Your Smoke’s All Wet
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Kevin Godbee - Apr 9, 2014
- 14 min read
E. Roberts
Pipe filters tend to get a bum rap, at least more so here in the States than abroad, particularly Europe. Countless times, I’ve seen threads on the forums in which a beginner asks about the filter that came with a brand new or estate pipe, only to be told that they are categorically without merit, and should be tossed in the nearest wastebasket. But how can this be? If they were so useless, why would major producers—companies like Missouri Meerschaum, Dunhill, Savinelli, Brigham, to name a few—continue to make pipes chambered for a variety of filters? Sure, we Americans are the rough and tumble sort, quick to eschew gimmicks and gadgetry in favor of pure performance, but surely there must be some segment of the populace that demands these devices, or the simple fact is that the market would no longer bear their production.
You might be surprised to see the sales figures of filter-capable pipes, both here and abroad. While folks like us that partake in the online community and attend pipe shows (let’s call ourselves "advanced" users) may see ourselves as indicative of the overall industry, that’s not quite the whole picture. In truth, we’re but a tiny percentage of a miniscule industry when scaled against tobacco in general, though our ranks are growing daily. The fact is, the vast majority of pipe smokers do not participate in online discussion groups, pipe shows or even pipe clubs; they’re mostly lone wolves who are content in their solitary enjoyments. And while some higher-end marques and carvers chamber their pipes for filters, the majority of filter pipes are in the more modest echelons of price. Ask any retailer or etailer, and the story is the same: bargain pipes outsell high grade and artisan pipes by a spectacular margin. While the greats are great for very good reason, I’m sure that Rad Davis, Paolo Becker or Tonni Nielsen would kill for the sales figures of Dr. Grabow.
So what are the benefits of filter pipes, and what are the drawbacks? Pipe filters are generally built around the concept of cooling the smoke and removing moisture as well as tar and other by-products of combustion. Moisture and combustion by-products are inescapable in pipe smoking, obviously, so why try to remove them? Moisture in part is what delivers the flavor of burning tobacco, so why would one wish to remove it from the smoke? One reason is that excessive moisture can actually detract from the smoking experience in a number of ways: by causing gurgle, or a buildup of condensed moisture that blocks the draft hole; by "spitting", which occurs when the built up moisture enters the smoker’s mouth from the bit; and by exacerbating the effects of tongue burn from the hot steam. A number of engineering means have been employed to mitigate excessive moisture in the smoke stream, notably the design of gourd calabash pipes, Peterson system pipes, and newer incarnations such as the reverse calabash varieties, as innovated by the likes of Rolando Negoita. To some degree, all of these systems will remove an amount of combustion by-products as well, suspended in the collected moisture.
This article will focus on several mechanical means to attenuate moisture and by-products: pass-through filters, which include paper, carbon and silica crystal cartridges; fibrous filters including wood and cotton; and "stingers", or mechanical condensation baffles. I hope it will help dispel some myths about the reputation filters have here, and perhaps help both beginners and advanced users better understand and appreciate their use and benefits. While this list is by no means exhaustive, it hopes to cover the prevalent types of filters available. Most opponents of filter use cite the increased resistance in the draw and the cleaning maintenance as the main shortcomings, which will be addressed on an individual basis.
The landmark Medico patent.
The most commonly encountered paper filters here in the States are either Medico branded, or variations on their 1933 patent. The engineering is simple and effective for this pass-through style of filter: a paper tube (either 6mm or 9mm) with a number of perforated baffles on its interior, covered in a thin cellophane wrapper. As mentioned, many styles of Missouri Meerschaum Corncob pipes come standard with a Medico brand filter, as do Medico brand pipes, naturally. Able to be used over the course of several smokes before being disposed of, they’re also quite economical, currently running around $0.80 per box of ten.
Medico filters in the wild.
While there is obviously added turbulence and resistance to the airstream, the effect on the draw is actually minimal, and easily mitigated with minor adjustments to one’s technique and tobacco choice. I personally have a great fondness for a certain style of Medico pipe, and always enjoy them with their filter in place, finding that the draw without them is actually unbalanced. While the trope that "your mileage may vary" certainly applies, I find them best suited to particularly moist aromatic blends or flakes, for example Sutliff’s Molto Dolce or Esoterica’s Penzance, serving to allow a great smoke while regulating the moisture content effectively. They’re also aces with tobacco that’s a bit crumbly and prone to flying into your mouth. Once you’ve adjusted to them, they’re well worth the effort. Again, I feel the slight airflow restriction to be wildly overblown in many discussions of the subject, and as a professional tobacco taster I can attest that there is no adverse effect on flavor when employed properly—e.g., not re-using filters, not using them past the point that they’re drenched with moisture and black with tar, etcetera. In other words, common sense should prevail in their use. There are also versions with activated carbon-infused paper in the baffles, which have similar overall characteristics. They require no special care, and actually make the pipe shank easier to clean.
The mechanics of cartridge filters.
The European market favors the 9mm cartridge filter. Similar in concept to the all-paper Medico style, this type of filter employs either activated charcoal, meerschaum granules, or silica crystals wrapped in a paper cartridge and capped with plastic or ceramic ends. Working on the same principle of capillary action as the Medico style, they leech moisture from the smoke stream by adsorption, with the added benefit of chemically bonding to carbon-based impurities. While the overall health benefits are debatable, they are wildly popular on the Continent, particularly in Germany. The draw restriction tends to be more substantial with these types, owing to the limitation of the holes in the end caps, but again, proper technique and practice are really all that is required to obviate this hindrance. Vauen and Denicotea are the major producers of this style, and most top European factory pipe brands offer pipes chambered for them—including Dunhill, Peterson, and Savinelli, among others.
The mechanics of the "Magic Inch" system
The Carey Magic Inch is an interesting and singular take on absorptive filtration. At the tenon of a Magic Inch pipe there are perforations, as well as on the mortise of the stem side of the connection. Over these holes is placed the "papyrate" filter, a paper-like sleeve. During a smoke, the turbulence and temperature differential of the perforated airway condenses moisture, while the permeable sleeve allows cooler air in while evaporating collected moisture. There is no draw resistance; in fact, the draw without the sleeve is nearly impossible, while with the sleeve in place it is quite satisfactory. While the overall rate of moisture removal is small, it does function as advertised. I scoured a popular online auction site for a suitable pipe for this article, and although the weight of the pipe is a bit heavy for my preference to clench, the smoke in it was quite good, and noticeably decreased in moisture, albeit not a game changer. One peculiar flaw in this design is the propensity for the moisture to seep out of the perforated stem once the sleeve is saturated—the rate of absorption outpaces the rate of evaporation quite a bit under normal conditions. This is a non-restrictive system, allowing you to insert a pipe cleaner all the way through the stem to absorb excess moisture. EA Carey is the sole producer of this style of pipe and its filters. They do require frequent changing and a bit of cleaning around the "Magic Inch".
The Carey "Magic Inch" pipe in action.
Read more about Savinelli in the PipeSMOKE Magazine Archives, only at PipesMagazine.com!
Balsa wood has long been known as a wonderful natural material for moisture absorption. An extremely lightweight and low-density wood, "balsa" in fact comes from the Spanish word for "raft". Savinelli is the brand that is most associated with this style of in-line filter, offering both 6mm and 9mm sizes, and in both a triangular cross-section as well as a cloverleaf cross-section, although there are many other manufacturers of similar styles. The filter works by collecting moisture that condenses as it passes over the wood; balsa can surprisingly hold on the order of eighteen thousand times its weight in water. They also claim to absorb 77% of the nicotine and 91% of the tar from the smoke stream, as tested by independent laboratories. I personally love my Savinelli for aromatics that need just a little tempering, although it works equally well on any style of tobacco you choose. Another advantage of this style is that there is no appreciable restriction of draw, although like paper or cartridge filters you won’t be able to thread a pipe cleaner through the stem while smoking—though the use of the filter should obviate the need for such. In addition to balsa, there are similarly shaped versions available in natural cotton, displaying similar dehumidification properties.
One of my favorite pipes, particularly for taste testing aromatics.
A classic patent-era Brigham bulldog.
Brigham pipes have a unique take on the wood filtration system, employing a hollowed-out rock maple tube that is inserted in the stem. Similar to Dunhill’s innertube (patented!), it lines the stem and shank of the pipe. Like the balsa system, the wood is remarkably absorbent; here, though, there is no obstruction to the airflow from in-line turbulence. While the filter does reduce the draft hole, from approximately 5.75mm to 3mm, it does not impede the draw to uncomfortable levels, and will pass a pipe cleaner unimpeded. I find the system fantastic, one of the best and least intrusive to the smoking experience, and remarkably effective at attenuating moisture. I also find them a handy choice for situations like pipe shows, when I may want to sample several blends but not carry a dozen pipes—simply swapping out a used filter for a new one once the pipe has cooled allows for a fairly unfettered taste of different blends. Brigham is the only producer of their filter system pipes.
Brigham’s system explained.
Another point to note with wood filters is that they are technically reusable. Once laden, the filters can be boiled in water to remove the oils collected, then dried and redeployed. I’ve tried this with both the balsa and maple Brigham styles, and find that it’s a lot of work just to save a few pennies, and doesn’t satisfactorily remove the odor of its first use. At their modest price points of a couple dollars for 10 or 20 filters that will last through a dozen bowls or more, I prefer to use them once and dispose of them, considering it a minor investment for a small portion of my collection.
A collection of stingers, courtesy of SmokingPipes.com
Few words in the lexicon of pipedom inspire as much fear and loathing as the dreaded "stinger". Few topics engender such divisive opinions, with one camp advocating circumcision as the only sane choice, while the other meekly defends keeping them in the name of original integrity. If we can step back calmly from that brink to examine the concept, we can also hopefully diffuse some of the misconceptions and bad reputation stingers have.
Aspida, conceived by Kostas Gourvelos.
Stingers, though varying widely in design from pipe to pipe, all work on the same principle. By introducing turbulence to the smoke stream with a material that remains at a lower temperature than the smoke, moisture is removed through condensation and, ideally, directed away from the air passage. Hundreds of variations on this design have been employed throughout the years, perhaps most notably by the Kaywoodie brand. Also, see this month’s article interviewing pipe carver Kostas Gourvelos, who has invented an interesting device that combines a stinger with a filter chamber—I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m definitely going to invest in one soon. The big drawback with stingers is generally that they work against themselves—they condense moisture out of the smoke really well, but that in turn tends to clog the reduced air passages in the device itself. There are work-arounds to this, such as unscrewing the tenon to wipe the stinger clean—you’re definitely not going to be able to thread a pipe cleaner through most styles. They also need more meticulous cleaning than other pipes to keep them looking good.
Kaywoodie SuperGrain, Genod Playboy, and CB Weber pipes, all with stingers intact; the Weber actually provides three interchangeable options.
While I do smoke several pipes with their stingers intact, I must always give myself a pre-smoke coaching: "I will smoke as slowly as humanly possible; no, even slower than that, and I WILL NOT gurgle." Much of the time this little serenity prayer works…but not always. Stingers are also good at preventing debris from flying up into your mouth, but are conversely easily clogged by said debris. They’re definitely an acquired skill, but once you have mastered their technique you will be the envy of everyone in your local pipe club. As a side note, pipes with stingers often carry reduced prices on the estate market.
Dunhill and Genod inner tubes.
The Dunhill innertube (patented!) is technically not really a filter, but it does act as a condensing chamber. I personally find them too brill (that’s King’s English for quite adequate, thank you) for keeping the shank and stem clean, as they prevent the oils and tars from soaking in there. They also do not inhibit the draw, and allow a cleaner all the way through to the heel.
Another type of filter that warrants its own category is the meerschaum or chalk clay button, which is placed at the bottom of the chamber, below the tobacco and in front of the draft hole. The upside of this type of device is that it can be used in any pipe, is easily re-used, and utterly unnoticeable in the smoking mechanic. "Philtpad" is a classic brand that still produces them, and vintage examples can be found without too much trouble at antique shops and auction sites. Clay buttons can be boiled or re-fired clean; meer, not so much. Meerschaum granules are also available, from the German brand White Elephant. I use mine religiously in a particular few pipes, deep-chambered bents with narrow drafts. I rarely smoked these pipes because of their proclivity to percolate like a coffee pot, until I discovered the buttons in an estate lot I’d purchased. Now they’re my go-to pipes for moist, rich flakes, like the testing batch of a certain forthcoming Mac Baren release which I’ll be reviewing here next month…
One of the least intrusive types of filtration.
We filter the oil in our cars, the water from our taps, and the air in our living rooms; why then so much disdain for pipe filters? It would be a disservice to your own education as a pipe smoker not to at least try some of the various types of filters available, in order to weigh the pros and cons for yourself. If you find that you don’t like them at all—not in a box, not with a fox, not in a house, not with a mouse—they’re generally easy enough to dispense with, as there are adapters that will retrofit a filter-chambered pipe down to a "normal" draft hole size (which size that may be is another topic of heated debate in the pipe world). The next time you pick up an MM cob, keep the filter and remember to adjust your cadence; smoke slowly but continually, and draw lightly—you may just be rewarded. I for one enjoy them in their various flavors, as noted in all the images of well-used pipes from my own collection, and I’m interested to read your take on them in the comments section below.
Written by Kevin Godbee
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Soon now, supposedly, our neighborhoods will shift from grinning pumpkins, skeletons in various assortments, and zombies dashing about to pretty reindeer, angels, and flashing lights illuminating homes with sparkling stars and laughing, scurrying Santas. But, lest we forget, there is the turkey season, fancy pie aromas wafting from kitchens, and a national pardon of a big Tom Turkey. Remember, now, that only one of these holiday personalities is a pipe smoker. And that is the hefty, bearded fellow in a bright red suit sitting in a sleigh with a herd of deer hitched up and ready to streak across the globe, bringing tidings of joy and many presents. Ok, the scene is set for the next couple of months, right? So, before we get too far off the beaten path, let’s just take a deep breath of fresh autumn air, shall we? Ahh. That’s better, isn’t it? What’s got the Pundit in a snit is not all the Halloween spooks who came a-jostling for candy. Or the wild turkeys gobbling in the backwoods or all the fuss and feathers over the big one—Christmas. No, it is that we might need to take note of all the little things that mean so much to us. Like a good sunrise (seriously, Pundit has not gone all Pollyanna.) Mayhaps we need to appreciate more of what we have than what we have not. Or something like that. Like, a good pipe in the morning with coffee as the dawn brings us coolish weather now that we have flipped the calendar to autumn. But it also brings beautiful leaves that have become a spectacle of technicolor in the wind. It is the little things. The rereading of an enjoyable book and finding something you did not see or learn in the first go-round. Or a stunning phrase you commit to memory with the re-read, while smoking that favorite pipe. And you notice a superior puff that just seems to be different. It’s in the air and the seasons of meaningful little things. It’s aromatic! Or perhaps it is that sense of satisfaction knowing and appreciating you made it to another day. With the world in a kind of rinse-and-repeat history, reminiscent of a Shakespearean play, it is perhaps a good moment to remember some of Pipedom’s philosophers whose cogent thoughts brought light to clear a path in the mists of confusion and confounding opinions. Ok. No gloom and doom. Just some down-home thoughts. Think of times in the past when history was running off the rails. It took our pipe-smoking thinkers (the mind workers of the world) to speak of better pathways to more light. Think for a moment, with a pipe in hand, these wizards of the world and word: Albert Einstein, J. R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edwin Hubble, Bertrand Russell, C. S. Lewis, and Jean-Paul Sartre. All learned and enlightened. They offered wisdom instead of storms of meaningless roads to nowhere. All while smoking their pipes! Maybe especially with the help of their pipes in the art of thinking and philosophy. Recall the words of Mr. E=MC2 when he said, “I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs.” Amen and amen! Dealing with world-rattling events takes a calm and objective view of things, to the Pundit’s way of summing it up. You just don’t go messing around with quantum physics without a calm and objective approach, methinks. Or as the extraordinary physicist Robert Oppenheimer said after he and a team in the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos Labs developed a way to split atoms into bombs during World War II. “I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds,” said Oppenheimer referring to the development of the first nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. It must be pointed out that Oppenheimer was more of a cigarette smoker than a pipe smoker. Nonetheless, pipes were part of his personality. Now, if you have read some of the great authors of the past and present, their pipes were always nearby. Reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle can be a three-pipe problem at times. S. Lewis and Jean-Paul Sartre require time with your pipes to reflect on the existential problems and solutions these authors provide in learned novels and other narratives. Or take Edwin Hubble and Bertrand Russell, philosophers of another world. Pipes are required for reading. The quantum lode of ideas Pundit is attempting to sort out is that our pipes are relaxing and stimulate our thoughts and creativity. Especially in these last months of the year. Many times Pundit has had that light bulb flick on while smoking my beloved pipes. And friends in Pipedom, it ain’t easy to turn on the lights in Pundit’s rock pit head. Now it’s time for a quote from a Pipe Smoker of the Past. Shelby Foote was born Nov. 17, 1916, in Greenville, Miss., and died June 27, 2005, in Memphis, Tenn. A fact is not a truth until you love it—Shelby Foote. A parting thought: It is said that famed Southern author William Faulkner carried a packed pipe in a coat pocket wherever he went. That’s one effective way to deal with workday conflicts and confusion. A calm and objective judgment in our everyday human affairs, as the quantum man said.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 633. Our featured guest tonight is Jon David Cole. JD is the Owner/Tobacconist at The Country Squire in Jackson, MS, and the accompanying online store. We’ll have JD and Brian talking about what’s new at the store and in the business in general. At the top of the show, Brian will discuss tobacco growing, what happens to the leaf, and provide updated information on where tobacco is being gown today. Tobacco production originated in the United States and we were once the #1 producer. It’s quite different now.
Well there’s nothing like a touch of the plague to usher in the changing season. Leaving the airport just when the first advertisements for all things pumpkin spice began to appear—lattes, muffins, shampoos, trash bags, and myriad other concoctions—so, too, my ability to breathe freely disappeared. The unfortunate side effect of losing one’s sense of taste and smell for weeks is the utter inability to enjoy tobacco. Not that I consider myself an expert on anything but my own tastes, but be forewarned that this review was made with mildly impugned sensory equipment. Just when a comforting pipe was most needed, its comfort was denied. Be that as it may, the road to recovery found me limping along on one lung this past month, trying to wrest the particulars of two blends on offer from Sutliff: the latest 175th Anniversary blend, Silver Quarter, as well as their spooky seasonal Maple Shadows II. Silver Quarter is a new style on offer from Sutliff, their first coin-cut blend. Naturally a Virginia-Perique, it is enhanced with a traditional core of black Cavendish. In the tin it holds much promise, with a lightly bready and very woody, if ever-so-slightly sour, aroma. After some time acclimating to air, the bouquet softens further and offers hints of the burley with some chocolaty notes wafting through the more dominant dry grassy aspect. The tin art is of a coin-style bas-relief bust, presumably of a founding Sutliff brother, à la The Old Boss On the reverse of the tin we find the blend’s description: Reflecting on Sutliffs 175 years of tobacco excellence, we came across a brand that embodies true value, SILVER QUARTER. This name pays homage to Sutliffs roots, the legacy of two brothers who popularized pipe smoking in the burgeoning mining society of San Francisco. We celebrate this heritage with a coin cut composed of the finest African Virginias, complemented by a core of Perique and Black Cavendish. The tin notes are, forgive the pun, on the nose for a good VaPer blend: mild tart sweetness peeking out from behind dried hay and slight chocolate undertones, with a lightly tannic finish of weathered oak. It is always a joy to prepare a coin cut, my preference being to put a few in my palm and vigorously warm my hands together to fully break them apart. These well-formed discs pack and light easily, and smoke with little prodding to the end of the bowl. For technical points it scores well—it smokes light, and it’s easy to tend the ember. While it gets sharp after a few quick bowls, pacing should be heeded to easily smoke down to the heel without inviting bite. Of the flavor, though, I am left a bit wanting. There are tart and high notes aplenty, but very little of the lemony citrus I would anticipate, as well as scant midtones; they tend more toward the red wine-vinegary and sour. The flavors are muted, also, lacking the sweetness and piquancy of other marques—the small measure of Perique tickles the nose now and again with peppery hints, and there is a smidge of a deeper sweetness to be found in the Cavendish from puff to puff, but overall it lacks some dynamism. The Virginias, to my palate, come off a bit on the dry side, and here they dominate the blend. The aftertaste and mouthfeel are neutral, again evincing more of the dry, woody, tartly tannic end of the spectrum. The blend has plenty of polish, but not enough depth or richness (*yet) to make it a standout. Here, comparisons are inevitable: Luxury Bullseye Flake has more sweetness, both from its Virginia as well as its Cavendish, and a better finish; Davidoff is similar but with a pronounced umami that is absent here; as for Escudo, I haven’t had any fresh tins lately so it would be unfair to compare. While it rates as a solid, fairly mild smoke, particularly to lovers of the genre, it does not surprise with any exceptional flavors. To be fair, all the boxes have been checked for the blend to benefit from some real aging, and it would be worth checking in on this after a couple of years sealed away. I’ve set half my tin aside to sample again in a month or two, in case I’m merely suffering from the lingering effects of parosmia, and will amend this review in that case. Maple Shadows II, on the other hand, made up for the weeks of sniffling and sneezing I’d endured. Offered in a full 8 ounce tin with delightfully spooky Halloween art, it’s (hopefully) enough to last through the season. Somehow I had missed this last year, so it’s a real pleasure to get some in my candy bucket this year. As the chilling winds of autumn draw eerie prattle from contorted, deciduous limbs, we find ourselves possessed by the spirit of the season. Bewitched by a dissonant charm, we’ve created Maple Shadows. In a season that is defined by the unlikely harmony of treats and frights, we’ve joined the enchanting sweetness of maple with the earthy spice of Dark Fired Kentucky for a smoking experience that captures the senses with an otherworldly fusion of flavor. This may be the best aromatic blend Sutliff’s ever made—and they make a ton of them. First off, it’s not overbearing in the least—quite the opposite, it is also one of the more restrained aromatics they’ve ever made, with a clear but very light topping that melds oh-so-well with their choice Kentucky added to the mix. Opening the tin, the sweet maple is up front and center, but so too is the must of fallen leaves, bready pie crusts, and a crackling fire in the hearth—a perfect invocation of Herbstdüfte in a can. Packing best in an open and capacious bowl, the flavoring is subtle, and recedes to the background while puffing. With a sweet coffee or tea to accompany, the aftertaste of the maple is reinvigorated on the palate […]
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 632. Our featured guest on tonight’s show is the host of the Pipe & Tamper Podcast, Mike Murphy. Brian and Mike will have an extended chat revolving around the days before, during and after the Las Vegas International Pipe Show. We will hear about their travels to the show and the anxiety of Hurricane Milton bearing down on Florida at the same time while running a show and not knowing if your house is going to be there when you get home. In the end, the show went great and our homes survived, although many others in Florida were not so lucky. We’ll have clips from the show, and shoutouts to other podcasts and vlogs that were broadcasting from the pipe show.
Vegas Baby The show started out strong on the 14th floor hospitality suites hosted by the Vegas Pipe Show and Smoking Pipes as well as room hopping to carvers, estate sellers, and vendors to pre-game for the festivities. If you’re interested in what that looks like I’ll refer you to last years pipe show round up. I circled with Brian Levine to get the totals in comparison to last year: This year’s show numbers: 108 Exhibitor tables, 445 attendees, 3,250 Raffle Tickets, 100ish dinners, 172 Rooms in the Hotel. Last year, by comparison, 107 exhibitor tables, 425 attendees, 2,200 raffle tickets, 104 dinners, and 175 rooms on Friday and Saturday nights. We were at capacity, basically, when it came to vendor tables and the dinner, so there is no physical room for growth at this point except for attendees. That said, we filled that smoking lounge to the brim. New Carvers Spotlight Garret Woo (Pipes by Woo) How long have you been carving? Garret: I’ve been carving since 2021, and I’m guessing your next question is probably how’d you get started carving? James: Yes. Garret: In 2021 I took a break from my full time job – that included machining and assembly work and I thought maybe it was time I made something that I would like and I started looking at youtube and Instagram and putting together my shop. I did struggle on the stems to start and there was a lot of failure at the beginning. James: How many pipes have you made so far? Garret: I number my pipes, so I just finished up 186. James: What is your favorite shape you’ve been making? Garret: I really dig Canadians and pipes with longer shanks and lovat Canadian blends. I like to play with different shapes of stems on the longer shanked pipes. The billiard would be my go-to shape but I want to learn more techniques on freehanded shapes. I like to put brass and copper adornments on my pipes with my machining background it helps. James: What is the craziest thing you’ve seen at this show? Garret: The first thing that comes to mind is the table over there with C-Pipes with the shapes and the size and petiteness and the intricate details they did. You can check out what Garret is working on by going to his Instagram. Stefan Cashwell James: how long have you been carving? Stefan: about 3 years. James: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at the show? Stefan: The Adam Davidson pipe with the clear shape and the bamboo—I don’t know if it’s 3D printed or what, but it’s amazing. James: What’s your favorite shape to do? Stefan: That’s a tough question. I think they’re all the same shape, but what’s fascinating is that Dublin, volcano, and blowfish are all the same depending on how you turn them. Playing with that, with all its variations, is a lot of fun. My favorite accent to use is also horn; it’s finicky, but it’s a great accent on pipes. You can check out Stefan’s work on his Instagram. Science: Meet Pipes I chatted with Chris from the San Diego Pipe Club; he started off doing stem replacements for estate pipes but also improved the airflow. James: How are you doing 3d printing? What is the thought process? Chris: It’s a 3D-printed pipe with a briar insert. The design is a calabash meets a Peterson system meets a metal Falcon/Kirsten radiator style. It is a bottom draft smoking bowl like a radiator like those metal pipes. The inside chamber is a calabash. The stummel and accent rings in the stems are all 3d printed. The insert is briar, olive wood, or I have the potential to use meerschaum as well. This idea came about through the San Diego Pipe Club, wanting to see if we could 3D print a pipe and being curious about the technology; I have a printer and design ability, so here we are. James: What’s the type of plastic you’re using? Chris: It’s all PLA plastic, a renewable potato starch plastic that is food-safe. The stummels are printed with a plastic that has wood in it 40% wood fiber, bamboo, rosewood, ebony, redwood, and walnut are the woods I’m printing. For the accent rings I just got a new material that I’m printing that has 40% copper, so its real metal that you can sand, and polish the same as wood filament. The stems are 3d printed as well. The concept is renewable and cheap from a production standpoint, with the ability to make a very high quality smoking pipe based on the experience. By combining the calabash system pipe and bottom draft hole and using 3d simulations to see airflow, I can see where I’m having eddies and ripples in my current, and see where my moisture and all the particles are dropping back out from a vapor to a liquid. Most people who have tried these say the stems are clean, and they don’t even have to run a pipe cleaner afterward because everything collects at the bottom. Chris has also been experimenting with color-changing plastics so you can see the hotspots. Chris said he was able to use this to slow down his cadence, which, of course, could mean you could get a slow-smoke training pipe to teach yourself to perform better. If you’re interested in learning more or want to check one out, you can contact him on Instagram: Copper Beard Pipe Works The Negative Space The show was buzzing about one specific pipe, which had everyone guessing how it was made. I chatted with Adam Davidson briefly about it. James: How did this idea come to fruition? Adam Davidson: Smokingpipes.com had an expo back in August open to all of the makers they carry. The theme was to make a pipe utilizing bamboo. Given that the last time we had the expo I made a smooth Almond with three bamboo shanks, […]
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 631. Our featured interview on tonight’s show is with pipe maker Dan Keller from Good Made Better. Dan is from South Dakota. Growing up working in the family hardware store where he was always finding solutions to fixing things, he ended up always wanting to make things. He now makes elegant handmade pens, pen holders, portable desks, blotters, blotting paper, book carry cases, and of course artisan pipes. At the top of the show we are continuing the virtual tour of Brian’s pipes with his “f#@k you pipes”.
Funny enough I find the best filter ever for a 9mm is a bent up pipe cleaner, I’ve never had a drier smoke with no impact on the taste or draw.
Wonderful article! That’s a very in depth look at the world of filters. Learned a lot. Thanks.
Excellent article! I don’t use filters but loved the knowledge-fest.
The simplest ideas can make the most sense and I will try this.
Good article but I rarely use filters.
Too much trouble for me.
Thanks Romeowood for a very informative, and interesting article. Filters are certainly one area I have been quite ignorant of, and am glad to have a resource to refer to.
Great article! This will be an invaluable resource for new pipers, and the seasoned vet.
Very interesting article! I’ve never used filters in the past, but have recently purchased a Savinelli that takes the 6mm balsa filter. I use them all the time now with the pipe, as I find they work really well, and have no negative impact on my smoking. I also have a Chacom 2011 POY that takes a 9mm filter. I tried the charcoal filters and did not like them at all. After buying some Savinelli 9mm balsa filters for it, I find it to be one of my favorite pipes, as it works even better than the 6mm filters.
Still not a fan of stingers, and I’ve yet to try a Brigham, but plan on doing so soon.
Thanks for the education!
Awesome article! Learned a lot!
Several of my pipes are filtered and I find them useful for toning down strong blends when
I would prefer a milder smoke with that flavor. This is a good rundown and helps dispel the
categorical rejection of the use of filters.
Great article. I had no idea about the great variety of filter systems.
I almost exclusively smoke filtered pipes, usually with charcoal 9mm (Stanwell or Blitz/Peter Heinrichs), and I don’t want to miss it. One thing I’d like to add is that filtering (= how much taste is the filter removing from the smoke)and drag resistance of 9mm filters relies heavily on the brand and the type (paper, meerschaum or charcoal).
Regards
Sebastian
I have settled on a simple guiding principle for my little pipe collection: Smoke them each the way each was designed to be smoked.
I don’t think I would have bothered before. But it evolved into part of my pipe-smoking pleasure now, to have different techniques and be competent in each of them.
Yes, I can’t get through a bowl of aromatic in my Kaywoodie without tending to the stinger. But all I do is unscrew the stem, flick the stinger end once, give a quick blow through it, and screw the stem back in. It is immediately back to dry smoking again and a pleasant cool taste.
My innertubes — neither here nor there. I don’t notice them doing much different than my unfiltered pipes, both of which I keep a fuzzy pipe cleaner nearby.
To each his own, but I really appreciate this article, since the author’s expertise shores my own preference up enough that I can come out of the closet.
Thanks!
This is the first article I’ve read dedicated to filters and find that I was quit ignorant… Thanks for the good read!
Thanks for this article. I particularly appreciate the perspective on the Lone Wolves. I use the Savinelli 6mm balsas in both my Savs and my MM cobs. They seem to work great!
Never thought I’d read an article in one of the major (tobacco world) publications extolling the benefits of pipe filters !! Thank you!
A very informative in which a lot of knowledge was gained. I belong to the Neanderthal school so you won’t be seeing any filters in my pipes any time soon.
Once I discovered the taste benefits on certain tobaccos, I keep a few 9mm filter pipes in rotation. I don’t enjoy every tobacco in one, but the ones I do use them for are fantastic.
I love my old Kaywoodies and consider hacking the stingers off brutalizing a gem. While most of my pipes are non-filtered I appreciate those I do have and use them on certain blends just because those blends smoke better in them for me.
My Brebbia and Dr Plumb have more challenging style stingers but favored blends for each as well.
This is a great article, nearly in mythbuster status. Thanks
I use a bent piece of a pipe cleaner in my cobs and have found they make for a better smoke. Also, after the first few times I used them and removed them from the pipe after smoking they were brown and wet. This showed me they were removing something from the smoke with no noticeable adverse effects. Might not be for every one or every pipe/tobacco but they seem to work for me.
I was opposed to filters for a while, then I decided to try an MM corn cob pipe. To my surprise not only did I find the filter to be very helpful, I find I prefer my corn cobs pipes over my other non filtered pipes.
It’s beyond me why people tell new pipe smokers to throw away the filter. I’ve been smoking for over twenty years and have only recently (in the last 5 years or so) discovered the wonderful world of the 9mm filter pipe! That’s the only way I roll anymore! Imo, it provides the coolest, most flavorful smoke out there! Besides that it’s better for you!
I have quite a few 9mm pipes, and I smoke them with and without the filter. I find the filters great for driving as I don’t have to use a pipe cleaner. Also, when I try a blend that may be too much of a nic hit, the filter pipes cut down on the nic, and I am able to enjoy a blend that would otherwise have my head spinning.
Thanks for the article. I started pipe smoking in 2009 but only stuck with it for a few months before giving up and going to cigar(which I still love) however in the last 3 months I’ve given my pipes a try again and I find that I’m doing much better. A lot of that improvement is due to me reading a lot of good comments on this site! I mostly smoke cobs at the moment so I’m going to try them with a filter and see what I think!
I have smoked and made filtered pipes since the 60s and I like having all the choices a filter pipe offers. Add tenon adaptor, standard pipe, or paper, charcoal, stick, meerschaum. I like charcoal. It does what I want. More high end pipes are adding 9mms as an option. It solves a lot of old problems. Your article is good, as it assists smokers to not miss a great experience, sweet dry smoke with fewer problems.Thanks.