I Want a Churchwarden and Need Your Wisdom

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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,211
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Churchwardens work best when seated beside an armrest or rests. With a long stem version, you may not need to lift your elbow. Nice for reading, deep thought, listening to music, and such. I'm not much for pipes while driving, but for those who do, a warden works.

 
Mar 1, 2014
3,661
4,964
My #1 recommendation would be one of these: https://www.pipesandcigars.com/mobile/p/big-ben-churchwarden-pipes-pipes/1494506/

Big Ben maintains the same draft hole right to the slot in the button (most start with a wider hole at the tenon and finish the button with a narrow drill to make it easier to produce), an uncommon attention to detail even in regular pipes and doubly so in a Churchwarden.

I think Savinelli was another company with a more open draft on their Churchwardens (had two and gave them away).

The only possible downside is Big Ben and Savinelli have a thicker stem, the thinner stems you’ll find on most Churchwardens could be seen as a weight advantage if you like to point at things with your pipe like an old crotchety man.
On that note, don’t overlook the Cobwarden (Cobbit): https://corncobpipe.com/the-wizard-cobbit.html

Hands down one of my favorite pipes (though partly becuase I love to do horrible things to these pipes). The stem is the same generic vulcanite stem you’ll find on 99% of Churchwardens, just with more of a rough finish than most, but it has an intense rustic charm.
In general just be warned that basically no Churchwarden comes with a perfectly symmetrical stem (button aligned perfectly with the pipe in all dimensions), they will all be tilted or shifted to one side to some degree. I’ve re-bent the stem on almost every pipe that I like enough (even my $300 Ferndown Churchwarden).

 
Mar 1, 2014
3,661
4,964
If you want something with more of a Fantasy aesthetic without paying too much of a premuim I can also recommend the Nording Freehand Churchwardens: https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/Nording/index.cfm?tag=40

As a pipe they aren’t overly special but the shapes can vary wildly.

If you can track down a replacement Nording Churchwarden Stem you could conceivably turn any Nording Freehand into a Churchwarden.

 
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