Filter-no filter

[coyja]

I hate all filters, except balsa, which I love immensely.

Savinelli really figured it out with them.

Zero effect on flavor or taste while (almost) removing risk of tongue burn and some tar.

You're done? Toss them in the grass, its just a piece of wood!

Plus, balsa can absorb 5x its weight in water, so feel free to be cheap like me and break them in half... they work just as well.

I'm definitely balsa filter for life.

 

[unkleyoda]

Filter, smilter, throw them out. I have plenty of pipes that take either 9 or 6mm filters. I smoke them all sans filter. To me adapters and filters just create turbulence and therefore issues.

 

[mityahicks]

I actually consistently use filters and go unfiltered. I particularly enjoy my Brigham filters and I have A Gaco Dublin filter (9mm vauen) that I enjoy using when I want to smoke aromatics or baccy I'm just trying to use up.
That being said, I'm drifting more away from them as my experience deepens. Having my first Clay and Meershaum also help, they just plain smoke dry and filters don't seem required.

 

[michiganlover]

I smoke both with filter and without.
My cobs that don't have some version of a Forever Stem I smoke without the filter and like the open draw.
Dr Grabows that take filters I sometimes smoke with a filter as they can sometimes leak juice without the filter.
I Have a couple Savinelli's I smoke with the adapter, the adapter can cause gurgle.
Stingers are an invention of the devil, and must always be tossed, as they do nothing but cause gurgle in my experience.
As far as filters go the Savinelli balsa is much better than the paper filters.

 

[economistandfisherman]

I've always used a balsa wood filter in my Savinelli pipes, and if you've seen the amount of crud on one after only a few bowls, you'll see why I only smoke with filters. That said, I'm also something of a hypocrite as I smoke cigars as well, lol. Maybe using a filter on a pipe somehow psychologically justifies my cigar smoking :rofl:

 

[trouttimes]

Do you filter guys want to live forever?

 

[elpfeife]

No because for most folks the mind is not there long before forever!

 

[them4chef]

I'm fairly new to the pipe scene and have a number of savinelli's and find their balsa filters do a fantastic job, I bought a 100 pack and just keep a couple out on rotation to dry between smokes before I toss them. I also have a few Brighams and use the rock maple inserts in the same way as balsa filters though their life is longer. I also finally caught on that a quality briar like my dunhills that pass pipe cleaners with ease make for a delightful unfiltered smoke.

 

[mso489]

I guess I'm extending a post I've made, but it does seem annoying (or something) that there aren't standard impartial brochures that run down basics on filters. Every last man-jack (or woman-jack) pipe smoker has to pick this information up piecemeal, and there's quite a bit to it. Filters and stingers and tubes of various kinds, and balsa and key stones, all need to be mentioned and put in perspective. And yes, you can smoke most pipes without these extras. As with any interest or hobby, there's a lot to learn with pipes and pipe tobaccos, and in terms of information, filters/etc. seem to be a sort of mean trick for beginners. The basics could be summarized in a single-spaced page, without badmouthing filters, but allowing as how they are not required either. Why have people buying pipes with or without filters that they soon discover they'd prefer not to own? Somehow I dodged around the question and learned enough to get what I wanted, but I feel badly for most newcomers who plod up this learning curve. It annoys me, so I can imagine how it makes them feel.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I don't like filters, only have a couple of cobs and one briar that will take a filter. That would automatically make most any briar a "no go" if it had a filter. I don't want anything between me and the beautiful tobacco I'm smoking.
Try it both ways. If you prefer having the filter, then use them. I formed my own opinion and I really don't care whether other people use filters or not. They're not smoking my pipe for me.

 

[leafsmoker]

I personally smoke the balsa and use the pipe as a filter.No,but really, I never bought a filtered pipe.My thoughts is, it would take away some good flavors if used??I guess that's why there is Reverse calabash pipes now. I have a few of the Reverse calabash pipes and I have no problems with them.I guess if I ever needed a filter for one I would go with the balsa...All personal preference I guess.