smaller, narrower, conical chamber shapes are thought to be better for concentrating the flavors of more delicate blends, such as Virginia flakes. I generally reserve my pots as well as my larger billiards for English/Oriental/Balkan blends.
Neill Arch Roan's site, A Passion For Pipes, has a couple of articles on chamber geometry and how it affects the burning qualities of tobaccos.
http://passionforpipes.squarespace.com/neills-blog/2010/10/31/how-and-why-chamber-geometry-impacts-tobacco-flavor.html
http://www.apassionforpipes.com/neills-blog/tag/chamber-geometry
http://www.pipesandcigars.com/faq/article/108/how-does-bowl-geometry-affect-a-pipe
Neill Arch Roan's site, A Passion For Pipes, has a couple of articles on chamber geometry and how it affects the burning qualities of tobaccos.
http://passionforpipes.squarespace.com/neills-blog/2010/10/31/how-and-why-chamber-geometry-impacts-tobacco-flavor.html
http://www.apassionforpipes.com/neills-blog/tag/chamber-geometry
http://www.pipesandcigars.com/faq/article/108/how-does-bowl-geometry-affect-a-pipe
If you want to enjoy a long, relaxed smoke, then no pipe can ever be too big 
One thing I have learned about tall pipes from smoking my humungous Mr. Brog freehand is that it's important to tamp more lightly, smoke in slow sips, and take it easy on the initial light - otherwise it will heat up quickly without allowing the smoke to flow through the stem, despite that I'm still drawing air easily enough through it. Wish I understood exactly what is going on when that happens, and would appreciate it if anyone could offer insight on that. I initially suspected the early beginnings of burn-out, but the bowl still feels perfectly even all around when I run my finger down it.
One thing I have learned about tall pipes from smoking my humungous Mr. Brog freehand is that it's important to tamp more lightly, smoke in slow sips, and take it easy on the initial light - otherwise it will heat up quickly without allowing the smoke to flow through the stem, despite that I'm still drawing air easily enough through it. Wish I understood exactly what is going on when that happens, and would appreciate it if anyone could offer insight on that. I initially suspected the early beginnings of burn-out, but the bowl still feels perfectly even all around when I run my finger down it.
As I mentioned in the prince thread, I just can't sit and smoke for an hour. It just doesn't work for me. I gravitated to the prince shape because I wanted something that was more suited to my smoking style.
For me, a bowl with a 19-20mm diameter and a depth of 28-30mm is perfect.
For me, a bowl with a 19-20mm diameter and a depth of 28-30mm is perfect.
No.
As you draw on a pipe the smoke must pass through the tobacco below the ember. People frequently refer to this as filtering the smoke, but I don't believe this is an apt description. The net effect is taller bowls present a more mild flavor at the top of the bowl and very frequently a stronger flavor at the bottom than standard sized bowl (approx 1.5" depth). Additionally taller bowls will develop more cake due to their length. I'm thoroughly convinced that cake imparts it's own flavor on the smoke stream. Obviously, deep bowls will exacerbate moisture issues too.
My widest chamber is 1". And, I find that the wider the chamber, the harder it is to light and keep lit, not impossible, just harder. I have a buddy with a custom 1.5" chamber, and he has a devil of a time getting that thing going. I cannot even imagine trying to light a 2" chamber.
I'd like to try a nearly 2"x3.5" pipe. I tend to vary blends throughout the day, but not bowl-to-bowl, which means that I would enjoy a gigantic bowl of something powerful to puff for a couple hours.
Like Nightcap, Royal Yacht, OJK or some decent dense flake.
Like Nightcap, Royal Yacht, OJK or some decent dense flake.
I think my cut-off on big pipes is more dependent on weight than dimensions. Even if you don't clench a lot, or lunt (smoke while walking, usually while clenching) you usually hang a pipe in your mouth to light and re-light it. I don't want a whole load of pressure on my teeth, so I appreciate less than two ounces. I have a few biggies I enjoy smoking, but I avoid big heavy pipes. On the other hand, don't overlook the benefits of small pipes; some of each is good. As I've said before, probably too often, I used to consider small pipes toys and souvenirs, until fishnbanjo did a post on small pipes and their virtues. I tried one and then another, and saw the light. For flake, short smokes, samples, greater variety of blends in a given time, etc. etc. etc. A range of sizes is a good thing.
For my smoking style, any pipe with a chamber deeper than approx 1.5" would result in the last third to quarter of the bowl to turn into soggy shit. The pipe pictured by Nate is definitely too big for me.
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