Churchwarden Fans Advice Sought

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sparrowhawk

Lifer
Jul 24, 2013
2,941
219
Greetings,

Please look at this address at SP: http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/savinelli/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=128574
I'm thinking of getting a churchwarden, and this seems an economical churchwarden by a reputable company. It's hard to tell the bowl size (average size?), but it's long, lean and black. What are your thoughts about this particular pipe, or suggestions for a similar pipe? Also, never having smoked a churchwarden, is it a greatly different experience from smoking a regular pipe? Thanks greatly.

 
Aug 1, 2012
4,587
5,131
I don't have much info on the Sav churchwardens but I can tell you the bowl size. It's .73" wide (ID) and 1.57" deep. Just compare to your current pipes and you have a good idea.

 

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,778
35
Bethlehem, Pa.
I have a Sav churchwarden similar to that. I've smoked it maybe 3 times in the 5 years I've had it and can't for the life of me understand why I bought it. It's a nice pipe but I just don't feel drawn to it. Different strokes I guess.

 

sparrowhawk

Lifer
Jul 24, 2013
2,941
219
Would you say, papipe, a different experience from smoking a regular pipe because of its length?

 

flyguy

Lifer
Nov 20, 2012
1,018
4
I own a Savinelli Churchwarden in a different style. I have reserved the pipe exclusively for BBF. You can clench the pipe and rest the bowl on your chest. It is not easy to smoke because of its length. If I bought another CW it would be a Stanwell Hans Christian Anderson with a long Churchwarden stem and a regular length stem. I think the HCA is a more practical pipe.

 

sparrowhawk

Lifer
Jul 24, 2013
2,941
219
Valuable advice, thank you, flyguy. I'm sort of in the air on churchwardens. What does BBF stand for, by the way?

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I was given a Savenelli churchwarden 601 last Christmas. I had not had one before, and I am not a churchwarden

collector. This is a black sandblast pipe with a fully curved stem. I've been really pleased with it. Like all Savs it

is well drilled and has a nice open but focused draw. The bowl is a large Group 3, I would say, and this one at SP

looks about the same. I think it's good for Virginias, but big enough to get a good range of flavor out of

English blends, to my taste. Since mine was a gift, I can't be sure where it was purchased, but I'd guess it came

from tobaccopipes.com. If so, the price at that time was excellent, somewhat less than this SP price. All of the

Sav churchwardens I've looked at have been unfiltered. I'd recommend this SP pipe, by brand and design.

 

undecagon

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 7, 2011
592
3
Chicago, IL
Best Brown Flake (on the right on the forums homepage is a link to common abbreviations and terminology)
I own a few CWs and like them. As for a difference in smoking, it is minimal. The biggest difference if figuring out how to balance the thing during lighting. Once it's going though, it's pretty much the same. I clench all of mine and either rest on the chest like flyguy if I'm lying or sitting down, or just let it hang if I'm moving more. I think what you have there will be a nice pipe, and you'll probably reach for it often. Be sure to pick up some CW cleaners though, that is a must.

 

sparrowhawk

Lifer
Jul 24, 2013
2,941
219
Much thanks all for the info. I'm still on the fence about acquiring another pipe at this time--I'm worried about a growing PAD problem--but it sounds like this CW would be a good pipe. Also, because the entire page of the mag doesn't fit the screen, I didn't know about the abbreviations link on the right, thanks for that tip. All these abbreviations are terribly confusing and I tend not to use all except the most common. Has something to do with a purely personal fealty to English.

 

pruss

Lifer
Feb 6, 2013
3,558
370
Mytown
Good morning Sparrowhawk.
I have a Trypis warden, a Sandahl Pipe warden, and two mini-wardens (one from Blatter & Blatter, and one from Butz Choquin). I like them all, especially for long smokes in a deep seat. The standard churchwarden will require one hand to smoke, as clenching is awkward and without a rest the risk of biting through the button is real. I like mine for sitting around the camp-fire in a camp chair.
If you're at all on the fence on a warden I'd encourage you to hold off on your purchase. You mentioned above that you're concerned about burgeoning PAD, and I get the sense from some of your earlier threads/posts that you're still building out your rotation. If this is the case then, again, I think your best option is to wait on a warden until you've built a solid rack/rotation of pipes you love. Once you're in that space, then get experimental with your pipe buys... Of course, this advice is all just hooey if you're in love with that Sav warden; at which point, just buy the thing. Otherwise you'll have sleepless nights and obsess about it (actually, that's what I'd do... sorry 'bout the transference).
Keep us posted, and post pics if you pick up a new warden.
-- Pat
PS - Roth, that Bing is lovely.

 

numbersix

Lifer
Jul 27, 2012
5,449
53
I own one churchwarden and I have to admit, I don't smoke it very often. Still, I understand the appeal of a CW and if your heart is set on one, I think you can't go wrong with that Sav. Nice size bowl, nice price and not overly long (for a churchwarden that is).
Let us know what you decide.

 

brdavidson

Lifer
Dec 30, 2012
2,017
5
I have 2, a MacQueen Halfling with wooden stem and the Stanwell Hans Christian Anderson mentioned above. Possibly my best smoking pipe is the Stanwell, as a matter of fact I smoked it last night while watching a movie. The beauty of the Stanwell HCA is that it comes with two stems and if you're not really into the Churchwarden thing after trying it, you still have a high quality piece of briar with a normal length stem. Many here have mentioned that Stanwell might very well be the best factory pipe out there right now. That being said, I love the Churchwarden style but it definitely is not a multi-tasking pipe, its a sit and and relax kind of pipe versus trying to smoke it when you are writing your novel.

 

sparrowhawk

Lifer
Jul 24, 2013
2,941
219
Gentlemen, all good advice. Pruss, I think you are right; I should hold off until I get my core pipes. One Drac is on it's way to Dublin because I wasn't happy with the near-absent ornamentation on the stem; another, a bent tip, is coming tomorrow. When the billiard comes back from Dublin, I should have a good rotation going. And of course, I'll need to show off the new Drac when it arrives tomorrow. I'm going to hold off on the warden for awhile. Note to Roth; got something special just for you in next week's "Scary Picture." Heheh. :twisted:

 

pruss

Lifer
Feb 6, 2013
3,558
370
Mytown
The beauty of the Stanwell HCA is that it comes with two stems and if you're not really into the Churchwarden thing after trying it, you still have a high quality piece of briar with a normal length stem
+1
My Sandahl Pipe warden has a standard length stem. This way I can enjoy the pipe in either form. brdavidson's Stanwell Hans Christian Anderson is a lovely pipe. Here is a link to the Danish Pipe Shop and their wardens, many of which have two stems: http://www.danishpipeshop.com/group.asp?group=188#.UkL709Lkt8E
-- Pat

 

sparrowhawk

Lifer
Jul 24, 2013
2,941
219
Those are some really nice wardens! I've bookmarked the spot for later. Wish I knew how to convert Euros to dollars.

 

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,778
35
Bethlehem, Pa.
Sparrow, I just checked my Sav and it's a 401. Yes, it smokes pretty cool I believe do to the length of the stem. I amy smoke it later since we're kn this topic. Definitely not the type of pipe you walk around smoking.

 
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