Not at all, big, medium, small they all have their time and place.
Anybody Find Small Pipes a PIA to Smoke?
- Thread starter Ragin Cajun
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Pipes that are large enough to almost fill the hand, smoke a lot cooler IMO, regardless of chamber size.
Really enjoying some oriental silk blend in this tiny Peterson 317. Great for when I only have time for about a 30 to 45 minute smoke.
I've been wondering about operas. Seen a few I liked but almost every maker and listing mentions they aren't for beginners or that they require an experienced smoker was wondering why. Never figured the tamping issue. Ty.
All my pipes are small and I can't keep them lit even though I am smoking mostly GH shags. If I smoke a cigar it goes out. When I used to smoke cigarettes theose would go out too. How sad.
As the little boy said to his teacher, pie are round, not Pi R Square! .
As the radius of the chamber increases, the amount of the capacity increases by the square of the increase in size.
Several of the coin type Virginia navy tobaccos come in flakes that are from 12 to 14 per ounce.
I own a huge Preben Holm that I can stuff a half ounce, 14 grams, of tobacco. In several of my larger Danish pipes I can put a third of an ounce, and I’m finishing a small Lee Dublin that only holds one 2 gram coin of Virginia.
A common cigarette holds about a gram of tobacco. The average pipe from 3 to 5 grams.
A smaller pipe needs more care in filling and a different smoking technique.
All in all I prefer a larger pipe, but I love my little ones, too.
I do argue this:
A pipe that holds 9 grams, which is any larger Danish, does not smoke three times longer than a small pipe that holds 3 grams. Maybe it smokes twice as long, if that.
I also maintain that the smoking qualities of a pipe, which are briar quality and geometry and sheer, blind luck, matter much more in little pipes than big ones. The more briar there is, the easier to find a great smoker than if the pipe is a small one.
After years and years of switching among dozens and dozens of pipes of all sizes, I find I subconsciously adapt my technique to accommodate the blend and the pipe.
It also matters if you are indoors relaxing with your pipe, or outdoors doing something else.
My favorite outdoors pipes are MM Generals that hold roughly a quarter ounce of tobacco.
If I drop one or burn one out, I’ve lost $10, and so far I’ve not ruined one yet.
As the radius of the chamber increases, the amount of the capacity increases by the square of the increase in size.
Several of the coin type Virginia navy tobaccos come in flakes that are from 12 to 14 per ounce.
I own a huge Preben Holm that I can stuff a half ounce, 14 grams, of tobacco. In several of my larger Danish pipes I can put a third of an ounce, and I’m finishing a small Lee Dublin that only holds one 2 gram coin of Virginia.
A common cigarette holds about a gram of tobacco. The average pipe from 3 to 5 grams.
A smaller pipe needs more care in filling and a different smoking technique.
All in all I prefer a larger pipe, but I love my little ones, too.
I do argue this:
A pipe that holds 9 grams, which is any larger Danish, does not smoke three times longer than a small pipe that holds 3 grams. Maybe it smokes twice as long, if that.
I also maintain that the smoking qualities of a pipe, which are briar quality and geometry and sheer, blind luck, matter much more in little pipes than big ones. The more briar there is, the easier to find a great smoker than if the pipe is a small one.
After years and years of switching among dozens and dozens of pipes of all sizes, I find I subconsciously adapt my technique to accommodate the blend and the pipe.
It also matters if you are indoors relaxing with your pipe, or outdoors doing something else.
My favorite outdoors pipes are MM Generals that hold roughly a quarter ounce of tobacco.
If I drop one or burn one out, I’ve lost $10, and so far I’ve not ruined one yet.
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Exactly nice bit of sweet maple twist,Rum twist even Dark flake perfect
I've run out of sweet maple.
Still got some Rum twist, and a decent stash of Dark Flake unscented, which is my favourite of those three, although it gives me weird dreams !
"Pie are round, cornbread are square"....LOL!!
Small pipes are my favorite. I think it's unfair to base your opinion of all small pipes, based on a sampling of two small pipes of the same make and model. This seems like a Peterson Calabash question, rather than a small pipe question.
Used for strong rope,and other strong tobaccos. No problems encountered. Two small clays,and a Savinelli Petite Giubileo D'Oro. 
I would like to second this. Cube cut and gravity fill works quite well in small pipes. I have a small pipe that I have dedicated to cube cut flakes. Good suggestion.
I'd add "Hell nah!" to the front of this fine post.
Cornbread are round too! Cast iron Skillet is the only way.
I use a small cast iron skillet , so, I did appreciate your point…lol!!
I like smaller pipes for when I smoke dark fired or similarly really nic heavy blends.
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