Filters and/or Adapters...or Not?

[Tyke Piper]

On the few occasions I've smoked a 9mm pipe with no filter or adaptor, I found the draw too damn big, and the tobacco would over heat too much, made worse by the fact I draw a bit too hard at the best of times. I do have an adapter, but have never used it as I find the filter works quite well with a lot of the pipes and tobaccos I smoke.

My only advice of smoking a gaping 9mm without anything in there would be to watch out for tongue bite. Cleaning the adapter might be a pain, but how much of a pain is taking tacking it out and running it under water for a few seconds?

I can wholeheartedly concur Andriko, I'm struggling, a little at least, with adjusting the open draw using my 9mm filter pipes (I have two) with no filter or adapter...and you're right, my pipe(s) are getting hot too.

Gonna try the recently received 9mm adapter tonight in my Peterson 'Derry' - looking forward to discovering a positive difference

 

[Gimlet]

I Prefer a good quality 9 mm charcoal filter to an adaptor. Tastes better and stays drier. I've smoked 9 mm filter pipes from day one and I'm just used to them. They work great for me (apart from having to buy the filters...).

Unless caught short I always buy Vauen Dr Pearl. White Elephant are fractionally bigger and are too tight in some of my pipes and with Savinelli filters I always get bits of charcoal in my mouth, The Dr Pearl are excellent.
I do keep an adaptor in my filter tin though, just in case I run out. But I find the flavour is fuller and purer when I use a filter and the pipe stays much cleaner.

 

[Sigmund]

Thanks for the tip on white elephant filters. I will stick with my dr pearls.

Out of curiosity are big ben as good?

 

[Tyke Piper]

I Prefer a good quality 9 mm charcoal filter to an adaptor. Tastes better and stays drier. I've smoked 9 mm filter pipes from day one and I'm just used to them. They work great for me (apart from having to buy the filters...).

Unless caught short I always buy Vauen Dr Pearl. White Elephant are fractionally bigger and are too tight in some of my pipes and with Savinelli filters I always get bits of charcoal in my mouth, The Dr Pearl are excellent.
I do keep an adaptor in my filter tin though, just in case I run out. But I find the flavour is fuller and purer when I use a filter and the pipe stays much cleaner.

What's your experience (if any) with the Savinelli balsar filters?

 

[Gimlet]

Thanks for the tip on white elephant filters. I will stick with my dr pearls.

Out of curiosity are big ben as good?

Haven't tried Big Ben.

 

[Gimlet]

What's your experience (if any) with the Savinelli balsar filters?

To be honest I've never tried them. I just took them out and fitted a charcoal. I can't get balsa filters so easily as Dr pearl so I thought I'd just stick with those.

 

[Hillcrest]

FYI ... FOR THOSE WHO SMOKE WITH FILTERS - Bruyerepipes is selling 9mm to 6mm adapters and 9mm to 3mm adapters. Although they both say non filter adapters it looks like the first would allow one to use a 6mm filter in a 9mm pipe but I do not know for sure until I get one. I haven't seen this before today ... I would imagine these would increase adaptability of pipes between filter users and non-filter users.

NON FILTER ADAPTER for 9MM PIPES REDUCER to 6MM ** NEW ** REDUCE | eBay

NON FILTER ADAPTER for 9mm PIPES. - Reduce the 9mm airhole (tenon) to 6mm -.

www.ebay.com

NON FILTER PIPE ADAPTER REDUCES THE FILTER CHAMBER FROM 9MM to 3MM *NEW* | eBay

Reduces the filter chamber from 9MM to 3MM. NON FILTER ADAPTER for 9MM PIPE. -- you can enjoy filter pipes without filter --.

www.ebay.com

 

[Tyke Piper]

FYI ... FOR THOSE WHO SMOKE WITH FILTERS - Bruyerepipes is selling 9mm to 6mm adapters and 9mm to 3mm adapters. Although they both say non filter adapters it looks like the first would allow one to use a 6mm filter in a 9mm pipe but I do not know for sure until I get one. I haven't seen this before today ... I would imagine these would increase adaptability of pipes between filter users and non-filter users.

NON FILTER ADAPTER for 9MM PIPES REDUCER to 6MM ** NEW ** REDUCE | eBay

NON FILTER ADAPTER for 9mm PIPES. - Reduce the 9mm airhole (tenon) to 6mm -.

www.ebay.com

NON FILTER PIPE ADAPTER REDUCES THE FILTER CHAMBER FROM 9MM to 3MM *NEW* | eBay

Reduces the filter chamber from 9MM to 3MM. NON FILTER ADAPTER for 9MM PIPE. -- you can enjoy filter pipes without filter --.

www.ebay.com

Just perused the listing...says they're posted from Germany yet they charge a U.S. postage rate - about 5x the cost of the adapter/reducer.

The 9mm-to-6mm might be useful. Shame I can't source one here in the UK

 

[Hillcrest]

Just perused the listing...says they're posted from Germany yet they charge a U.S. postage rate - about 5x the cost of the adapter/reducer.

The 9mm-to-6mm might be useful. Shame I can't source one here in the UK

But maybe I can string a few together and go from 3mm nonfiltered to 9mm ...

 

[ParkitoATL]

I enjoy 9mm filters with some tobacco. There are a few that it alters the taste too much. One recent experiment told me that gl pease triple play does not play well with filters. The flavors are too subtle. I yanked out the filter and it was much better. So just experiment. Most the time if the pipe accepts a charcoal filter I use it and enjoy a cool dry smoke.

I have several Peterson Army Mount System pipes with both filtered and unfiltered stems, all of which are interchangeable. So I have spent some time experimenting with swapping mid-bowl and I feel like the filter just gives you that extra bit of steam reduction that makes it better for me. Can't really taste any differences other than that.

I do have some Triple Play so I will try again and see if I notice any difference there.

 

[ParkitoATL]

Thanks Hillcrest,

TBF my primary Q concerned the advantages/disadvantages of smoking a filtered pipe with no filter/adapter & of course, I've had some informative replies to that end

I have a little gram scale and got to weighing my 9mm filters before and after a smoke. It's generally about 1/4g increase, which you can imagine is mostly water. Even with dry tobacco the filter will come out quite damp. Even if tobacco feels pretty crispy, it's probably 50+% humidity.

The amount of tar the filter collects is pretty decent, too. Don't need that in my mouth. I prefer filtered smoking.

 

[Gimlet]

I have several Peterson Army Mount System pipes with both filtered and unfiltered stems, all of which are interchangeable. So I have spent some time experimenting with swapping mid-bowl and I feel like the filter just gives you that extra bit of steam reduction that makes it better for me. Can't really taste any differences other than that.

I do have some Triple Play so I will try again and see if I notice any difference there.

I have a stinger which fits all my 9 mm pipes. I've tried them all with various tobaccos, with charcoal filters. with the stinger and with no filter at all.
Like you, I find the charcoal filters significantly reduce steam and moisture. All my pipes are bent shapes and most have a tendency to gurgle when smoked unfiltered or with the stinger. They never do with a filter and the bottom of the bowl and the draw hole is much drier afterwards.

It's the tobacco I want to taste, not steam and tar. I find I get more of the pure tobacco essence with filters. They don't reduce the natural taste, in fact they enhance it by removing a lot of competing pollutants. It just tastes better with them. And, as you say, they remove large quantities of tar. With strong flakes and plugs like SG 1792 which I smoke a lot, they come out almost black. That's tar that isn't going into my mouth.
I do use a fresh filter with every bowl and I buy Dr Pearl in 180 boxes for economy.

 

[burleybreath]

I've always had a weird sense that my filter accommodating pipes, smoked without filter or adapter, smoke better than my regular pipes. The filterless chamber is like a miniature reverse calabash, my imagination informs me. Probably just the open draw, but the thought haunts, because 97.3% of my pipes are "regular."

 

[Gimlet]

I've always had a weird sense that my filter accommodating pipes, smoked without filter or adapter, smoke better than my regular pipes. The filterless chamber is like a miniature reverse calabash, my imagination informs me. Probably just the open draw, but the thought haunts, because 97.3% of my pipes are "regular."

With a minor adjustment to the packing there's very little difference to the draw in my filter pipes whether smoked with a filter or without. I have a Petersons churchwarden that's non-filter and I don't think it breathes as well as my filter pipes, so it might not be your imagination.

 

[UB 40]

I abandoned adapters in the few 9mm pipes, because they’re another piece which catches tars and gunk to get cleaned. Not worth the effort.

 

[Sigmund]

In addition to filters and instead of filters in no filter pipes I like the Meer chips. They make for a nice dry and cool smoke. Also, Im not a fan of the bottom of the bowl taste with a lot of blends. This keeps the whole bowl tasting fresh. Falvors still develop but the tobacco never gets soggy and a bit more bitter.

Im taking a members advice and trying to make my own chips from a broken clay pot. I broke it up, took the pieces that were not pulverized. Then I rinsed them in a strainer and let them dry in the sun. I havent tried them yet but I imagine they will work like a charm. Id rather spend money on pipes and tobacco than broken up meer. If it doesnt work...oh well.

 

[Sigmund]

For those who like meer chips and filters. The above ones quickly made with a hammer and a broken garden pot work just as well as those you buy. The ones from the store are not terribly expensive but may not be easy to obtain where you live. And heck...free is always a good price!

I like a mix of these and filters. It makes for a very dry smoke. Also mentioned above a dry dottle so no bitterness. It is also very clean. My 9mm filters are much cleaner after a smoke when I use a few chips in the chamber. Another nice bonus is your pipes stay really clean. My white pipe cleaners stay in usable condition for a good number of smokes and there has not been any difficult to clean areas as of yet.

I know there are those who say why bother but there are the above reasons and also I cant smoke harsh stuff. Im a one pipe a day guy. I sit, relax and smoke. If I smoke more my throat gets irritated. Im probably lucky that my body doesnt love tobacco. I could never develop a good cigarette smoking habit due to it causing chronic indigestion. So I go for the smoothest and most ideal solution so that I can enjoy with minimal negative impact.

 

[Grovius]

I use DIY paper filters in my cobs and I do notice a difference in straight Vas, VaKys and VaPers (more defined flavours), not so much in English blends. Basically, I fold a sheet of paper in 4 lengthwise and also in 4 across. This gives me 16 small rectangles which I roll and insert into the tenon. It is similar to a Medico filter, only thinner. I don't know if the difference I perceived is due to the filtering itself or to the draw restriction, but the paper picks up a lot of moisture and gunk.

 

[Sigmund]

It take out a lot of moisture as well as some tars. To me no filter is a little muddy tasting. Especially as the bowl progresses. I have to work on my diy paper filters for normal pipes and see if it works for me. The chips do great in my unfiltered pipes. Also it takes up space in some of my larger pipes. Im a bit hyper. I dont have the patience to sit for more than an hour. A 50 minute smoke is great. Its enough to make me want more but not too much to get restless.

 

[ParkitoATL]

It take out a lot of moisture as well as some tars. To me no filter is a little muddy tasting. Especially as the bowl progresses. I have to work on my diy paper filters for normal pipes and see if it works for me. The chips do great in my unfiltered pipes. Also it takes up space in some of my larger pipes. Im a bit hyper. I dont have the patience to sit for more than an hour. A 50 minute smoke is great. Its enough to make me want more but not too much to get restless.

Totally with you on the filters. I just instinctively knew that filters would be a better choice for me.

Two things I am experimenting with for filtration. One is crushed pumice stone that goes into the bowl like your clay chips. Pumice is very absorbent but the clay might even be better so I will give that a try.

The other is plain white rice. I have heard of people using this in the bowl and I suspect it's not too bad although I'd be wary of it burning. My Nording Shorty has smoked really well with rice in the spiral filter area (where they recommend the Nording Keystones) as it doesn't contact the flame or ember.