Thats funny you mention that doc. I have noticed the series I am reading now, The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, always specifies whether the pipe being smoked is a long or short stem. Probably fifty percent of why I love the series.
Churchwarden Fixation
- Thread starter corrine
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I hope you win your bids.
In the meantime, I'm going to second the MacQueen suggestion. I have one of theirs (Ranger), and my friend just bought the one I linked to, and we are both very pleased. That being said, the wait time is LONG, and they are $60. A bit more than you wanted, but, worth the wait and the price in my book.
My other Churchwarden is a Capri. And I love it! I got it on sale at a show though...not sure how much they run for normally.
In the meantime, I'm going to second the MacQueen suggestion. I have one of theirs (Ranger), and my friend just bought the one I linked to, and we are both very pleased. That being said, the wait time is LONG, and they are $60. A bit more than you wanted, but, worth the wait and the price in my book.
My other Churchwarden is a Capri. And I love it! I got it on sale at a show though...not sure how much they run for normally.
The Savs are out of your price range but they are decent pipes for 70 bucks. The Bjarne wardens are smaller pipes than normal wardens, show below. It's still good pipe and nice for a shorter smoke.
I'd say save up a bit more and go for a Peterson or Savinelli warden. I've only ever heard good things about them.
As far as wardens go they're good if you plan on just sitting around not really doing anything. That's why I don't smoke mine too often. It's hard to surf the net on the laptop while having a warden.
As far as wardens go they're good if you plan on just sitting around not really doing anything. That's why I don't smoke mine too often. It's hard to surf the net on the laptop while having a warden.
Undecagon, I was thinking of picking up the Ranger, how does it smoke for you? It's long as well if I recall, around 10 inches I believe.
Yea, it's a nice size. However, it's fairly light. I have the cherry wood, not briar, but I haven't noticed anything ill about it. Break in was easy, and since then, the thing is a champ.
It's pretty easy to clean, but because of the design, you can't send a pipe cleaner in the mouthpiece and have it come out in the bowl. That means you need to wait for it to cool, take it apart, and send a few to get that one corner spot that you can't normally clean. I do this about every 3 or 4 bowls with the thing.
Similiarly, moisture build up is about the same as with any other pipe - and normally not a problem, but if you're smoking something a little goopy, or just happen to build up some extra H2O, it collects a bit. And then, since there isn't really a bend - BAM! And that's worse then on any pipe, because it's a big 'ol mouthfull of the crap. So if you smoke any moist blends, keep churchwarden cleaners on hand!
Warnings aside....I love this pipe. It feels nice in the hand. It's probably the most dangerous pipe to smoke while driving, but I do anyway, it just feels like a traveler. It's not much of a clencher, which is why I think I like it so much. I normally clench, but this forces me to sit and be a bit more contemplative. Of course, being a hardcore clencher, I do even clench this guy from time to time, so if you really want to, it can be done. I think in the 1.5 years (I think) I've owned it, I've had a single bad smoke. I cleaned the thing extra carefully the next day, and let it sit for a week, and it was back to one of my favorites. If I pack a pipe bag for a day or two, it is almost always among the couple of pipes I toss in, because whatever my mood ends up being, it'll probably agree with this guy. Highly recommended :
:
Here's a pic for familiar size comparison:
It's pretty easy to clean, but because of the design, you can't send a pipe cleaner in the mouthpiece and have it come out in the bowl. That means you need to wait for it to cool, take it apart, and send a few to get that one corner spot that you can't normally clean. I do this about every 3 or 4 bowls with the thing.
Similiarly, moisture build up is about the same as with any other pipe - and normally not a problem, but if you're smoking something a little goopy, or just happen to build up some extra H2O, it collects a bit. And then, since there isn't really a bend - BAM! And that's worse then on any pipe, because it's a big 'ol mouthfull of the crap. So if you smoke any moist blends, keep churchwarden cleaners on hand!
Warnings aside....I love this pipe. It feels nice in the hand. It's probably the most dangerous pipe to smoke while driving, but I do anyway, it just feels like a traveler. It's not much of a clencher, which is why I think I like it so much. I normally clench, but this forces me to sit and be a bit more contemplative. Of course, being a hardcore clencher, I do even clench this guy from time to time, so if you really want to, it can be done. I think in the 1.5 years (I think) I've owned it, I've had a single bad smoke. I cleaned the thing extra carefully the next day, and let it sit for a week, and it was back to one of my favorites. If I pack a pipe bag for a day or two, it is almost always among the couple of pipes I toss in, because whatever my mood ends up being, it'll probably agree with this guy. Highly recommended :
:Here's a pic for familiar size comparison:
+1
FWIW: Churchwardens can sometimes be a little problematic. They usually have small bowls and so can run hot. If they produce gurgle, it can be a pain to clear it out during a smoke.
I have a Brebbia that smokes very well after I made some minor mods. It came with a stinger (which I removed by gently heating the stem and pulling it out). I also sanded the tenon a tiny bit so that it would remove easily during smoking. This way if I get some wetness, I can easily pull the stem off and clear it out. Since doing those things, it has become a regular in my rotation.
check out Luna Pipes, they make churchwardens that look very "lord of the rings" style and they are not too expensive. Another company that makes them is Macqueen pipes although their products look pretty good, I have never heard anything good about their company when it comes to customers and your order so beware. But good luck on your hunt.
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