Clay pipes

[papagavitt]

Any members know of any good clay pipes makers in the USA, and how good of a smoke are they.

 

[condorlover1]

The only one I knew was in the UK that has sadly gone was called John Pollock & Company in Manchester. I purchased about 100 pipes from them in 1988 and I am still ploughing through them. If you google 'John Pollock clay pipes Manchester' I believe there is an on-line shop that still sells them for about Ten Pounds Sterling each as opposed to the 100 that Mr. Pollock would sell you if you mailed him a Tenner back in the day! They smoke very well if you use twist or a slow burning tobacco and remember to hold them by the base or stem to avoid burnt digits. There are loads of posts here in the subject of clay pipes which should by of some help.

 

[pseudonym]

Here ya go:

http://www.pipeshoppe.com/ps_clay.php
I got Combo #1, and the Gouda and English Tavern have supplanted my briars as my everyday smokers (that being said, all I have for briars is a no-name estate and a basket pipe). The Elizabethan is REALLY tiny, way too small for everyday use, but I think I'll use it to try out some Nic-heavy tobaccos I have in the mail.
The draft hole in my Gouda is a bit - but not prohibitively - small. But they smoke cool, don't need to rest, and you don't have to worry about burnout; so the low-maintenance factor wins out for me. Just don't hold it by the bowl: you'll be sorry.

 

[papagavitt]

Ok thanks guys I check them out.

 

[virginiacob]

I've smoked a few reproduction colonial era clay pipes and found them to be fine smokers. +1 what the other fellas said about not holding them by the bowl. They will get extremely hot (think of a ceramic heater)! You'll need to either clinch the stem in your teeth or hold the pipe by the stem. Also, because the bowl gets hot, I find you have to be careful and smoke them slowly otherwise the heat from the bowl can cause them to smoke hot and with certain tobaccos can be an issue with tongue bite.

 

[foggymountain]

Clays are a good smoke once they are well broken in. The drawback, besides the heat, is that they are often broken before they get well broken in.

 

[teufelhund]

+1 for pipeshoppe.com I've done a few orders with them. Good people.

 

[mso489]

The home of the original Gouda clay pipe is Gouda, The Netherlands. A family member brought me

a 13.5 inch Gouda clay pipe from there, somehow traveled it back on the plane. I don't know if they

are retailed in the U.S., but I would think so, but I don't know where.

 

[anglesey]

I'l second condor on the john pollock pipes. They're wonderfully hardy things if you can get them. My most recent clay purchase was from dawnmist, I think she ships to America. Not too cheap really for a clay pipe, but they're the real deal.
I wouldn't bother with a terribly long pipe though, they're just awkward and a bit of a pain.