Dublin Shapes and Tobacco Choices

[jiminy]

Has anyone noticed if any given tobaccos or blends burn best in Dublin bowls? For instance, I've often heard that Virginia blends often work best in tall, narrow bowls, and that English blends do best with wider bowls. Is there any generalizations for Dublin shapes, or is all of this nonsense? I know there will be plenty of "just smoke whatever in it", and I plan to, but it was a meandering thought floating through my head all day.

 

[Bobby Bailey]

I think the best-looking shape is a Dublin. And I don't mind the meandering at all even though I don't meander. Now, I am a top-tier beagle and can chase a rabbit with the best of them. Now, what were you asking again?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Has anyone noticed if any given tobaccos or blends burn best in Dublin bowls? For instance, I've often heard that Virginia blends often work best in tall, narrow bowls, and that English blends do best with wider bowls. Is there any generalizations for Dublin shapes, or is all of this nonsense? I know there will be plenty of "just smoke whatever in it", and I plan to, but it was a meandering thought floating through my head all day.

Though subjective to the individual, moisture, packing, and smoking cadence are going to have far greater impact on flavor than the shape of the chamber. The bowl shape will have no impact at all.

 

[jiminy]

Though subjective to the individual, moisture, packing, and smoking cadence are going to have far greater impact on flavor than the shape of the chamber. The bowl shape will have no impact at all.

That was my initial thought, but I know a few people who swear that for certain types of tobacco, the shape of the bowl does make a difference. Now, I'm not nearly so experienced as to notice for myself, although I could see how a bigger bowl might bring about a greater experience than small ones for complex blends.

With that being said, I do agree that there are so many variables that come into play that must be accounted for. Shoot, even one's environment and state of mind are going to come into play

 

[Puff nstuff]

I like Virginias and VaPers in my Dublins, though I am certainly no expert. But the narrower, conical bowls seem to work well with them, especially when in flake form. Better, say, than wider or more cylindrical bowls. Just one man's take.

 

[bullet08]

I enjoy everything in wider bowl. But I have pipes with narrow chamber. What can I say? Some pipes look like high price hookers.

 

[Chasing Embers]

That was my initial thought, but I know a few people who swear that for certain types of tobacco, the shape of the bowl does make a difference. Now, I'm not nearly so experienced as to notice for myself, although I could see how a bigger bowl might bring about a greater experience than small ones for complex blends.

With that being said, I do agree that there are so many variables that come into play that must be accounted for. Shoot, even one's environment and state of mind are going to come into play

I chased that idea for three decades and was let down. Again, it is entirely subjective, but being the outside of the pipe, the bowl can have no impact, only the shape and size of the chamber if at all.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I would think the shape of the bowl could have a miniscule effect/impact on heat transfer, which could account for a detected difference in smoking for some highly sensitive, attuned individuals.

 

[Puff nstuff]

I like Virginias and VaPers in my Dublins, though I am certainly no expert. But the narrower, conical bowls seem to work well with them, especially when in flake form. Better, say, than wider or more cylindrical bowls. Just one man's take.

And for the sake of clarity, by 'bowl' I guess I mean 'chamber.' Bowl being a vessel; I'm speaking about the interior of the stummel - which per the Collins dictionary is 'the bowl of a (smoking) pipe.

 

[mso489]

I think of the truisms when I smoke Virginia and Va/Per in conical bowls and English and Balkan in cylindrical bowls, but I suspect individual pipes favor certain blends, not the ones we think are assigned to them. I also think 'embers has a good point that it is more other variables that control the quality of the smoking experience.

The one adage I subscribe to is that bowls with a larger diameter do better with flavors of complex blends, three or more tobaccos, because more types of leaf are in the ember at once in greater quantity.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Here's my discoveries on this topic... not all dublins are tall, narrow, and conical. I have a few that have wider chambers than most of my billiards and bulldogs. But, for the ones with tall, narrow, conical chambers, Virginias are my favorite to smoke in them. I will also smoke Virginias in wider more bowl shaped chambers also, but I prefer them in the tall narrow chambers, because they tend to get sweeter as the bowl progresses, and stoves the remaining leaf underneath.

But, likewise, aromatics and latakias suck in tall narrow chambers, IMO. But, I do enjoy a few VaBurs, like Briarfox, Golden Extra, and Cube Cut in the tall narrow ones. I'm not at all dogmatic about it though. YMMV
But, I have rarely heard of someone dedicating a stacked dublin to a latakia.

 

[FLDRD]

I have a delightful Aldo Velani Dublin bowl with a conical chamber that loves to smoke Old Dublin.

Purely random.

Experimentation is necessary.

 

[kcghost]

Never much cared for the Dublin shape.

 

[Chasing Embers]

And for the sake of clarity, by 'bowl' I guess I mean 'chamber.' Bowl being a vessel; I'm speaking about the interior of the stummel - which per the Collins dictionary is 'the bowl of a (smoking) pipe.

Never heard of the Collins dictionary but I would imagine bowl being a corruption of root bole much as bruyere became briar.

 

[jiminy]

Here's my discoveries on this topic... not all dublins are tall, narrow, and conical. I have a few that have wider chambers than most of my billiards and bulldogs. But, for the ones with tall, narrow, conical chambers, Virginias are my favorite to smoke in them. I will also smoke Virginias in wider more bowl shaped chambers also, but I prefer them in the tall narrow chambers, because they tend to get sweeter as the bowl progresses, and stoves the remaining leaf underneath.

But, likewise, aromatics and latakias suck in tall narrow chambers, IMO. But, I do enjoy a few VaBurs, like Briarfox, Golden Extra, and Cube Cut in the tall narrow ones. I'm not at all dogmatic about it though. YMMV
But, I have rarely heard of someone dedicating a stacked dublin to a latakia.

As someone who smokes a number of different aromatics, can I ask why you think they (and latakias) aren't as good in tall narrow chambers? Genuinely curious, as it could play into future pipe purchases.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

As someone who smokes a number of different aromatics, can I ask why you think they (and latakias) aren't as good in tall narrow chambers? Genuinely curious, as it could play into future pipe purchases.

I’m not saying that they won’t taste great to you in a dublin. Try for yourself. You might prefer them.
Me? Some blends just taste better to me with more volume of smoke, a larger chamber, where surrounding tobacco gives off more oils and flavonoids. But, that’s just me. You might find differently.

 

[Donb1972]

It's all nonsense(or perhaps I should say extremely subjective). It's similar to the myth that morta pipes should be used for specific tobaccos. Enjoy whatever tobacco you like in whatever shape you like.

People who "swear" by things in pipe smoking are just like "experts" in art, food, wine...I recall an episode of "Frasier", where Frasier and Niles were both tasting wine as part of a competition. They both had totally different takes on each glass, but they both had the same guess as to which wines they were.

 

[anotherbob]

noticed that shags smoke incredibly in my one Dublin. And that it handles everything else fine but it really loves shags. And yes that belongs in the out of context quote page.

 

[anotherbob]

It's all nonsense(or perhaps I should say extremely subjective). It's similar to the myth that morta pipes should be used for specific tobaccos. Enjoy whatever tobacco you like in whatever shape you like.

People who "swear" by things in pipe smoking are just like "experts" in art, food, wine...I recall an episode of "Frasier", where Frasier and Niles were both tasting wine as part of a competition. They both had totally different takes on each glass, but they both had the same guess as to which wines they were.

you mean every once in a rare while they know what they're talking about but mostly they're treating us like a drowning victim in the 1600's.

 

[Donb1972]

you mean every once in a rare while they know what they're talking about but mostly they're treating us like a drowning victim in the 1600's.

Haha! Well, I wouldn't go quite that far. Everyone has their own taste and style, and should just find out what works best for them without listening to experts. I don't like briar pipes all that much, for example ~ I prefer clay and morta. Some people would probably kick me out of the club for that! LOL