Balsa -- A Sign of the Times

[TheIronMonkey]

I got 60 Gasparini 9mm balsa filters (3 packs x 20) from Amazon for $15.99 and 120 6mm balsa filters (3 packs x 40) for $16.99. They took awhile to get here; I think they ultimately came from China. Smoking Pipes has 9mm and 6mm charcoal filters by Savinelli. I don't always use filters, as I find they restrict the draw too much, but it's nice to have then on hand if I choose to use them. I believe Amazon still has the Gasparini filters in stock.

I've also used the spiral aluminum 9mm Tsuge Kulu filters a couple of times. I'm not sure if the spiral lengthens the smoke path for a cooler smoke, or acts as a condenser; I need to experiment with them more (draw is not restricted, which is nice).

 

[ben88]

Folded pipe cleaner works just as well as balsa "filter". Reusable as well.

 

[Servant King]

I got 60 Gasparini 9mm balsa filters (3 packs x 20) from Amazon for $15.99 and 120 6mm balsa filters (3 packs x 40) for $16.99. They took awhile to get here; I think they ultimately came from China. Smoking Pipes has 9mm and 6mm charcoal filters by Savinelli. I don't always use filters, as I find they restrict the draw too much, but it's nice to have then on hand if I choose to use them. I believe Amazon still has the Gasparini filters in stock.

I've also used the spiral aluminum 9mm Tsuge Kulu filters a couple of times. I'm not sure if the spiral lengthens the smoke path for a cooler smoke, or acts as a condenser; I need to experiment with them more (draw is not restricted, which is nice).

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Yep, still in stock. I might have to get on this next week. How long did they take to arrive?

Thanks for the tip! ?

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I ordered in late November. Maybe three or four weeks?

 

[Servant King]

Okay, that I can deal with. Certainly a walk in the park compared to sitting on my keester, waiting for the bureaucracy keeping these supplies floating on the ocean to fix its computer glitch. I do have a 6mm adapter; I should probably snag a 9mm as well, while I still can. Who knows what's next to get banished to the Great Floating Assortment of Thingamajigs?

 

[anotherbob]

Would / could cork from a wine bottle be made to work as a filter?

I actually have read accounts of people trying that on a commercial level with pipes and cigarettes and finding the results terrible. Though stupidly that attempt is why cigarettes have that fake cork paper on the filter part. Seriously life can be incredibly stupid when people get involved with it.

 

[ben88]

Few wooden matches, break off the heads)))), also another substitute for balsa inserts.

 

[bassbug]

So the lighter in weight for filters the better?

I would say yes.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

So, does the smoke pass through the soft balsa? If not, how do these type filters work?

 

[Searock Fan]

Below is a post I put up some time ago.

I have several Savinelli filter pipes I use to smoke an occasional aromatic. Here's how to save money on the filters. Instead of buying the actual filters. I go on ebay and buy a pack of balsa wood rods in the right size (3/16x1/8"). I cut them to length and that's it. Cost is about 10% the cost of filters and they work just as well. A tip: if you cut the ends on a slight angle the pipe draws better.

 

[krizzose]

I had the same issue with a Savinelli pipe that was gifted to me for Christmas. It's a sign of the times.

Some grocery stores still limit certain items in the Detroit area and a carton of eggs is now around $2.50. Sometimes it is difficult to find certain food staples, like cuts of poultry or meat and I had the hardest time finding canned mushrooms last month.

Title edited: capitalize important words. -jpm


So I recently received a Savinelli Regimental 624 KS, which takes a 6mm filter. In the past, a package of 20 or so extra filters would be included in the box. This time there were no filters, instead, this note was substituted: "Almost all balsa wood used commercially in the world comes from Ecuador. Due to the global pandemic in 2020, we were temporarily unable to source the balsa lumber in order to manufacture the signature Savinelli balsa filters. ...." They did include an adapter.

Some online retailers have these filters in stock, some like Smoking Pipes are out of stock. Now I typically don't use these filters but did find it interesting that the pandemic affected the global supply of something as mundane as balsa pipe filters.

There’s a bottleneck at the supply source. If that’s affected, we’re all affected; that’s the effect of a bottleneck. Hopefully they can effect a solution

 

[krizzose]

So, does the smoke pass through the soft balsa? If not, how do these type filters work?

No. They aren’t really filters, they’re inserts. They are triangular in shape, and fit into round stems, leaving 3 open channels for the smoke to pass through, going around the balsa. The balsa just wicks out excess moisture.