A churchwarden offers a slightly cooler smoke...simply due to the stem serving as a considerably longer path for the smoke to travel through...providing a lot more surface area for absorbing and dispersing heat from the smoke. I too have a Stanny HCA with both the standard stem and long...the long smokes at least twice as cool.
As far as a recommendation, depends on what you care to spend. Along with the Stanwell (which ran me about $100 as an estate that I restored), I've got one of each of the Dr. Grabow churchwardens...these were made in the 1930's & 40's. Quality on these is very good, they smoke well, and you can typically nab one of these between $40 - $75 on eBay. There are a few Savinelli (both new AND used) wardens on eBay currently for buy-it-now prices under a hundred shipped. Personally...I'd avoid lower-end wardens which are often offered in a fancy silk lined box and a low price (such as Lucienne or F.E.S.S), because they're typically not well made...finished with a thick varnish...usually made of pear (not my preference)...and have a long cheap stem which is often 'covered' in a wrap which in some cases makes them 'appear' to be wooden stems...but it's actually just a long sticker covering it, much like contact paper. :roll:
I too find a warden the choice for when I'm relaxing and not otherwise involved.
