Anyone Smoking a Kirsten Pipe as Their go to Pipe?

[Zartoon]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9) - Bob

Greetings,

I know this pipe has been around for almost 90 years. And from the abundance of them on the auction sites, they must have been very popular.
I have heard many people admit to owning one. But does anyone smoke it often? Everyday perhaps? As their go to pipe?

I am curious how folks find the experience. I love the smoke. But find the bowl too small and the tobacco bowl too obtuse of a conical shape. Seems tobacco likes a more cylindrical chamber to burn well.
Thoughts?

 

[bluegrassbrian]

I had an Alco with a couple different bowls for a while. I smoked it a couple times but ultimately gave it away because the stem felt cheap.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

A childhood friend of mine, growing up had a dad that smoked a Kirsten. He was Norwegian, which in my mind is what made them different from my uncles smoking Kaywoodies and Grabows growing up. So, for this reason I have an association of these pipes with Vikings and really tall people with handlebar mustaches... because of course he had a mustache.

 

[craig61a]

I have several, and while not necessarily my go to pipes, there are certain aspects of the design that I find appealing.

IMO they tend to smoke wetter tobaccos without the problems associated with wetter tobaccos in briars, allowing for more flavor with some tobaccos.

 

[metalman]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9) - Bob

Greetings,

I know this pipe has been around for almost 90 years. And from the abundance of them on the auction sites, they must have been very popular.
I have heard many people admit to owning one. But does anyone smoke it often? Everyday perhaps? As their go to pipe?

I am curious how folks find the experience. I love the smoke. But find the bowl too small and the tobacco bowl too obtuse of a conical shape. Seems tobacco likes a more cylindrical chamber to burn well.
Thoughts?

I not only admit to owning Kirstens, I have smoked them exclusively since 1983. There are a variety of reasons I do so. I don't like a pipe that bites and I don't like a pipe that burns hot. Kirstens do neither. Their primary advantage is the cooling effect on the tobacco smoke moving through the aluminum chamber. As you know doubt know the smoke contains a great deal of moisture. This moisture condenses within the chamber while drying and cooling the hot smoke. This is very much akin to the smoke travelling through fluid in a hookah. As the moisture condenses it captures much of the tar and other bad stuff associated with the smoke. The chamber basically filters the smoke without a filter. I agree that many of the Kirsten bowls are too small. I keep and use a few of the smaller Kirsten bowls because they provide a fast smoke without tobacco waste in smoke free territory. I have switched my pipes to the largest version Kirsten bowls or to a line of bowls carved by Don Warren. His bowls are available on ETSY or Ebay. The conical design of the bowl interior is to promote an even burn. It permits one to smoke all of the tobacco without having a wet dottle at the end that you have to waste. The only residual in my pipe when I am done is some gray ash. Kirstens do require you maintain them. This is a relatively easy chore requiring only a pipe cleaner and one Kleenex. It takes about two minutes and the pipe is ready to smoke again. No resting of the pipe is required although you can easily change the bowl if you wish.