Bowl size-type of tobacco smoked

[cigrmaster]

I was just listening to the radio show and Brian's first segment was about bowl size and what kind of tobacco's go best. I have found my experience to be similar to Brian's. When I used to smoke English blends I did smoke them in larger bowls. Today when I do on occasion smoke an aromatic it is always in a larger bowl. When I smoke my flakes I have found that I get the best results in group 4,5 and small 6. His take on wall thickness is also a good one, it is one of the reasons I really like Dublins. They generally have nice thick walls.
It is kind of funny, but back when I did smoke English blends, I had no idea why I liked them in bigger bowls. Brian's reasoning makes perfect sense. So what do you guys like smoking your blends in? Do you also buy pipes based on what kind of blends you will be smoking out of it.
edit. after reading that title it doesn't make much sense. If a mod sees this and wants to re do it that would be cool.

 

[hawk60ce]

I like a tall thin bowl for flakes and big bowl thick walls for aros. I use a small pipe for englishes but thats just me.

 

[kris]

I like my flakes in either a clay or a smallish meer.

 

[igloo]

What roth said 8)

 

[philip]

I've come to think that a lot of these "experts" just like to delineate personal opinions and pass them off as facts...

This has become my opinion too. The pipes that I have that are well constructed smoke equally well for all blends and cuts of tobacco.
I like bowls with thicker walls. I don't think they alter the way tobacco smokes. They are just cooler to the touch.
For my stronger blends I prefer smaller bowls. That doesn't change the taste; the smaller bowls just don't give me more than I want.

 

[lazydog]

The only bowl size preference is, when I smoke straight Turkish Izmir, I favor a small bowl (1cm. ID). No idea as to why.

 

[cortezattic]

Bowl diameter determines how much tobacco is involved in the burn at any given point in the smoke.

Larger diameters should produce more smoke.
Maybe a cigar smoker can explain why there are so many ring size choices. I suspect the two phenomena are related.
I'm going to go back and review Greg Pease's article, Mind The Credibility Gap.

 

[cigrmaster]

Roth, I don't think Brian was passing himself off as an expert, he said on numerous occasions that this is what he has found for himself. I dedicate many pipes to different blends. I have my VA Perique pipes, my VA flake pipes. I have certain pipes that I smoke one specific blend almost exclusively. I am like you with the sizes, mostly 5's. I like the classic shapes for flakes, that is what works for me.
Cortez, the reason people like larger cigars is because you can use more types of leaf which will allegedly give you a more complex cigar, at least that is the theory behind it. I always preferred thinner cigars because of the wrapper to filler ratio being smaller. In my opinion the best tasting leaf is the wrapper and I wanted to taste more wrapper hence my favorite cigars were gran panatela's and lonsdales.

 

[taerin]

For me bowl size relates strictly to the nicotine strength of a blend, medium for low nic and small for medium (I am such a lightweight).

 

[tbradsim1]

I agree Roth, to each his own, one mans poison is another man"s nectar or something like that LOL. The old cajun

 

[cigrmaster]

roth, I totally agree. Remember the flake article from Tarek years ago, everyone was talking about it like it was the holy grail. Whatever works for the individual is the right way, but if you are not doing it exactly like me then you are a blasphemer. :nana:

 

[hawk60ce]

There really is no wrong in this hobby. Only things that we find work for ourselves individually. They sometimes match anothers personal experience too. Like i said before, for me, flakes in a tall thin bowl. Ive tried even aro flakes in na large bowl and i couldnt seem to get it to stay lit.maybe with the large bowl, i couldnt get it packed tight enough. Thought i didnt like the pipe until i smoked some 1Q in it and i realized it to be a great aro pipe. I smoke english and balkan blends in 1 pipe exclusively only because i dont smoke english/balkans often and i dont like to puff on the for hour+ at a time. I like them, just in small appropriate doses. As with everything, YMMV

 

[chawz]

I only segregate my pipes by if they have smoked Latakia or not. Every so often I find one blend smokes good in a particular pipe but I believe this is more serendipity.

 

[winton]

I disagree with the statement that there is no wrong way to smoke a pipe. If you are consistently setting your beard on fire, perhaps you are doing it wrong.
Winton

 

[aristokles]

In my experience I more enjoy my English blends in large capacity billiards and pots when they are ribbon cuts. If they are true flakes, I found I get better burn results (fewer relights and more complete burn) in conically shaped burn chambers which my squat Custombilt bulldogs and my GBD Savage all have. This holds true whether I use the fold and stuff method or rub out the flakes. For Krumble Kakes either work well.
For aromatics I only use MM cobs.

 

[cortezattic]

Here's a link to the article by Tarek Manadily: Pressed Tobaccos and Flake Pipes

Go to InfoWell >> Articles >> Flake Pipes

 

[lordofthepiperings]

I've noticed a bowl that's deep with thicker walls, say an Erik Nording Signature Freehand, seems to draw out the flavors more and makes for a bit of a cooler smoke with aromatics. Also, try and use conical shapes for flakes like a zulu,dublin, or bulldog, as they seem to burn better with the fold and stuff method in those shapes.

 

[thesmokindragon]

Going back to pipe smoking is a journey and what works best

for you ;-)
For me;

English and complex blends smoke great in a 7/8" chamber about

1-1.25" in depth
Vs/VaPer/VaBur smoke great in 3/4" chambers up to 1.5" In depth
Aros also smoke great in 7/8" chambers up to 2" in depth

 

[shawn622]

I agree with you Cigrmaster. I like my flake in small bowls with thick walls. On the rare occasion that I smoke anything else, I use a large bowl for english and aromatics.