Yes, this subject has been beaten to death. But for how long now have there been old ads claiming that the particular tobacco or pipe will give you a cool smoke free of tongue bite? How many different kinds of condensers and stingers and pipe filters have been put into pipes specifically engineered for them? What about the Peterson Dry System or the reverse calabash? The evidence suggests to me that there was always a percentage of pipe smokers who suffered from tongue bite and that’s why so much effort was put into the development and marketing of these products.
Most of my pipes are 9mm filter pipes. There are a few 6mm Savinelli and Vauen Dr. Perls in with that. I have about six unfiltered pipes I won’t let go.
I have to say that I was firmly a no filter guy because I didn’t know what they were. I gave them an honest chance after watching the Bremen Pipe Smoker on YouTube and smoked only 9mm activated charcoal filters for a month back in 2022. After that I then went back to non-filtered and the difference was amazing to me.
The flavours are more delicate and the rough edges are taken away. What the Bremen Pipe Smoker said in his interview with the Virtual Pipe Club was that his 9mm meerschaum pipes give him the “pure flavour of the tobacco”.
Yes, if you only smoke one bowl or a few puffs of a filter pipe, then it will seem like there is no flavour to be had. I believe if you give the time for your tastebuds and pallet to adjust to the flavours then it would be a totally different experience.
I have been able to only smoke two bowls of tobacco in the past week due to the arrival of my first baby girl. I smoked an unfiltered pipe for now since I get to so rarely.
Once I have more time, I will continue to smoke 9mm filtered pipes and enjoy it immensely. I will also continue to enjoy non filtered pipes lit with a hemp wick because I find it helps keep the smoke cooler.
Although I haven’t been here on these forums for very long, I’ve been reading them for a few years now. I am glad for all the people out there who don’t use filters because they never needed them.
Matches860 said, “Don’t ever let anyone tell you you are not a real pipe smoker because you use filters.”
CaneRodPiper on YouTube also said on one of his videos that we are not representative of the majority of pipe smokers in the world because the number one selling pipe tobacco is Captain Black.
In closing, it would be helpful to look at countries like Germany where Vauen sells about fifty thousand pipes a year, about 9/10 pipe smokers use 9mm filters and there are a lot of younger pipe smokers. Let’s all just be nice to one another and continue to enjoy this great hobby.
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