Anyone has one of these? I was put off by Al Pascia's line of chubby pipes till I clicked on one and saw the reason for their chubbiness. Now I'm interested, but I'd like to hear about others' experiences with them beforehand.
Al Pascia Reverse Calabashes
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I don't have one of those, but I have a Ryan Alden Morta Reverse Calabash. They work just fine, but the "chubbiness" doesn't work for me. At all. I love the pipe, but rarely smoke it due to the "chubbiness". I assume you're looking at a "Curvy" or similar.
Yeah, the Curvy. I don't care for their multicoloured offers, but they have a few with the traditional finish.
I want to get a briar pipe with a wide and shallow chamber for English blends.
I want to get a briar pipe with a wide and shallow chamber for English blends.
I smoke English and Balkans mostly, but pots are my least favorite shape for them (or any tobacco) What do you see as the advantage?
I’ve got one that smokes English blends remarkably well. I wish the bit were a little longer as it doesn’t give much purchase for a clench. The draw is fairly open, almost cob like. You need to be careful not to tip it back or risk getting a taste of the moisture. If you’re itching for a reverse calabash but don’t want to risk the high price of some makers, this is one to get. I’ve been happy with mine.
Two main reasons:
1) Something I read in an article about chamber geometries that is no longer on the Web:
"Because flavor is primarily a function of the size of the distillation zone (the area in which unburned aromatic particulates are distilled into the smoke), the greater the size of this zone, the more aromatic particulates. I believe that the more varietal complexity there is in blends, especially in English and Balkan blends, the more the pipe smoker benefits from larger diameter chamber geometries."
2) I must keep my smoking sessions short, i.e. under 30 minutes. This means buying pipes with small bowls, as I don't like leaving tobacco in a pipe for the next day.
Savinelli 320KS or Rossi 320. I mainly use my Sav 320s for balkan/english blends and they do indeed make the blends sing. Had a great smoke today actually with one. First time trying Seattle Pipe Club's Hood Canal. Used my Savenelli 320 Noce, and it was a fantastic, flavorful, smoke.
The 321 is quite a bit smaller than the 320 and you'll certainly get a shorter smoke out of it. The chamber size is narrow, but not as wide as the 320. The 320 has a chamber diameter of 0.96 inches while the 321 has a chamber diameter of .83 inches. Quite a bit of difference. I'm not certain you'll get that wider chamber experience you're looking for.
Well, that clears it nicely, Anthony. I'll look at the 320's from now on.
@Brian: hmm, a nosewarmer. Are they more bitey than normal-sized pipes?
@Brian: hmm, a nosewarmer. Are they more bitey than normal-sized pipes?
By nosewarmer I just mean they are very short, and are designed for clenching. Not that you have to keep them clenched all the time, but that's really the point of a pipe of that size and design if that's what you're after.
That's why I got them, because I didn't have any other pipes that small.
That's why I got them, because I didn't have any other pipes that small.
Gotcha.
Looks like these pipes are super-popular: within the lifetime of this thread the two walnut finish I was interested in was reduced to one. I made that zero: the bird's eye was just to die for (and the other guy got the best looking one, grr :x ).
Looks like these pipes are super-popular: within the lifetime of this thread the two walnut finish I was interested in was reduced to one. I made that zero: the bird's eye was just to die for (and the other guy got the best looking one, grr :x ).
They smoke very well. I have one Ascorti and one Radice. Unfortunately I just cannot smoke any more. So if someone wants a used one, let me know.
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