How and Why do you Clench?

[VelourThunder]

So I've seen a lot of people talking about clenching their pipes but no one ever says why they clench and they never talk about how far back in their mouth they clench.

Every time I have tried to clench my pipes for any longer than it takes to free up a hand my pipes always start to gurgle and I have to run a cleaner down the stem mid smoke to get it to stop or i start smoking hot so I've just stopped doing it. So my question is  why do you personally clench?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Because I'm never seated when smoking unlesss I'm driving and clench exclusively.

 

[VelourThunder]

Because I'm never seated when smoking unlesss I'm driving and clench exclusively.

And you never have issues with it gurgling? Man maybe I just have a super wet mouth even though it feels dry. Do you ever inhale the smoke? I have found always inhale on accident when I try to clench.

 

[dottlejockey]

I have pipes that are a tad smaller and very lightweight that i will choose if i need my hands free and wind up clenching those half the time anyway. It's just comfortable (and effortless). I also have pipes that are definitely not for clenching and those are smoked in the shop or lounge room, while sitting and watching something on the tube or just meditating on the pipe weed.

 

[Chasing Embers]

And you never have issues with it gurgling?

None at all.

Do you ever inhale the smoke? I have found always inhale on accident when I try to clench.

No, it all goes out on the retrohale.

 

[kcghost]

I normally can't clench under the best of circumstances, but I can sort of do with a smaller straight pipe that fits my mouth well and aligns up perfectly with my teeth.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Just seems like the way to do it for me. Keeps my hands free to do other things. I don't fermenter a time when I did anything other than clench. For the most part, the pipe stays in my mouth except to change the position from one side to the other. No issues with gurgling.

 

[warren]

So my question is  why do you personally clench?

Because my hands are holding a book, operating a chainsaw, driving a car, cooking a meal, operating a camera, carrying all my gear, working the fly pole and line, typing, need I continue? I can if you wish.

My pipes rarely gurgle as I smoke "dry", no spit down the stem. Easy peezy. You have to know what you're doing wrong and stop doing it. A wee bit of conscious thought should ID the problem.

 

[OzPiper]

Smoking a pipe is downtime for me.
So I almost always smoke while seated with pipe in hand.
And my paraphernalia spread out on a table in front of me.

No need to clench unless I am lighting up or need both hands to read the papers.

Occasionally I will clench for a while if I’m smoking a nosewarmer, Lovat, full bent or one of my small(er) old Brit-woods

I find that it is more comfortable clenching with silicon pipe bits.
Also because I dislike tooth chatter on my stems

 

[lukifer]

I am a clencher as well, always have been. I just feel the need to chomp down on the bit even if I am holding the pipe, it just feels right to me. 86.4% of my smoking is done in my car and if you see my car in motion, 92.3% of the time i will be clenching. All my pipes are fitted with rubber bits to make it a little easier. I do tend to clench my teeth regularly throughout the day, and I used to chew on things a lot in my youth(gum, pens, jerky, collards, salt, tobacco etc) I wonder if that has something to do with it.

I might get a slight gurgle every now and again if my tobacco is on the wet side or if I smoke too fast. Not usually a problem for me.

Running a pipe cleaner through it clears up a gurgle on most pipes but to be honest, most of the time if I get a gurgle I can't be fucked with that and just gently but sharply give a short blow through the pipe and that fixes it good enough for me. Make sure you tip the ash and tamp or partially cover the bowl first though lol

 

[BingBong]

Clenching for hands free operation, essential. It will influence whether I like a mouthpiece and, indeed, a pipe as a whole.

When I have the luxury, I do like to hold the pipe in my hand, monitor the bowl heat, smoke it like a hit and miss engine, play a game of keeping it alive, create clouds of smoke.... but much if the time, that's impractical.

 

[lukifer]

None at all.



No, it all goes out on the retrohale.

I am broken and for the life of me I cannot figure out how to retrohale while clenching. Whenever I try I only get a portion of the smoke to go out my nose, the rest goes out through the pipe. I regularly take a puff and then have to remove the pipe in order to retrohale. Any tips?

 

[Chasing Embers]

I am broken and for the life of me I cannot figure out how to retrohale while clenching. Whenever I try I only get a portion of the smoke to go out my nose, the rest goes out through the pipe. I regularly take a puff and then have to remove the pipe in order to retrohale. Any tips?

Cover the airway with the tip of your tongue.

 

[olkofri]

I don't.

 

[Sigmund]

I do briefly but I do find that the pipe seems to angle more and it slightly scortches the top of my mouth. Probably becuase I tend to puff too much when I clench.

 

[lukifer]

I don't.

Your profile picture says otherwise...

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

I dislike observing tooth chatter on my ebonite stems and I do not like all the hassle with tapes and rubber bites ,and thus I avoid clenching of those older pipes that i own

 

[Merton]

Clenching makes me happy. It also requires a practiced ability to regulate one's sipping, breathing and retrohale. As I have grown older I have, for the most part, gravitated away from larger and heavier pipes and towards smaller and lighter pipes which make clenching easier.

 

[didimauw]

Yes clenching for me has nothing to do with how dry my pipes smoke. But as most know, I like my tobacco CRISPY CRUNCHY DRY.

I started out clenching only at the button, with the pipe just floating there. Now I tend to push it back farther between my middle molars.

I clench because it looks like I know what I'm doing( but i dont).


Also because it's just easier than worrying about holding the pipe. With my daughter, and 2 dogs, I need my hands readily available.

 

[Civil War]

I don't. I don't like chewing up my stems. If I want hands free, I smoke a cigar. Just personal preference.