A Good Smoker

[Irish Piper]

I've seen many people refer to a pipe as "a good smoker." What is meant by this phrase? What makes a pipe "a good smoker" to you?

I know that there is no right or wrong answer to this and I fully expect to get a different answer from everyone, but I'm still curious. ?

Cheers.

 

[sandollars]

To me, it's a pipe that lights easily, stays lit, doesn't gurgle, brings out the tobacco flavors, and fits well in my mouth.

 

[sandollars]

A beautiful pipe can be a sucky smoker and an ugly pipe can be an excellent smoker. Price plays no role in finding a good smoker except I would suggest your odds of finding a good smoker more often goes up commensurate with the price and quality of the pipe. Example: I have never had a bad Weaver. I've had plenty bad Savinellis but I also have good ones.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

To me, it's a pipe that lights easily, stays lit, doesn't gurgle, brings out the tobacco flavors, and fits well in my mouth.

What he said ^

 

[Donb1972]

For me, a good smoker has to be comfortable to hold since I don't clench. If it doesn't gurgle, that's a plus!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I've never had a straight pipe gurgle, although some contrarians will post that they have.
Stays lit and light easy... operator issues.
The only pipes I would discount as being bad smokers that have passed through my rotation and into the garbage can has been pipes that just taste bad. Whether the briar is green or some nasty bowl coatings.

 

[sandollars]

For me, a good smoker has to be comfortable to hold since I don't clench. If it doesn't gurgle, that's a plus!

Gurglers quickly find their way out of my collection.

 

[mso489]

A size, texture, weight, and balance that pleases you. A draw that is just right and stays open. A comfortable stem and button. An appearance that satisfies your eyes. And yes, no gurgles.

 

[sablebrush52]

A pipe that delivers good flavors for me, practically smokes itself, makes me happy that I'm smoking it. Equipment is 25% and technique is 75%, but that 25% is crucial or the 75% ain't worth spit.
Don't care much about the occasional gurgle. Don't care much about the occasional whistle. It the pipe sounds like the last stages of a toilet flush, well, that's another matter.

 

[Hillcrest]

I've seen many people refer to a pipe as "a good smoker." What is meant by this phrase? What makes a pipe "a good smoker" to you?

I know that there is no right or wrong answer to this and I fully expect to get a different answer from everyone, but I'm still curious. ?

Cheers.

To my mind, a good smoker is a pipe that requires the least amount of any kind of maintenance before, during and after a smoke; load and go. I have four: A Savinelli 2614 KS, A Barontini Gran Duc 1/2 bent billiard and a Peterson Kapmeer 999, a french made Algerian briar sitter (I suspect but can't prove a GBD second). I just load the tobacco, frequently light with just one match and they stay lit, the tobacco burns evenly to the bottom of the bowl, I rarely have to use a pipe cleaner, whatever I load smokes and tastes great, I just wipe clean for next smoke. The rest of my pipes, which I enjoy, require more maintenance whether relighting, running a pipe cleaner, tamping multiple times, adjusting stem, whatever, etc. As a result the four I mentioned are my travel pipes as well. I don't mind gurgle which I believe is a result of wet tobacco or dottle which I believe is a result of packing improperly; easily corrected by blowing into stem lightly.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

A pipe that lets the tobacco speak for itself.
A pipe that is pleasing to the eye, and is a pleasure to hold in the hand.

 

[warren]

A pipe which delivers a good experience, despite my shortcomings, each and every time it's loaded, lit and smoked.. I pay no attention to gurgles and relights as they are usually caused by me, the smoker. As long as it's bent to some degree or another, fits my fist, sits well between the back teeth, delivers some taste, etc. it's a good smoker.

 

[anotherbob]

I'll put it this way what makes a good knife? A variety of things but ultimately you don't have to fight with the knife to use it and the quality of the cut is good. Basically a good smoker is the the same. A variety of factors some not even explicable come together and you don't have to fight to smoke it and the quality of the smoke that comes out is good.
Which of course can be very personal. Meer for instance is not for me a good smoker. It's too light. I don't like the feel of it. I want to feel something more substantial. The quality of the smoke is great the pipe it's self is perfect really. Just bring that up to illustrate that my good smoker might not be yours and it could even be just that you find my favorite pipe ugly.
Oh and it's kind of like asking what's a gorgeous lady or man. We could all pontificate but until you see one you won't really know but once you do. (like if the prettiest lady in the world walked in, you wouldn't need to figure it out you'd know same thing with a good smoker).

 

[kcghost]

If it smokes cool, with a minimum of relights, delivers the taste of the tobacco, and is comfortable in the hand.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

To me, it's a pipe that lights easily, stays lit, doesn't gurgle, brings out the tobacco flavors, and fits well in my mouth.

Ditto. Just add that in my limited experience when I do my part with the tobacco, it’s effortless.

 

[Irish Piper]

Some interesting responses. Thank you.

 

[odobenus]

For me a good smoker is a pipe that's either working compatibly with the idiosyncrasies of my "technique," or overcoming my numerous shortcomings as a smoker. I think the pipe needs to have magical properties. Arcane secrets. Some really do.

 

[DanWil84]

Like most I think a pipe is a great tool to smoke awesome tobacco. So it should draw effortlessly and the stem should be comfortable with a nice button as I clench and hardly sit while smoking.

 

[tklee]

For me, it's nice to clench, light weight, a pipe that can bring out the taste of the tobacco, even a cob pipe could be a good smoker too.

 

[bullet08]

So far, I haven't had a bad smoker. As long as they stay lit and let me fall asleep, they are good smoker.