Think I want a calabash.

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tarheel1

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 16, 2014
936
3
I have been looking lately at Calabash pipe. I am thinking I would like one, but not sure if I want a wooden or a gourd. Maybe something like this.

il_fullxfull.656921488_o9gb.jpg


il_fullxfull.657046057_dplg.jpg


 

tarheel1

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 16, 2014
936
3
I am not a big fan of the pressed meerschaum liners in gourd pipes. Ser Jacopo and Ardor make some good calabash pipes, available at smokingpipes.com now.
But they are not really Calabashes.

 

tarheel1

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 16, 2014
936
3
I was saying the Ser Jocopo and Ardor are not true calabash. To be a true calabash you need an air chamber which serves to cool, dry, and mellow the smoke. The two in the picture are calabashes and yes there are a few briars that are true calabashes.

 

jarit

Can't Leave
Jul 2, 2013
333
4
Well, I think the gourd calabash is the original, since the name comes from the gourd. Then there are pipes made of briar or other woods that have the same hollow construction as the gourd calabash. Third, there's the shape name "calabash", a pipe that doesn't have the hollow three part construction, but is merely a shape similar to the previous two.
Pics of my Strambach gourd calabash to explain the construction;
JkmOiWz.jpg


e9XOP5r.jpg


EaL9wA9.jpg


 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
45,262
119,320
I have a pioneer gourd, and love how it smokes, just more upkeep than a briar. Really cool dry smoke from just about any blend though.

 

jchaplick

Lifer
May 8, 2011
1,702
10
^ I also have a Pioneer Calabash, it has some of the most unique and enjoyable smoking characteristics of all of my pipes.

 

fishnbanjo

Lifer
Feb 27, 2013
3,030
69
I have owned 2 Gourd Calabash pipes and they smoked extremely well. I have passed them along to two different friends who smoke pipes and wanted a Calabash, one is a bamboo fly rod maker and one lives in Germany. I have since replaced them with 2 different Calabash pipes, one by Maigurs Knets and the other by Trevor Talbert. The Knets has a briar gourd body, a briar bowl wrapped in Masur Birch, the Talbert has a Meerschaum body with a Morta bowl wrapped in Boxwood. Both are outstanding smokers and would not trade them for anything but if I could ever find a smaller gourd Calabash I'd snap it up in a minute.
This is the Knets:
8998756255_63ed8b217c_o.jpg

This is the Talbert:
15657883831_e685a1df3d_z.jpg

banjo

 

desertpipe

Might Stick Around
Nov 13, 2014
98
0
I have a smaller gourd calabash, having traded away a larger model. I found that I used the smaller one much more often then the larger. Briar calabashes are much easier to clean then gourd, but are also heavier.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,211
60,638
jarit, thank you for the break-down photos of the Calabash. I've never owned one nor seen one taken apart

at a pipe shop, so this was really an interesting photo. I like the Calabash shape in briar pipes, although I

now understand why most of these are not Calabash pipes in the true sense. I am often enlightened when

I visit Forums. I like the discussion on various issues, but the focus on pipes and tobacco is an education.

 

okiescout

Lifer
Jan 27, 2013
1,530
7
Have not tried the new brier Calabash pipes. But I do own two gourd Calabash pipes. They are smaller pipes. I love them both. They are very cool to smoke and after I cleaned the ghosted ??? stuff out of the second one it smoked great great also.

Diversity makes the world go round. :)

Although I do not see any of them being a carry around pipe.

 

griffonwing

Can't Leave
Nov 12, 2014
498
21
Omaha AR
I have a quandary regarding my own gourd calabash.
gourd1-600x449.jpg


gourd2-600x449.jpg

As you can see, it looks as though it has a meerschaum lining. It did not come with an insert (flea market purchase). Is this normal? I don't smoke it because I can't get the old tobacco powder/taste out of the bottom of the gourd, nor the inside flakings of the gourd itself. So currently it is just a conversation piece.
(spelling edit)

 

jarit

Can't Leave
Jul 2, 2013
333
4
That's quite odd, griffonwing.
The first photo looks like a typical (Pioneer?) calabash that has the meer insert/cup missing. The second photo shows what i think must be an aftermarket mod of some kind. The cork gasket is missing and a replacement meer insert has been installed flush with the gourd, sans the mushromoid overflow. That's my guess, anyway.
This firm sells replacement cups, but you'd need a new gasket, too.

 

griffonwing

Can't Leave
Nov 12, 2014
498
21
Omaha AR
If I could remove the lining without damaging the gourd, I would consider it, However, I am not sure what they used, and knowing my luck, I would rip the gourd.
I suppose I could simply grind away, slowly eating away the meer until all that is left of glue and gourd...

 
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