My favorite pipe for virginia flakes is a Road Town poker i got from ebay for under $20 with shipping. It has a .75" diameter bowl. The sweetness in Orlik Golden Sliced and Newminster Navy Flake really becomes pronouced when smoked in this pipe and I've tried them in others, cobs included. I typically smoke latakia and balkan blends in wider bowls as they seem to allow room for the multiple leaves in a blend with variant components to burn simultaneously, resulting in a combination of layered flavors. On the other hand when I smoke a blend like Stonehaven for example in a narrower bowl, the flavors seem to come in succession, first smokey, then cigar like, then wine. I imagine it's because only certain leaves are able to combust given limited room and thus the flavors don't meld as much as if they were all burning at the same time. I guess it depends on what you're after.