Best blend for a bent pot?

[sittingbear]

Hey all! This is my first post since joining the site. I have recently purchased a Ferndown bent pot (It's in transit now from Italy) and have been wondering what type of tobacco I should smoke in it. I have heard that wide, shallow bowls (like a pot) are best for Latakia and burley blends, but I smoke mostly Virginia's. I try to dedicate my pipes to different kinds of tobacco to avoid any unwanted ghosts, but in the past it was been more or less arbitrary and not based on the shape or size of the chamber. Any suggestions? What works best in this type of bowl?

 

[Waning Embers]

I find that pots really open up the nuances of English and Balkan blends, but the wider surface area is also great for fully appreciating a good aro. Bowl shape to tobacco type is very speculative, and can often require experimentation to find what works for you.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Nightcap!! Or a plug of rope. That's what all of my pots are used for.

 

[phil67]

Yep, at least in my experience, a wide bowl is great for complex blends such as Nightcap which Cosmic stated. As for aro's I've yet to find a pipe that smokes any of them well, but that's just me and why I rarely ever bother with them anymore.

 

[Perique]

The humble pot is my favorite shape for smoking, as exemplified in my all-time favorite Stanwell No.11, but also in similar bowl shapes such as the prince. Wide and open.
Traditionally this shape is associated with English and Balken blends - rightly so. But I find myself increasingly smoking VaPers and Virginias in pot and pot-variant shapes as well.
Aesthetically speaking, I love Dublins and Zulus. Heck, I'm smoking a Dublin as I type this. But generally, I don't like the concentration of sweetness that this shape seems to produce, unless it's with a very forgiving blend. Generally, the only blends I smoke in Dublins are Luxury Navy Flake, Golden Sliced, and Marlin Flake. Other flakes I'll smoke in billiards or princes.
As for the pot, it's as good on Latakia blends as it is on Virginias. IMHO the perfect shape for smoking. Aesthetics are another issue. Other than my beloved No.11, the pot isn't exactly "pretty". It's more of a war horse. It's the shape for tobacco guys, as opposed to pipe guys. IMHO, of course,,,,
(I still end up looking at Dublins and Zulus because they're so damn pretty....)
In conclusion, smoke whatever the heck you want in a pot. Sit back and enjoy.

 

[mso489]

For me, wider bowl pipes like pots, authors, diplomats, and others do an especially good job with more complex blends. For a less expensive everyday smoke, you might want to try P&C's Midtown Chestnut, which is a non-aro with six different tobaccos. The wider bowl gets more of the different tobaccos going at once and can really open out a more complex blend. Fancier blends get the same expansive treatment, blends like 965, Nightcap, Nat Sherman 536, and so many others. Ferndown makes a fine pipe; enjoy your pot shaped pipe. (I almost said enjoy your pot, but that could be taken out of context.) Any blend with four or more tobaccos will be favored by your Ferndown.

 

[sittingbear]

Thanks for all the feedback! I do love Nightcap, so I'll be sure to try that in there, and I'm also a big fan of Balkans. You've all given me some great ideas to start with! I'm especially interested in trying midtown chestnut. I'm really interested in trying "natural" tobaccos without a lot of topping. I'm fascinated with all the different ways processing can affect the flavor. Thanks again!