What is the chimney shape pipe good for?!?

I've often wondered the same. The best I can gather would be for flakes. Anything else I've smoked in a chimney gets muddled towards the last 1/4 of the bowl.

I really love chimney shaped pipes if they are hand made and by a maker I respect. They shape has a couple of advantages that I appreciate. I am one who does not adhere to the advice that each pipe full should be smoked to the bottom of the bowl. For those who do believe that, then the chimney shape is not for them. I totally agree with codecreatively who says that when he smokes a chimney shaped pipe, the flavor of his tobacco gets muddled towards the end of the bowl. By the time one reaches the last quarter of tobacco, the leaf has had plenty of time to absorb the residue from a lot of tobacco above it. The flavor mutes, becomes harsh and strong.
The advantages that appeal to me; first, I get a very cool smoke the first two thirds of the bowl and the flavor of the leaf actually deepens (especially with Virginias). Once the "muddy" taste starts to appear, I simply dump the remaining third of the bowl, swab the pipe out by twisting a paper towel into the bottom - I do that will all my pipes after each smoke - and then set it aside for next time.
I've got a killer stack Bruce Weaver Brandy that I just can't stay away from. It smokes like a champ. And, I also own a Perry White stack Canadian shaped pipe that delivers a beautiful smoke. I do sometimes leave a little unburned tobacco at the bottom when using both, but with both of those pipes I sometimes smoke all the way to the bottom and don't even realize it.

I have a Connoisseur chimney (stack,) and it works very well with cube cuts.

Also, this Charatan's Make Lane Era 372X bent stack is no slouch either:

I use my Dunhill chimney for OGS. In fact, I haven't had any for awhile. That'll have to be the next bowl I pack now.

I don't own one but just by looking at it the first thing I'd try is to fold and stuff a flake into it.

sw0snuff3r, Only try that on a day off from work. A Chimney full of flake would give new meaning to the phrase "all day smoke".
Regarding what a Chimney is good for, I would love to fill one full of McClelland Walnut Liqueur. That is one of only a few aromatics I enjoy, and it behaves very nicely in deep bowls.

A tall more narrow bowl works excellently with a dry non-aromatic burley or variant such as Tabac Manil Semois,

that burns fairly fast. This lengthens the smoke and gives full play to the subtle complexity of this one-leaf "blend."

The three pipes I think of are a Ferndown bent billiard, a La Rocca poker, and a MIssouri Meerschaum freehand. None

of these are chimneys per se, but all have tall, deep bowls. I'd use a chimney the same way, for the same tobacco.

When I go for walk 1 hour++ or two I usually carry my chimney with luxury bull's eye flake.

Mine is Proctus denmark. It is perfect to long hours smoking for flake.

mso489, I agree that a Chimney would be great with a basic burley mix. I will have to try it when my McClelland X90 arrives (I ordered it based on your proselytizing on behalf of non-aromatic burleys).

I think stacks are a greatly under appreciated shape. You just so rarely see them now. I'm definitely a fan and find I get my best results with either narrow stacks and flakes or wide bowls and ribbons when using an air pocket pack.
With an air pocket or cannonball (or whatever the popular term today is for a suspended ball of tobacco), the stack is working on the same principles as a reverse calabash. This also ameliorates soggy, wasted tobacco at the bottom of the bowl.
That said, they can be a pain to light. Singed eyebrows are a badge of honor for a stack smoker.

I bought one just for fun a couple of months ago and it turned out to be one of my best smokers.
Dotter morta:


I smoke only virginia flakes. The unusual thing is that I smoke it to the bottom every time which is not the case with other pipes. Definitely not my last chimney!

They are good for a cake tobacco too, filled loosely. Loading it loosely I don't seem to have the problem with the bottom third.
Not a great pic, either a little underexposed or the stem needs a polish but here's one of my favorites:

For me this is not a good shape. The dottle becomes more foul tasting. I had a chimney and sold it.

A Master Blender told me his favorite pipes for Virginias are stacks approximately 5/8 inches wide.but honestly, this old Stanwell smokes great no matter what I load into it.

I have six stacks and chimneys, all dedicated to Virginias and VaPers. My tallest is three inches, but if I found one taller, I would buy it in a heartbeat. I am a clencher, so I prefer to load it up and savor it for a few hours, slow as possible.
The dottle is absolutely the best in these. Not foul at all. The last little bit is the yummiest part of the smoke, IMO.

I love the MacArthur Cob too!
I find it works especially well using the airpocket method so that the tobacco doesn't get soggy. That probably burns more completely than anything else.

I'll smoke just about anything in it, though I do think aromatics work better in a wider bowl.

I haven't tried the MacArthur yet but I have several Freehands. I also have the General, essentially a slightly shorter MacArthur. I love cobs and the Freehand and General are my favorites followed by the Patriot and Mark Twain. I make a point of smoking new tobaccos in different pipes but I haven't documented the results very well. I'm going to have to start making notes on which pipe handles each tobacco the best.

I don't have a chimney in my collection yet but I really like the unique look they have and will probably add one to the collection at one point or another. ::