Does the PIPE Make the Difference?

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Hobbs

Lurker
Jan 12, 2022
43
136
Central New York State
I am fairly new to pipe smoking and like many, I am acquiring different styles of pipes to determine what I like.
But have a question regarding styles. I have a couple MM Cobs, an inexpensive Pear, and a Churchwarden. My go-to has been my Cobs but it has raised a question regarding consistency. If I use the same tobacco and pack it the same way, my Cob will need MAYBE 1-2 relights whereas my other pipes will need a lot more.
Is the design of the pipe indicative to the consistency of the smoke or is it the tobacco? Could a different type of tobacco burn better in the Pear and worse in the Cob?
 

blackpowderpiper

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 19, 2018
811
3,787
Middle Tennessee
I think you will find over time that it is a combination of many factors. Certainly the pipe will play a role but the tobacco and how it is cut, moisture level, how it is packed, your smoking cadence, environmental conditions etc, all play a part. I don't even think about relights. If my pipe goes out, I simply relight and keep going. I don't get caught up in all the minutiae of pipe smoking. Some tobaccos seem to smoke better for me in certain pipes and sometimes there is really no good explanation for why. I just go with it and enjoy. Keep at it, much will be revealed as you continue to experiment with different combinations.
 

musicman

Lifer
Nov 12, 2019
1,119
6,052
Cincinnati, OH
The wide open airway is what you're experiencing with the cob.
This right here. Does the pipe make THE difference? Not necessarily but it can make A difference. Other than the obvious difference of material, assuming the pipe is well drilled, the two ways I find my pipes make a certain tobacco smoke differently are the openness/tightness of the airway, and the dimensions of the bowl.
 
Jan 28, 2018
12,955
134,688
67
Sarasota, FL
The pipe certainly can make a difference. Cons typically have smaller bowl ID and a wide open draw. But what’s the big deal with a few more delights. In general, I think you’ve got a larger problem if you don’t have relights. May mean you’re in too much of a hurry and not enjoying it.

The only thing that matters is if you’re enjoying it. That’s how you measure the pipe.
 

ashdigger

Lifer
Jul 30, 2016
11,379
70,060
60
Vegas Baby!!!
I’ve been smoking a pipe over ten years. I’ve owned about every type of pipe there is.

Here are the four biggest type of errors new pipe smokers make.

1. Tobacco not dried enough.
2. Maximizing human error
3. Overthinking everything about pipe smoking.
4. Comparing your new abilities to people that have forgotten the nuances because it automatically happens.

It’s a pipe filled with tobacco and set on fire. It’ll all work out.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,400
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
of course the pipe makes a difference. How significantly has certain limitations. You ever notice how certain drinks have certain glasses. Well those glasses make a difference but they're not going to make something great or terrible just alter the experience in a subtle but significant way. A pipe is sort of like that. A martini drank out of a mug won't stay chill as long and won't force you to sip like a cocktail glass kind of does.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,400
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
I notice a difference in how different tobaccos taste in different pipes. Old Joe Krantz is pretty good in a briar or meerschaum but it’s amazing in a cob. Briar Fox only really works for me in a narrow chamber bowl and English blends smoke best for me in a wide bowl.
I have to add too that some pipes also just taste different then others for no trackable reason.
 
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