Do You Smoke Clay Pipes?

[legrand52]

Yes I do. Williamsburg, VA tavern pipe.

 

[haparnold]

I like my Gouda clay a lot, but clays are rather fiddly. It's really only good for smokes indoors at home, which are rather rare for yours truly.

 

[canadianpuffer]

I love clays. I’ve got a few from dawnmist, a few Williamsburg tavern pipes, some old Wilson’s ones from the UK. Nice clean smoke. Only annoyance is most don’t have a glazed bit and as a result stick to my lip. It’s really the historical aspect that got me into them. They aren’t smoked that often because they are front porch only pipes.

 

[The Clay King]

I think it's time I put my clay pipe away for a bit so I don't damage my health!!!

 

[The Clay King]

I've bought another clay pipe at Chesterfield flea market today; it's a heel-less pipe like the first one I had that got smashed - but better! Already had a pipeful of Gold Leaf in it.

 

[cajomu]

I bought eight clay pipes on eBay from a German seller about a year ago for about three dollars each. I gave a few a way and broke one. I smoke them every now and then. I like the taste of tobacco in them. As someone else said, they are especially good for trying out a new tobacco because they don't impart any taste to the smoke. They do get hot, though, and the bowls are small, so its not a long smoke. If I could find a clay pipe with a large bowl, I'd smoke it more often.
I also have a couple of Delft porcelain pipes. They look great but are terrible smokers. For some reason, tobacco has very little taste in these pipes and they get scorching hot very quickly, even though they are double-walled.

 

[legrand52]

Happen to find this documentary. Don’t know if it was posted in the past.
1938 Film of Clay Pipe Making at Broseley Clay Tobacco Pipeworks - Brose...
https://youtu.be/r8TEN65Nnus

 

[samuelgawith01]

I own and smoke one long stem tavern clay pipe.It does cool the smoke down,but the bowl gets very hot,so don’t grip it with your hands,hold it by the stem.

 

[The Clay King]

I've had some Gawith & Hoggard Cherry Vanilla in my clay over the last week or so.

 

[catskillcal]

I have one I actually found among other relics in the attic of a small apartment building I was cleaning out for a friend. The building dates to the 1850s, and the pipe was of the glazed red clay w/ reed stem class but as old as it looks it hadn't been smoked. I'm sure it's old but I can only guess. I made a stem from a small maple twig and have smoked it a handful of times. Not something I would choose over a briar, but I agree with anyone else who find a nostalgia in sitting down with an old clay. Then again if I was a common guy living in the 19th century I wouldn't have much of a choice. We find fragments of older tavern clays all the time around the town whenever somebody digs a hole deeper than a foot or two, I've been keeping my eyes out for a while now for any sign of a complete specimen, but so far I only have a bag of stems and a few quarter fragments of bowls. I've considered buying a modern reproduction but at the same time I feel that if I ever find a complete tavern style clay with over a century of untold history that would be worth searching and waiting.

 

[mityahicks]

I love my clay tavern pipe. It smokes really cool and is fun to smoke something so anacranistic. I find some flavor is lost with them, don't smoke Aros in them.

 

[The Clay King]

My latest clay is a Southorn of Broseley pipe with a decoration around the bowl and a short stem. I believe this is now the Clay Pipe Museum.

 

[5star]

I’m a big fan of clay pipes & smoke them often. I like to try blends new to me in them.

 

[jpmcwjr]

These are in a small museum in Saratoga, NY.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Anyone have a Fleam?? How do you use it?

 

[5star]

Its a medical & veterinary instrument used for bloodletting-
http://broughttolife.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/objects/display?id=11556

 

[The Clay King]

I broke the stem on my Broseley pipe so I've given it to a homeless man I spoke to in the street.

I've now acquired an English Civil War pipe (long stem, small bowl) and a RAOB (Royal Antedeluvian Order of Buffaloes) pipe also made by Southorn of Broseley.

I've had a bit of Clan in the RAOB pipe and I like the decoration on it.

I'm thinking of taking moulds from both pipes!

 

[jpmcwjr]

Photos would be wildly appreciated!
Thanks, General, missed your post till today.
Here's a fleam in better shape:

 

[5star]

Thanks for the close-up, though pics of it actually being used aren't necessary!

 

[The Clay King]

I 've had a bit of Gawith & Hoggarth Cherry Vanilla in my English Civil War pipe today.

I really like this bland and it warms the mouth on one of the coldest days this year!

I could smoke a full pouch in one of these giant clay pipes!

http://www.dawnmist.org/cadger.htm