Pipes of Clay

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

New Cigars




PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
Stopped by my local B&M to buy a replacement for a windcap I lost and espied these Dutch clay pipes. With a price tag of $13 I couldn't resist buying one:

_MG_9853.jpg

Never smoked a clay pipe before. S'posedly they smoke super cool. Any tips from anyone who's smoked them?

Can't be worse than a cob, right?

I'm thinking of baptising it with some hot-burning aromatic and see if the coolness is a myth.

Can you do the water rinse on these? ? ?
 
May 2, 2020
4,664
23,771
Louisiana
Stopped by my local B&M to buy a replacement for a windcap I lost and espied these Dutch clay pipes. With a price tag of $13 I couldn't resist buying one:

View attachment 37348

Never smoked a clay pipe before. S'posedly they smoke super cool. Any tips from anyone who's smoked them?

Can't be worse than a cob, right?

I'm thinking of baptising it with some hot-burning aromatic and see if the coolness is a myth.

Can you do the water rinse on these? ? ?
I don’t know about that particular one, but I think some folks clean them by putting them in a fire. I don’t know though. I’m a clay virgin, too. ?‍♂️
it’s a good looking pipe though,
 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,248
Alaska
They provide a very neutral, pure tobacco taste right off the bat, no break in. Other than that, they are unclenchable (unless you get one with a vulcanite stem), get very hot, and yes, stick to your lips. Some people coat the bit to prevent this, but I don’t recall with what. And also, obviously quite fragile, but quite cheap!

I like them for sampling new blends, and of course, when I wish to feel super old school.
 

brandaves

Can't Leave
Jan 5, 2020
347
2,661
Kentucky
The sticky bit goes away after the first smoke, at least that is my experience. All of mine smoke really nice and provide a more prolonged smoke then I was expecting given the bowl size. As far as the coolness of the smoke, I find that to be reasonably true despite others above disagreeing. The bowl does get quite warm but the smoke itself is rather cool. I think the traditional cutty shapes with the nub on the underside of the bowl were designed for resting ones finger against to keep from grasping the warm/hot bowl. I have no proof for that assertion, just my own experience of using it as a finger rest. There are many benefits to clay pipes in my experience. No fear of ghosting, no need to rest them, price, small bowl size, relatively easy to clean.

Give it a few smokes and see where you land.
 

mikethompson

Lifer
Jun 26, 2016
11,292
23,327
Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada
If anything I heard that they run hot. The bowl especially gets hot, which is why in paintings they are depicted as this:

a65626312e6cabc74f9b9d8f457b53a8.jpg
 

pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,273
4,269
I have four or five clay pipes and I mainly used them when trying a blend I've never smoked before.
The stem will stick to your lips unless it is glazed or coated with something. I've heard some people say they use a clear fingernail polish but I haven't.

The bowl will get extremely hot while smoking so you don't want to touch the bowl. Just hold it by the stem.

I've always been surprised by how long you can smoke a bowl the size of most clays.

I don't think clays are necessarily cool smokers but I do think you get to taste more of the tobacco flavors because they generally don't have a cake or residue build-up.
 

kurtbob

Lifer
Jul 9, 2019
2,131
12,748
57
SE Georgia
I have several also, smoke em at least 3X a week. Don’t find they smoke any cooler than anything else but much drier as most have noted they suck the moisture out of anything including your lips. As for cleaning, just pass a cleaner through the stem (if it will) and keep on using it. When they get to the point of being pretty cruddy, build a charcoal fire in the grill. When the coals are super hot, put the pipes directly on the coals and just leave em till it’s burned out and cooled down......BAM just like new!
 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
Yeah, I had read that the bowl gets very hot and you have to hold them by the stem. I just hope the stem doesn't get as hold and sticks to my lips and—ouch, just to think about it hurts.

Hmm, considering that I'm a fast sippuffer and tend to get my briars rather hot, I hope this thing won't explode.
 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
9,604
14,672
Hmm, considering that I'm a fast sippuffer and tend to get my briars rather hot, I hope this thing won't explode.

When they get to the point of being pretty cruddy, build a charcoal fire in the grill. When the coals are super hot, put the pipes directly on the coals and just leave em till it’s burned out and cooled down......BAM just like new!

Or just be a "fast sippuffer" and it cleans itself while you smoke.
 

pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,273
4,269
Yeah, I had read that the bowl gets very hot and you have to hold them by the stem. I just hope the stem doesn't get as hold and sticks to my lips and—ouch, just to think about it hurts.

Hmm, considering that I'm a fast sippuffer and tend to get my briars rather hot, I hope this thing won't explode.
The stem doesn't get hot. Another suggestion I just remembered - rub some beeswax or chapstick on the end of the stem to prevent it from sticking to your lips.
 

kurtbob

Lifer
Jul 9, 2019
2,131
12,748
57
SE Georgia
The stem doesn't get hot. Another suggestion I just remembered - rub some beeswax or chapstick on the end of the stem to prevent it from sticking to your lips.
Good suggestions! You can also paint nail polish on the end of the stem, it just burns off when you fire clean em.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bowie

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,260
108,369
You can also paint nail polish on the end of the stem, it just burns off when you fire clean em.
+1

Capital! Both of those things I have. ?

I don't have nail polish. C'mon, guys! ?
Why not?

10 Household Uses for Clear Nail Polish

Thread a Needle With Ease. Don't spend countless minutes trying to pull the end of a thread through a needle. ...

Waterproof Your Garden Markers.

Protect your garden markers from the elements. ...

Prevent Rust Rings. ...

Secure Eyeglasses. ...

Prevent Green Fingers. ...

Secure Screws. ...

Fix Frayed Shoelaces. ...

Seal Bottle Labels.

Some use it on tenons to fix loose stems as well.
 

kurtbob

Lifer
Jul 9, 2019
2,131
12,748
57
SE Georgia
+1


Why not?

10 Household Uses for Clear Nail Polish

Thread a Needle With Ease. Don't spend countless minutes trying to pull the end of a thread through a needle. ...

Waterproof Your Garden Markers.

Protect your garden markers from the elements. ...

Prevent Rust Rings. ...

Secure Eyeglasses. ...

Prevent Green Fingers. ...

Secure Screws. ...

Fix Frayed Shoelaces. ...

Seal Bottle Labels.

Some use it on tenons to fix loose stems as well.
Ok......I’m dying to know about “prevent green fingers”:ROFLMAO:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.