Does Pipe Shape Dictate Smoking Style?

[blueeyedogre]

Been a long time since I made a post but here goes nothing........ Do you find that how you smoke varies from shape to shape? I find I seem to smoke faster and hotter with my stubby cuttys and devils then I do a bent egg or OomPaul styles. I will say that my cuttys and devils are my "work pipes" and usually what I smoke while working or out on the go while the bents are usually enjoyed sitting at home chillaxing but even at home I find I'll burn through a bowl faster with a straight draw or slight bend pipe then I do a pipe with a deeper bend.

 

[Infantry23]

I seem to have the same experience with my different pipes. My Oom Pauls are very enjoyable, but usually when I'm sitting at home and relaxing and slowing my cadence.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

I don’t, I smoke all pipes pretty much the same.

 

[SpuddsBuckley]

Different smokes for different folks.

 

[Waning Embers]

I never did. Excluding aesthetics, I smoked them all the same way.

 

[ThermionicScott]

Been a long time since I made a post but here goes nothing........ Do you find that how you smoke varies from shape to shape? I find I seem to smoke faster and hotter with my stubby cuttys and devils then I do a bent egg or OomPaul styles. I will say that my cuttys and devils are my "work pipes" and usually what I smoke while working or out on the go while the bents are usually enjoyed sitting at home chillaxing but even at home I find I'll burn through a bowl faster with a straight draw or slight bend pipe then I do a pipe with a deeper bend.

Do you clench all of them? If it takes a little more effort to clench the straight pipes, that could lead you to unconsciously work the pipes harder overall.

 

[The Benedictine]

I treat them all the same.

 

[telescopes]

Of course the shape matters. A small bowled pipe is generally going to be a quick smoke. Subconsciously, the user chose that pipe for a reason. A Pot shaped pipe will smoke cooler and in doing so will subconsciously impact the smoker to take their time and smoke differently.

Someone will come along here and say that this isn't the case for them. Fine. I concur. This isn't the case for EVERYONE. But humans exist and experience life on a spectrum that is pretty predictable at describing what sociologist will find in the wild. No one likes to be pigeon holed and a predictable response to your question from a smoker will be "not me". And I concede that may be the case. But for most people who smoke a wide variety of pipes, shape can and does, either consciously or subconsciously, have an impact on how one smokes.

I call my dad daily. Every day he tells me what pipe he smoked for the day. If he had lots of time with no wind, it's always a large bowled pipe. If he was in a hurry, he chooses a small bowled pipe.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Hey @blueeyedogre, I haven't seen you around in a long time.

Yehhhh, I prefer to think of each of my pipes as unique, different drafts, bowl sizes, bowl geometries, stem lengths... some of mine are the sports cars of pipes, and some are 18 wheelers, and they all need to be smoked in the way that gets me the best experience from each. It takes me a few smokes to figure out a new pipe, getting it to purr with the breath smoking style I like. But, some just don't lend themself to breath smoking, and that's ok, I don't want to always smoke the same way.

Now, this all has almost nothing to do with the outer pipe shape though. But, there are some similarities amongst shapes, but not always. Take all of my straight bulldogs that look almost identical when lined up. Except for the logo on it and the inner workings. My Dunhill and Savinellis smoke almost by themselves, wide open draw, tapered chambers, etc... But, a few have less open draws, and a few have the U-shaped chambers, so although they look alike, the insides aren't.

But, if I tried to smoke them all exactly the same way, I would probably hate a few of them. But, I prefer diversity. Let the pipe fit my mood.

 

[LeafErikson]

For me personally, the chamber dimensions absolutely matter. Is it the sole variable that matters? No. Drilling is the other variable that matters most, as it will affect the draw. In my experience, chamber dimensions tend to influence the cut of tobacco that will perform best in a pipe more than the type of tobacco (Virginia vs burley).

 

[Sig]

Of course the shape matters. A small bowled pipe is generally going to be a quick smoke. Subconsciously, the user chose that pipe for a reason. A Pot shaped pipe will smoke cooler and in doing so will subconsciously impact the smoker to take their time and smoke differently.

Someone will come along here and say that this isn't the case for them. Fine. I concur. This isn't the case for EVERYONE. But humans exist and experience life on a spectrum that is pretty predictable at describing what sociologist will find in the wild. No one likes to be pigeon holed and a predictable response to your question from a smoker will be "not me". And I concede that may be the case. But for most people who smoke a wide variety of pipes, shape can and does, either consciously or subconsciously, have an impact on how one smokes.

I call my dad daily. Every day he tells me what pipe he smoked for the day. If he had lots of time with no wind, it's always a large bowled pipe. If he was in a hurry, he chooses a small bowled pipe.

Well, this isn't the case with me.

 

[Sig]

I tend to prefer BIG bent pipes while I'm reading. They hang better while clenching, and I read books, not screens, so I need both hands. And I don't want to reload every 15 minutes.

 

[blueeyedogre]

Do you clench all of them? If it takes a little more effort to clench the straight pipes, that could lead you to unconsciously work the pipes harder overall.

Yeah, I'm a clencher unless I'm smoking one of my larger pipes.

 

[BingBong]

I smoke them all the same, but different cuts of tobacco in different pipes. Small chambers for folded flakes, big chambers for ribbon cuts, it all balances out.

 

[OzPiper]

I almost always smoke while seated, and almost never while occupied by other tasks.
Two thirds of my pipes are bulldogs or billiards, but other shapes are well represented.
The pipes vary in age by well over 100years

I have group 1 & 2 pipes with tiny bone tenons, and modern pipes with wide open draws.
My smoking “style” is dictated most by the draught.

 

[PaulRVA]

I tend to smoke them all the same however bowl diameter dictates the time involved and also the flavor for me. I have some pipes that really sing with certain blends and those blends fail to achieve in other pipes.
I love a pot and a large billiard for certain blends and despise them with others. I tend to grab small diameter pipes and stacks for Virginia Forward Blends the most however I’ll smoke just about anything in any pipe if it works.
All in all I’m a lazy smoker who could give Two Shits what I'm running it in and I generally operate on a whim as far as pipe selection is concerned. I gave up on rotations a long time ago and just grab whatever I feel like.
This pipe is the only exception to the above. I only smoke Capstan Blue in it out of an Enduring Fondness for the Blend and out of respect for the person who gave it to me.
I felt it deserved 1 Blend only forever.