Calabashes

[BingBong]

Pretty good swear word, now I see it. Anyway. Does anyone have a pukka calabash? Do any of the Peterson's fall into that category?

I'm prompted to ask by the recent realization that my (cheap) 9mm filter pipes, with filter chambers left empty without filters, give me superior flavours to anything else I have in my collection. I have yet to buy a 9mm Savinelli, say, and prove this beyond any doubt, but the Calabash principle appears to be the way forward for me.

Of course, the real things have enormous condensing chambers, are they even better? I notice that, with my 6mm Savinelli, not so much gained - is bigger always better, or is there a volume past which one has diminishing returns?

Btw, I just noticed that I became a "Lifer". Yikes.

 

[Sigmund]

I dont have an answer but congrats! Now you are stuck here.

I think the question I have is wether the increase in flavor is due to having a large chamber or the fact that its a super open draw with no filter. That said, I dont think they simply made the large condensing chambers for Sherlock Holmes fans....

 

[BingBong]

I dont have an answer but congrats! Now you are stuck here.

I think the question I have is wether the increase in flavor is due to having a large chamber or the fact that its a super open draw with no filter. That said, I dont think they simply made the large condensing chambers for Sherlock Holmes fans....

Interesting, but oddly these don't have what I'd call a super open draw - I have other, standard pipes which are more open.

 

[PaulRVA]

As far as a Historic Calabash pipe I wish I had an answer for you.
I’ve always wanted one but they were either too small if affordable or too expensive if flipping the bill.
Briar Works produces a Calabash with a Magnetic Cup which I find fantastic and Mimmo is churning out some gorgeous Calabash’s as well.
I have a Reverse Calabash Meer that is doing really well and have no quorum’s about getting another.
Hopefully someone on here will chime in as several members have displayed them on the WAYS thread.

 

[kcghost]

Calabashes are decent smokes but rather unwieldy if they are any reasonable size at all.

 

[Chasing Embers]

The bad thing about them is that that take many smokes to saturate the gourd with oils from the tobacco. Until that point, they mute flavors.

 

[condorlover1]

I had one from the 1900's which I gave away to someone on here years ago. They are interesting pipes but I have always felt that they are bit unwieldily and require the wearing of a silly hat whilst smoking them. I am always reminded of the silly Holmes and Watson joke about them going camping on the Dartmoor whilst searching for the hound in the Hound of the Baskervilles. Watson says to Holmes as they zip themselves into their sleeping bags, look at the stars on this clear night. You can see the Milky Way and Orions Belt. What does it all mean Holmes? Holmes lights his pipe and after a few moments tells Watson that 'It means that someone has stolen our tent Watson!'.

 

[OzPiper]

I have one which I enjoy using with high Nic blends.
The air chamber tames the Nic hit.



Tars and oils do soak into the gourd and needs a cotton ball and alcohol soak from time to time.
Having a removable meerschaum bowl comes in handy.

 

[PaulRVA]

I have one which I enjoy using with high Nic blends.
The air chamber tames the Nic hit.

View attachment 342049

Tars and oils do soak into the gourd and needs a cotton ball and alcohol soak from time to time.
Having a removable meerschaum bowl comes in handy.

Gorgeous example.
What are the approximate dimensions on that pipe ?

 

[georged]

Calabashii invite inventiveness.

Here are two hybrids. A briar-bowled gourd basher, and a gourd-chambered briar basher:

 

[FurCoat]

I have a KB&B with a Redmanol stem. I would say that it is medium in size and clenches perfectly. The bowl is wide and shallow so I smoke cubes cuts in it. Mostly PS41.

 

[antonine]

Briar Works produces a Calabash with a Magnetic Cup which I find fantastic

Are they still making these? I was looking for one a couple weeks back and couldn't even find a reference to them on the Briarworks site, much less an actual pipe for sale somewhere.

 

[PaulRVA]

Are they still making these? I was looking for one a couple weeks back and couldn't even find a reference to them on the Briarworks site, much less an actual pipe for sale somewhere.

I’ve seen a run back in 2022 and noticed a couple pop up since as estates. I’d love to get one. Last time I checked the BW site they were out of stock.

 

[antonine]

I’ve saw a run back in 2022 and noticed a couple pop up since as estates. I’d love to get one. Last time I checked the BW site they were out of stock.

Yeah, they're not even listed on the site anymore, which I thought was weird.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I have three Gourd Calabash pipes easily accessible for some pics.

William Harrison (Birmingham silversmith) with a silver rim cap and ferrule, with a horn stem from 1909:



FDUPH (hallmarked silver bowl rim, Birmingham, 1909) with a silver band on the shank by W.H. Carrington (hallmarked Chester, 1909):



Kaywoodie (four hole stinger), circa 1940s:



The first two pipes are relatively small (they measure about six inches on the diagonal); because of the period they’re from, they both have orific bits and have somewhat small draught holes, typical of the period; the Kaywoodie has a large chamber, but the stinger narrows the draw—the draw feels rather restricted on all three pipes, especially the Kaywoodie—you would probably get a much more open draw with a 9mm filter pipe without a filter.

Here are all three next to each other with a Savinelli Series III 320 KS to get a sense of relative size:

 

[autumnfog]

I think they are beautiful in a sort of iconic way.
Unfortunately Strambach closed business some years ago, I liked their style the most.

 

[lraisch]

I have three Gourd Calabash pipes easily accessible for some pics.

William Harrison (Birmingham silversmith) with a silver rim cap and ferrule, with a horn stem from 1909:

View attachment 342144

FDUPH (hallmarked silver bowl rim, Birmingham, 1909) with a silver band on the shank by W.H. Carrington (hallmarked Chester, 1909):

View attachment 342146

Kaywoodie (four hole stinger), circa 1940s:

View attachment 342147

The first two pipes are relatively small (they measure about six inches on the diagonal); because of the period they’re from, they both have orific bits and have somewhat small draught holes, typical of the period; the Kaywoodie has a large chamber, but the stinger narrows the draw—the draw feels rather restricted on all three pipes, especially the Kaywoodie—you would probably get a much more open draw with a 9mm filter pipe without a filter.

Here are all three next to each other with a Savinelli Series III 320 KS to get a sense of relative size:

View attachment 342153

I've never understood those without a meerschaum cup. Do you just smoke from the gourd or is there some sort of liner? Seems like a dried gourd would burn out real fast.

I have a Pioneer with a meerschaum cup and it smokes quite well, but is certainly clumsy. (I have a deerstalker hat too.)

 

[OzPiper]

I've never understood those without a meerschaum cup. Do you just smoke from the gourd or is there some sort of liner? Seems like a dried gourd would burn out real fast.

I have a Pioneer with a meerschaum cup and it smokes quite well, but is certainly clumsy. (I have a deerstalker hat too.)

The ones with the silver/gold rims have the meerschaum cup hidden under all that metal.

Looks nice, but a PITB if you want to clean out the gourd

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I've never understood those without a meerschaum cup. Do you just smoke from the gourd or is there some sort of liner? Seems like a dried gourd would burn out real fast.

I have a Pioneer with a meerschaum cup and it smokes quite well, but is certainly clumsy. (I have a deerstalker hat too.)

There are inserts mounted under the silver caps.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I think they are beautiful in a sort of iconic way.
Unfortunately Strambach closed business some years ago, I liked their style the most.

I managed to get a couple of Strambachs before they shut down. Both are fitted for a 9mm filter but they work just as well with or without. They're both pretty big.




Size comparison with a Peterson b10




I've also got a Northern Briars that's a small/medium size.



And a small Baki