This. Saves me typing.
Do Briars made by Different Companies Smoke Differently?
- Thread starter tzinc
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Perhaps I'm an outlier here but my contention is that there are differences. Not so much between brands as individual pipes. That said, the selection of briar, curing and drilling will vary from brand to brand. Some brands have a reputation for superior smoking pipes and that reflects their care with all of those factors. Ultimately, a Comoy or GBD may smoke as well as any given Dunhill and a Savinelli can be the equal of a Castello. The likelihood of any pipe being better or worse than any other may be influenced by the range of pipes offered by each manufacturer. A company turning out fewer, more expensive pipes may have an advantage of achieving some higher average of quality but each individual pipe will still be judged on it's own merits.
If I like the look & feel of a pipe, I often mind F myself into thinking that the pipe smoked great. It could be a MM, a nice Meerschaum, a basket pipe I picked up cheap. If the pipe visually appealed to me, I’d often figure out the best way to smoke it.
However, every once in a while a pipe just won’t cooperate. Most of my briar pipes are second hand refurbs. I’ve gotten rid of the pipes that I didn’t think possessed a reasonable smoking ability. The ones I have left smoke great for me. They’ve lasted in my stable past many others that were better-named & more expensive. I also don’t cater to one specific brand, but Peterson has treated me pretty good over the yrs considering factory pipes. ?
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However, every once in a while a pipe just won’t cooperate. Most of my briar pipes are second hand refurbs. I’ve gotten rid of the pipes that I didn’t think possessed a reasonable smoking ability. The ones I have left smoke great for me. They’ve lasted in my stable past many others that were better-named & more expensive. I also don’t cater to one specific brand, but Peterson has treated me pretty good over the yrs considering factory pipes. ?
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Now in all seriousness, I don't notice any difference in the smoking qualities between one well drilled pipe or another. The visual and tactile appeal is what draws me to a pipe.
Ah, how fast to the ad hominem!
Since you are new here, you may want to go back and read through the archives. Lots of good info there, and a healthy helping of entertainment, too.
You make a great point! People generally join a forum to learn and ask questions. So what if they've been asked before! Keep asking and ignore the enforcers of the search function. They probably did the same when they were new.
As for your question, yes pipes will smoke differently. In the realm of well made pipes, it's marginal. You maybe more sensitive to it because you are new. You are discovering what you like about pipes, you may like an open draw or a tight draw. Design of the bits are slightly different - some like Dunhill, other like Castello's better, etc.
I'd agree that the various brands don't have distinctly different smoking characteristics, given that the chamber and airway are in adequate shape. Brands certainly have traits that make them recognizable -- the heft of most Peterson, the sleek well-put design of most Savinelli, the traditional elegance of many French brands, and so on. Could I tell what brand pipe I was smoking blindfolded and wearing mittens so I couldn't feel the pipe? No.
Yes, but not more so than pipes made by the same outfit. There are differences in the raw briar itself, which can make for a slightly different smoke.
Yes, in my opinion pipes all smoke differently. I prefer American artisan made pipes because of the way they smoke my favorite blends. My last 12 pipes were custom made by Jack Howell and each smokes so well I keep ordering more. I have unloaded 60 something pipes and my collection of 37 are all my best smokers from my favorite artisans. Now the only pipes I will be buying are my Jack Howell's until he either calls it quits or tells me to stop bugging him.
none of my pipes smoke the same. Only one is really dramatically different then the others. The Rattrays. There are so many factors some obvious others more mystical and sublime. But I don't think any pipe smokes quite the same as another.
When I joined this forum, I spent several weeks reading the archives. I then asked questions. Did I ask questions that had already been asked, discussed and beaten to death? You bet I did. But by reading through what had already been posted, I learned a boat-load about things that never would have occurred to me to ask about, just by chancing upon the topic. And I learned a lot about the personalities of the people who were already on the forum. It was a very worthwhile thing to do. I recommend it!
(1.) Every forum I have ever been on there are the "police" that like to tell people topics have been discussed before. That whole point imo of a forum is to have a discussion now with the people that are on here now. There could be new members who have their new opinions there could be older members who never participated in the older discussions but are available or interested in doing so now. NO FORUM I have ever been on says read the archives don't post ... WHY? because the forum will die that way. Forums want discussions to be ongoing not for people to be reading archives. BUT at the same time there are always a few members (a very few) who want to police the forum with their own rules telling people to read the archives or use google. SMH.
(2.) And when someone says something they don't like or posts something they don't like they call the poster a "troll" and demand they be kicked off the forum.
(2.) And when someone says something they don't like or posts something they don't like they call the poster a "troll" and demand they be kicked off the forum.
I have four Barber calabash style pipes.
Ostensibly all the same, but each one smokes and tastes differently, even with the same tobacco.
Ostensibly all the same, but each one smokes and tastes differently, even with the same tobacco.
When you say smokes differently how would you describe those differences?
Likewise when you say tastes differently how would you describe the taste difference?
I'm just the opposite. I once had 40+ of Savinelli's 904 shape and its variants. One tobacco tasted the same in every one. Even with other pipes, the pipe never affected the flavor of the tobacco provided the pipe didn't have a ghost.
By smoking differently I mean the way the tobacco burns in the chamber. That is to say, the volume of smoke produced. Also the amount of heat produced.
As for taste, I find that impossible to describe, it's just different. I also find the aroma of the tobacco is different from pipe to pipe.
Briar will always vary, even with the same manufacturer. It's a natural product after all
This really touched a nerve, didn’t it?
Why?
Lots of forums have zero tolerance for this sort of thing and will instantly merge your thread with a megathread if the topics are remotely similar.
It seems Pipesmagazine just has a little more focus on conversation than pure organization.
Definitely need "give" (comes in different forms) but need a healthy dose of "take" to work as well.
I think you overstate (1) and (2) as they apply here, if they really do at all, but just IMO - maybe just roll with things?
Have a great week before Christmas. ?
