Conical Bowl Question

[blackpowderpiper]

Ok forum members, this old dog is ready to learn something new, or get some new ideas. I have a question regarding conical bowled pipes. The ones that taper down towards the bottom with the draft hole being located directly in the bottom center of the pipe.

I have a few of these pipes in my collection but tend to not smoke them often as they seem to clog up on me during the smoke. I have countered this issue slightly by loosening my pack and being careful not to tamp too tightly as I go along, but yet it seems half the time the draft hole gets obstructed.

I figure this is probably something that I'm doing wrong as this type of bowl shape is fairly commonplace and many people like them.

Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[reloader]

I usually smoke VA or VaPer flakes in those type pipes. That seems to keep the airway clear.

 

[seanv]

^+1
Folded flake is the way to go

 

[blackpowderpiper]

I've always rubbed my flakes out but may spend some time practicing the folded flake method.

 

[SBC]

Some conical bowls are more extreme than others. The more drastic ones do clog badly for me, with ribbon cut tobacco. Intensely frustrating. But as others have said, folded flakes work fine in them.

Some guys claim that flavors are more pronounced in conical bowls, but I have never noticed that.

 

[reloader]

I've always rubbed my flakes out but may spend some time practicing the folded flake method.

I don't fold the flakes any longer. I rub them out but keep them the consistency of broken flake. Once dry enough, usually hours, I pack them lightly in the conical bowl. A char light or two and off to the races.

 

[blackpowderpiper]

I don't fold the flakes any longer. I rub them out but keep them the consistency of broken flake. Once dry enough, usually hours, I pack them lightly in the conical bowl. A char light or two and off to the races.

I'll give that a shot. Thanks!

 

[verporchting]

You can also rub out the flakes into a ball in your hand and gently twist the ball into the chamber. This leaves a gap at the bottom of the chamber and helps keep it unclogged. The problem area is the initial packing and once going is less of an issue. Just be careful to not use the tamper as a pile driver.

 

[Zeno Marx]

I talked about conical bowls the other day, but I don't have your issues with them. I was thinking back about all the pipes I've owned, and a significantly smaller percentage of conical bowls were poor smokers in comparison to straight-walled pipes. I've had incredibly great luck with conical bowls. I'm going to go out on a limb and say 90% of them were exceptional smokers. It's too bad I tend to not like how such shapes feel in my hand or how they look. For instance, I find the dublin shape to be sort of ugly, and I cannot stand how it feels in my hand. Another one is the quasi calabash shape, and I actually own one right now that is an incredible smoker every single time I grab it. I can't stand how it feels, so I rarely am in the mood for it. Anyone make a billiard shape with a conical bowl? I'm game. *no, I do not want to commission one.

 

[kcghost]

I just smoke flake tobacco for the last ten years and have no problems with them.

 

[canucklehead]

I just put a few longer chunky bits of tobacco at the bottom before filling the rest with ribbon or fish food/coarse cut blends, or with shag I do the wad and stuff (cannonball?) method as mentioned above.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Never noticed any difference from any other chamber shape. They're usually drilled that way to conform to the shape of the pipe.

 

[Elric]

My best smoker is a Stanwell Dublin 63M with a conical bowl. I've always suspected the chamber shape led to even burning of the tobacco, which may explain why it's my most smoked pipe.

 

[Searock Fan]

Ok forum members, this old dog is ready to learn something new, or get some new ideas. I have a question regarding conical bowled pipes. The ones that taper down towards the bottom with the draft hole being located directly in the bottom center of the pipe.

I have a few of these pipes in my collection but tend to not smoke them often as they seem to clog up on me during the smoke. I have countered this issue slightly by loosening my pack and being careful not to tamp too tightly as I go along, but yet it seems half the time the draft hole gets obstructed.

I figure this is probably something that I'm doing wrong as this type of bowl shape is fairly commonplace and many people like them.

Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks in advance for the advice.

You're right. I've noticed this too. You need to use a pipe tool to scrape out the buildup or as I do an old knife with a rounded tip and dull edge. I also use a piece of coat hanger to push any clog from the draft hole into the bowl so I can clean it out.

 

[STP]

Welcome

 

[anotherbob]

Ok forum members, this old dog is ready to learn something new, or get some new ideas. I have a question regarding conical bowled pipes. The ones that taper down towards the bottom with the draft hole being located directly in the bottom center of the pipe.

I have a few of these pipes in my collection but tend to not smoke them often as they seem to clog up on me during the smoke. I have countered this issue slightly by loosening my pack and being careful not to tamp too tightly as I go along, but yet it seems half the time the draft hole gets obstructed.

I figure this is probably something that I'm doing wrong as this type of bowl shape is fairly commonplace and many people like them.

Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks in advance for the advice.

I think it's the pack. I have two like that and no problems. I think the best way in this circumstance to describe the pack job is that at the bottom the tobacco shouldn't be packed for smoking as much as a scaffold to hold up the rest of it. Like just enough tobacco in there to sit the rest on. And the rare times it does start acting up I just fluff the tobacco with the pipe tool. Actually stir it and then lightly tamp it back down. And sometimes you don't even need to relight it.

 

[bullet08]

Never really treated them differently. Larger pieces first by design and rarely clogged.

 

[SBC]

You can also rub out the flakes into a ball in your hand and gently twist the ball into the chamber. This leaves a gap at the bottom of the chamber and helps keep it unclogged.

I have never heard of this, but I am fascinated! Could you describe in more detail what it looks like to rub a flake into a ball? Like do you lay a flake in your palm and then rub a circular motion over it with the other palm... or what?

 

[Honkytonk Man]

Try running a pipe cleaner down the draft hole during your smoke. That'll keep the hole from clogging and, ensure a drier smoke too.

 

[ThermionicScott]

I talked about conical bowls the other day, but I don't have your issues with them. I was thinking back about all the pipes I've owned, and a significantly smaller percentage of conical bowls were poor smokers in comparison to straight-walled pipes. I've had incredibly great luck with conical bowls. I'm going to go out on a limb and say 90% of them were exceptional smokers. It's too bad I tend to not like how such shapes feel in my hand or how they look. For instance, I find the dublin shape to be sort of ugly, and I cannot stand how it feels in my hand. Another one is the quasi calabash shape, and I actually own one right now that is an incredible smoker every single time I grab it. I can't stand how it feels, so I rarely am in the mood for it. Anyone make a billiard shape with a conical bowl? I'm game. *no, I do not want to commission one.

How about building up some cake in the lower portion of the chamber, but trimming the top as usual so that it assumes more of a conical shape?