Pipe Clenching
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This is a very subjective topic as I've found that the way the stem is made (thin, thick, wide,etc.) and the way your chompers are organized play heavily into what makes a good clencher. I really don't know if the briar is a clencher until the pipe in my grubby paws. Some I thought would be aren't, etc. A bit of a gamble.
I have a Savinelli 644 Bent Brandy and although it's a bigger pipe I find it easy to keep in my teeth. Saddle bits seem to work best for me. It also has a fairly large tobacco chamber so it will hold a good load. An occasional tamp and a smoke lasts a long time. Perfect for those times when your hands are busy with something else.
I have found that I actually prefer straight shapes for clenching, as bents tend to ash everywhere if I lower my head. I prefer a tapered bit to a saddle. As others mentioned, there are a lot of variables here. My overbite certainly plays a role. I would say the one common denominator is weight- a lighter pipe is easier to clench. I currently don't own a pipe over 45 grams, and I intend to keep it that way. 35 grams seems like the perfect weight for me.
The only pipe in my collection that I can't clench is a Northern Briars churchwarden. The shape of the bowl doesn't really matter at all. For me, it's the comfort, a size, weight, balance, stem, thing, very subjective.
Light weight. That's the criteria that must be met for me to clench. A bent is also more comfortable IMO than a long billiard or Canadian shape. I've got some dental issues that force me too clench less than I used too but I'll get that fixed soon but even when I do get that problem fixed I doubt that I'll want to clench my pipes any more than I absolutely have to.
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I've noticed for the most part, the more of a bend, the easier to clench. I have a Wessex that it perfect balanced once you add some tobacco, that just works great. Now, this isn't saying that a straight can't be clenched, like Cosmic said, I can't clench pretty much any pipe I have. It's all subjective and opinion. But as far as the basic question goes, a bent definitely works best.
I think light weight is the key ( less than 40g), but it's also more comfortable to clench when the stem is not too long. Rubber tips also help you to clench more securely.
Bent can also be clenched by the front teeth, and straight can be still clenched on the side by the premolars.
Bent can also be clenched by the front teeth, and straight can be still clenched on the side by the premolars.
I had purchased an estate bulldog by Cellini that has a bowl/shank angled for bent, but a straight replacement bit. A couple of days ago I got adventurous, heated up the bit (a bit) and bent it to the proper angle. It now hangs perfectly and, with the addition of a rubber tip for my poor teeth, has become my favorite clencher. Lightweight and bent would be my choice... though, as others have noted, YMMV.
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