i am somewhat new to buying corncob pipes. i recently purchased a country gentleman straight and legend bent and have a couple questions concerning the quality and fit of the pipes. the only other experience i've had is purchasing a great dane egg bent which i'm very happy with. i've read a number of forum posts and couldn't really discern any consensus from the community here or elsewhere as to the quality control and attention to detail the company pays to ostensibly a 'consumable' (or 'disposable' if you will) pipe. here are my questions:
the country gentleman has an oddity in the bottom of the bowl. the bore down from the top is perfectly straight (maybe slightly tapered in at the bottom), but the side hole has been over-drilled to the point where a noticeable cavity has been hollowed out in the opposite wall from the birch shank. the bowl shape is tapered from the mid-point out to the top and bottom so the thinnest part of the bowl is right there. is this done by design, perhaps to increase the capacity of the bowl, or is it just sloppy worksmanship? can someone examine their pipe and confirm? my concern is the longevity of the pipe with the wall being somewhat thinner in that area as well as the altered smoking characteristics that the cavity might introduce. the birch shank in my great dane egg blocks the bottom of the bowl sufficiently so as not to allow tobacco to pool underneath in the non-combustible area. the adjacent cavity next to the birch shank in my country gentleman is wide open in comparison. thoughts?
i've read several forum posts remarking how susceptible the cob pith can be in missouri meerschaum pipes without a hardwood plug, some remarking that the bottom of the bowls are even translucent. the bent legend that i just received appeared to have a couple pinholes in the bottom of the bowl where you could see the sticker surface. i couldn't believe it myself on a brand-new pipe so i removed the bottom sticker to verify and sure enough you can pass a toothpick clean thru the hole. is this a concern? i guess i have a natural carburetor on my hands if the deterioration doesn't accelerate.
are these 'variances' (or 'defects' if you will) within the range of the normal fit and finish others observe?
Edit: Corrected capitalization in title, (Number Nine) L.
the country gentleman has an oddity in the bottom of the bowl. the bore down from the top is perfectly straight (maybe slightly tapered in at the bottom), but the side hole has been over-drilled to the point where a noticeable cavity has been hollowed out in the opposite wall from the birch shank. the bowl shape is tapered from the mid-point out to the top and bottom so the thinnest part of the bowl is right there. is this done by design, perhaps to increase the capacity of the bowl, or is it just sloppy worksmanship? can someone examine their pipe and confirm? my concern is the longevity of the pipe with the wall being somewhat thinner in that area as well as the altered smoking characteristics that the cavity might introduce. the birch shank in my great dane egg blocks the bottom of the bowl sufficiently so as not to allow tobacco to pool underneath in the non-combustible area. the adjacent cavity next to the birch shank in my country gentleman is wide open in comparison. thoughts?
i've read several forum posts remarking how susceptible the cob pith can be in missouri meerschaum pipes without a hardwood plug, some remarking that the bottom of the bowls are even translucent. the bent legend that i just received appeared to have a couple pinholes in the bottom of the bowl where you could see the sticker surface. i couldn't believe it myself on a brand-new pipe so i removed the bottom sticker to verify and sure enough you can pass a toothpick clean thru the hole. is this a concern? i guess i have a natural carburetor on my hands if the deterioration doesn't accelerate.
are these 'variances' (or 'defects' if you will) within the range of the normal fit and finish others observe?
Edit: Corrected capitalization in title, (Number Nine) L.
