Group 1, Very Small Bowls, What Are They For?

[mso489]

Small bowls, what are they for? Compact and pocket pipes have been addressed on another thread, and I'm not

asking about them; some have tiny bowls but most have as large a bowl as the small pipe will accommodate, and

a short shank and stem. But Group 1, very small bowls, come on all lengths of pipes including churchwardens.

Missouri Meerschaum makes the Mizzou, a cob with a very small bowl, maybe Group 1, Group 2 at the most.

I just can't quite get the notion of what this really small quantity of tobacco would do for anyone. Even some

of my Group 3 pipes need just the right type and cut of tobacco to give a satisfying smoke that isn't over in

minutes. Even a prolonged smoke in a Group 1 couldn't last more than a few minutes, just about the time it

takes to settle down and start understanding the tobacco. But these pipes are regularly made and sold in

quantities. Who smokes a Group 1 or 2, and how does that work?

 

[castellarius]

I really dont' have an idea, as generally group 3 are the smaller pipes I buy; and I always wondered myself if, maybe, especially long churchwarden-style group 1 pipes aren't pipes crafted for ladies ?

Slim, little, elegant...maybe really suited for a nice stilish lady ?
Or maybe just for a real quick smoke ?

 

[fishnbanjo]

Group 1-3 are my main stay bowl sizes, I don't generally like to smoke longer than 15 minutes so a group 1 is perfect and a group 3 usually ends up as 2 and sometimes 3 smokes.

 

[mso489]

fishnbanjo, thank you! For newcomers, fishnbanjo has some of the most superb artisan carved pipes owned by Forums

members, a really breathtaking collection, so his testimony on behalf of Group 1's is a sort of revelation to me. To the

extent that it makes me think I should obtain a Group 1 and see how it might be useful to me. fishbanjo, its a whole new

day with me and small-bowl pipes. Anyone else out there a fan of these?

 

[billypm]

For the fold-n-stuffers amongst us, a group 1 pipe should give at least a good half hour of smoking. But fill the same pipe with a ribbon cut or, say, Carter Hall, and you're down to dottle after the charring light. Just depends on the cut and your window of time.

 

[pruss]

I only recently discovered the benefits of smaller group bowls. I have a group 1 Dunhill Shellbriar which has become my go-to pipe for virginia flakes. I pack it just like I would a group 4 or 5 bowl, and find that I get a flavourful smoke, just for a shorter period of time. I have two group 1 mini churchwardens and find that they are great smokers, especially for sampling new tobaccos. I use one for latakia forward blends, and the other for testing new Virginias and VA blends. A 20 minute smoke is about average for me in my group 1 bowls.
Group 2 and group 3 sized bowls are great for longer smokes, and group 4 sized bowls are commitment smokes for me (you know, around the campfire, long periods of contemplation or reading...).
$0.05 in the bucket.
-- Pat

 

[numbersix]

I don't generally like to smoke longer than 15 minutes so a group 1 is perfect

+1
I have a mix of large bowls and small bowls. In the evening it's nice to sit with a larger pipe and enjoy a long smoke. But there are times when I can only fit in a short smoke and the group 1 bowls are perfect for that.

 

[jgriff]

I don't have a Dunhill Group 1 size but I have a little Sav Second Featherweight that's close and I have a Dunhill Group 2 which is great for flakes or rope when I don't have all night. If I folded and stuffed flakes into a Group 5 or 6 (which I used to do on occasion), it would take hours to smoke.

 

[onepyrotec]

I must be a slow smoker. I 'd consider the Peterson Calabash Smooth a group 1 and it took me around 45 to finish with only 1 relight. 1-1/8" inner bowl depth & 5/8" inner bowl diameter

 

[smokeytay33]

This is the first time I have seem the terms "group 1, group 2," and so on. Does this refer to bowl size??

 

[numbersix]

"group 1, group 2," and so on. Does this refer to bowl size??

Correct smokey. It refers to Dunhill's nomenclature concerning bowl size. Here's an example:
http://www.cupojoes.com/dunhill_shape_chart.html
Dunhill uses add'l terminology, such as "Own Design", e.g. ODA and ODB, referring (I believe) to over-sized bowls.
Here's a pic of my Dunhill ODB 835 f/t

 

[pruss]

Hi Smokeytay33.
Group 1 - Group 5 is generally a reference to bowl size, using Dunhill bowl size as a point of reference. Dunhill pipes typically have a # in a circle enscribed on the bowl or shank. That number (typically 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) corresponds to the size of the bowl; with 1 being the smallest and 5 being the largest before moving away into larger non-standard sizes.
So when you hear someone referring to a "group 1 sized bowl" they're referring to a small bowl, equivalent to the smallest bowl produced by Dunhill.
Here is the nomenclature on my Dunhill Group 1 Shellbriar. You can see the 1 in a circle denoting the group size:


Here is the whole pipe. You can see here that the whole pipe is almost the same size as the small tobacco pouch in my pipe bag. The bowl is still reasonable size. I can take about 2/3 of a standard sized flake, cube cut and stuffed.

-- Pat

 

[gripsie]

I find smaller bowls to be very good for certain tobaccos.
One critical point is the chamber diameter. It mustn't be too narrow for my taste. There are some (very few) pipes out there that have only a 16mm or 17mm diameter. With this diameter I have some problems with most tobaccos - in my experience.
But with diameters of 18mm+ everything is fine. Even a group 1 bowl here is perfect for strong, nicotine-heavy flakes such as Irish Flake. I cannot smoke some tobaccos in larger bowls, since they simply overwhelm me.
My generally preferred bowls size would be something like a group 3 I would say (19 or 20mm and not too deep), but a smaller capacity is perfect for flakes, also.
I seem to be a slow-smoker as well: ar bowl of Irish Flake in a group 2 pipe is lasting roughly 2 hours...

 

[smokeytay33]

Awesome link. Thanks for sharing! I learned a lot!

 

[flakyjakey]

I have four small bowl pipes including a very old Dunhill Shell. I use them for very strong tobaccos, eg my brown ropes, which I CAN'T smoke for more than 15-30 minutes at a single sitting !! LOL

 

[pruss]

I use them for very strong tobaccos, eg my brown ropes, which I CAN'T smoke for more than 15-30 minutes at a single sitting !!

That's a really smart idea Flaky. Thanks for passing that along. I'm no nic lightweight, but there are some tobaccos which hit me harder than others. I'll be using this method to limit the head-spinning, vision-quest, affect of some tobacco.
-- Pat

 

[fishnbanjo]

Well the other thing one should note on any group size, even if the bowl diameter concurs with the Dunhill Group Size the depth of the bowl may not necessarily do so and this becomes very true when you deviate from Classic Form. In other words a Billiard, Bulldog, Pot etc. built to the Dunhill Group Standards will be exact but make that Billiard slightly taller or raise the Bulldog to where it remains a Bulldog w/o becoming a Rhodesian, I guess you see what I mean.
As is implied here take it as near Gospel as I find it holds very true to what billypm states.
billypm said

For the fold-n-stuffers amongst us, a group 1 pipe should give at least a good half hour of smoking. But fill the same pipe with a ribbon cut or, say, Carter Hall, and you're down to dottle after the charring light. Just depends on the cut and your window of time.

Another true statement is how fast a puffer are you, do you smoke in the comfort of your home in your easy chair or outside where the weather, wind etc all become common factors in your tobacco consumption time, I smoke outside exclusively unless I'm doing the Town and Tune Tour with my Weimaraner in my SL500, my longest smokes in any group size pipes come when I'm driving my car since outside factors are removed.
onepyrotech said

I must be a slow smoker. I 'd consider the Peterson Calabash Smooth a group 1 and it took me around 45 to finish with only 1 relight. 1-1/8" inner bowl depth & 5/8" inner bowl diameter

The info numbersix and pruss provide vis a vis Dunhill Chart References is some of the best information for you to know, another way to help you remember is using your fingers and thumb since all of our hands differ it will still work to some degree, the digit used may change from person to person but it's a great barometer if you're at your B&M or a pipe show. Find someone with Dunhill pipes that will allow you to inspect them, note the group size then use the different digits on your hand and see how far your thumb, forefinger, pinky finger etc. fit in the bowl and to what depth, this information can help you decide what you favor for smoking using your own pipes or when looking for a particular size bowl. All great information especially starting with the question.

 

[flakyjakey]

@Pat, I use the same approach for my G&H Dark Flake - a beautiful Va flake, totally flue-cured, but very nic-heavy

 

[fishnbanjo]

flakyjakey you made a great comment on tobacco's heavy on Vitamin N, I like a nightly smoke of tobacco either heavy with Latakia or Perique, sometimes both. I don't want a long smoke just a nice relaxing one say 10 minutes or so and for this reason I always choose my Boswell Churchwarden the bowl being 15/16" deep 5/8" wide, I also use either it or my Tim West Panel with Plateau top to test new tobacco's since they have rather small bowl's, if I can't finish a bowl in one of them I'm glad I didn't pack up a group 3 pipe. :D

banjo

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It generally takes me about 30-45 minutes to smoke a group one, but I enjoy consciously slowing down my pace to fully appreciate what I am doing. I have a few very large bowls that have me bored to tears after a couple of hours, and I end up huffing through them. After that long, my tongue has gone numb from over saturation, and I am not enjoying the tobacco, just going through the motions.