Tsuge Tankard -Style- Pipes (They Serve A Purpose)

npod · May 27, 2018

I have only one non traditional pipe in my stable, a Drew Estate Tsuge (Tankard Style). You can see a similar one here https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/tsuge/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=258705.
I use this pipe for two VERY SPECIFIC reasons:

1. When I'm fishing.

2. Quick smokes of flake tobacco. Usually heavy nicotine blends I want to smoke "right now" without drying time.
For fishing, it is good to screw cap the top and have a packed bowl ready for a 30 minute smoke at lunch. For quick smokes, like tonight, I use it when I want a nicotine hit on the "spur of the moment". Why? Because you load the bottom compartment with dry tobacco and that soaks up the moisture from the top bowl (it's like a calabash, it has a hole in the bottom). Thus, you don't have to wait for your flakes to dry out. For me, it's usually Peterson 3 Ps, a nice nicotine loaded plug, but very moist. I almost never think to dry it ahead of time, and usually I want it now kinda thing. So I pack the Tsuge with fresh cube cut 3 Ps, fill the reservoir with dry shag tobacco and enjoy a bowl immediately.
Anyway, thought I'd post this in case anyone ever wondered what the heck these weird looking pipes were good for.

mso489 · May 27, 2018

Interesting. Some deeper bowl pipes that end up with a layer of dottle at the end of the smoke function somewhat the same way, using the tobacco as a moisture trap. I've seen the Tusge tankards from time to time, and read the write-ups, but have never heard this described.

Chasing Embers · May 27, 2018

Is that the actual use for that lower chamber? Was wandering about that.

josephcross · May 27, 2018

Interesting use of overly dried tobacco. Do you get rid of the lower chambers tobacco afterward? Cool little pipe.

artificialme · May 27, 2018

using shag as a moisture trap. Great idea. Lovely little pipe by the way

npod · May 27, 2018

Yes, the intended use of the lower reservoir is for tobacco to collect the moisture from the upper tobacco fire during the smoke.
Yes, you throw away the tobacco in the lower reservoir when done smoking.
Also, it is a great way to enjoy aromatic tobacco without actually smoking it. For example I often use Rattray’s Exotic Orange in the lower reservoir and you get a nice hint of the orange flavor while smoking.

orobusto · May 27, 2018

I'm assuming the dry tobacco in the lower chamber doesn't get burned. If so, can you put a cut piece of pipe cleaner in it like a Falcon?

npod · May 28, 2018

@orobusto, the dry tobacco in the bottom reservoir can not get burned, it is in a separate space than the upper briar bowl with burning tobacco. I suppose you could put a piece of pipe cleaner (or even a cotton ball, etc) in the bottom to soak up moisture. I read somewhere that one guy even puts ground coffee in the bottom.
And a pipe cleaner can also pass easily to soak up even more moisture from the stem and the bottom reservoir.

cortezattic · May 28, 2018

Well, I learn something every day! Thanks for posting.

bassbug · May 28, 2018

I'm intrigued by the idea of pre-packing a pipe and having it in my fishing vest, ready to go. Wonder if I could pack a bowl, put a wind cap on the pipe and throw it into a ziplock bag?
Would it survive intact or will I get a tossed pipe, wind cap and tobacco salad when I get to it? :?:

npod · May 28, 2018

Bassbug, the Drew Estate version is the one you want for fishing. The cap screws on tightly and will not fall off. It’s not a “wind cap” as they call it. You can definitely carry it in your vest. Some pics below of the pipe on the river. I carry it in my vest and also in my Kayak or belly boat. The key is to only smoke it on the bank while eating lunch or resting and not when actively fishing. The bowl is a bit small. If I was to do it again I would buy the taller bowl.

jpmcwjr · May 28, 2018

Can't say for sure, but I sometimes put a packed pipe in a pocket (no cap, no baggie) and it's fine.

mso489 · May 28, 2018

Wow, the use of shag and/or aromatic in the lower chamber adds a dimension to pipe smoking. It's a fascinating idea. Another way of getting some of that into a regular pipe is layering different blends, what's called parfait. It's not quite this sophisticated, but it allows pipers without this Tsuge to do a little of the same. The OP really reveals this in a way that Tsuge and the retailers have failed to do, at least in my experience. I don't know as I'll order one, since I'm having a lot of fun with the variables already, but I will certainly remember this post, keep it in mind, and wait to hear how generally this concept, or these pipes, catch on. Excellent post, bringing this to Forums attention with brevity and clarity -- nice job!

bassbug · May 28, 2018

npod,
I'll definitely look into it.
I always trust the opinion of a fellow flyfisher that float tubes. Especially one that likes the full wells grip on their rods too

I tried having a smoke in my float tube once, but quickly found out you can either fish or smoke...choose one.

tavol · May 28, 2018

I'm intrigued by the idea of pre-packing a pipe and having it in my fishing vest, ready to go. Wonder if I could pack a bowl, put a wind cap on the pipe and throw it into a ziplock bag?
Would it survive intact or will I get a tossed pipe, wind cap and tobacco salad when I get to it?

I use a falcon as a fishing pipe and travel with a couple of prepacked bowls, a wind cap does help keep everything neat and tidy. I find a standard pipe sock will hold a stem, two bowls, a handful of pipe cleaners and a wee lighter. The whole lot is easy to put in a waistcoat pocket.

artificialme · May 28, 2018

Hmm....from the way shag tobacco used in tsuge, maybe I can put any tobacco in my reverse calabash pipe to add a new flavor. Let me try it

disinformatique · May 29, 2018

That looks good !!

Civil War · May 29, 2018

Thanks for the insight!

mso489 · Jun 1, 2018

The conundrum with work horse pipes, whether a favored cob, a Falcon, a well-worn briar, or a Tsuge tankard, is that the more pipes you own, the less you smoke each one, until no one pipe gets to be a real work horse if you rotate them and all get smoked. I keep all of mine moving, but even rotated regularly, each one would get smoked about once every three months.

orobusto · Apr 2, 2019

Since npod posted about this pipe, I've been looking at them, but couldn't justify the price. I was lucky enough to get a new one on Ebay a couple of weeks ago for $125 and it is great! It's like a Falcon on steroids. Thanks npod for the recommendation. You are right about not having to dry flake so much.

Tsuge Tankard -Style- Pipes (They Serve A Purpose)

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