(Im)practical Pipe Tool

[luigi]

I got a new pipe tool which turned out to have a squared tamper instead of a circular one. I don't find it very practical, what do you think? If you had one, would you grind it? I think I'll go for that. It was a cheap one anyway.
The tamper surface is just a little bigger than the one a classic Czech tool has. I noticed it gets quite dirty after tamping which has never been an issue for the Czech tool, maybe because it doesn't have any carbon layer yet? Maybe the ashes and burnt tobacco pieces won't stick as much after it gets some "cake".

 

[Sigmund]

Ive got one. Its ok. Just use the corners. Im not sure what is up with the ultra dull blade also.

 

[FLDRD]

It wouldn't present a problem for me unless the circumference was too much for the chamber... but that certainly doesn't look to be the case. So I'd have no problem with it.

And I've got a lighter with one of those "dull blades" (as stated above), and the serrations are enough to do the job without any chamber damage.

Overall it looks like it'd perform just fine for me.

 

[Bassman65]

I use a pipe nail with a square bottom. Never had any issues.

 

[olkofri]

I'd grind it round and concave.

 

[AroEnglish]

Yeah I’d grind the tamper like you said or grind all your chambers to so they’re square instead of round.

 

[orvet]

I would definitely round the corners off if it was mine. I don't care for pipe tampers that are not round. The only exception to that for me is the Gerber pipe tool which is rectangular with rounded corners. The only reason I find the tamper useful is that covers more area than most round tampers I have. The knife blade in it has a nicely rounded tip but a good sharp cutting edge and the pick design is very useful also.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Hell nah. Not worth the effort for a marginal (if any) payoff.

I almost never push straight down with a tamper. Square corners are no problem, but, for several, an obvious a clear preference to avoid.

 

[filmguerilla]

I've been using a round tip Opinel knife. Blade is safe enough for emptying the bowl, sharp enough to cut a plug, and the end, when closed, makes a good tamp.

 

[kbussell]

That would bother me... The square tamper in a round bowl... Grind it!
Please show a picture when you're done.

 

[ssjones]

This big pipe knifes never worked for me, it's more the large size vs square shape.

I use the simple Brebbia tamper, cheap to lose.
It is square and works fine. If I could change it, I'd make at least the shaft round, so it can be twirled over the bowl.

 

[jpberg]

I really hope this is in jest.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I often see people mention concave... did anyone else make tampers with a concave surface before I started doing that? I started making mine with a concave tamp because I really liked how a golf tee worked, but I had not seen one made to be a tamp that had that kind of surface. Just wondering if I started a "thing" or not. Really, I am curious.

 

[kbussell]

I often see people mention concave... did anyone else make tampers with a concave surface before I started doing that? I started making mine with a concave tamp because I really liked how a golf tee worked, but I had not seen one made to be a tamp that had that kind of surface. Just wondering if I started a "thing" or not. Really, I am curious.

I have seen others use a golf tee as a tamper, but I never thought of the concave surface... I will have to try that out!

 

[didimauw]

Yeah I’d grind the tamper like you said or grind all your chambers to so they’re square instead of round.

I wasn't ready for this kind of comedy this early.....

 

[AroEnglish]

I wasn't ready for this kind of comedy this early.....

Apologies, venerable moderator

 

[bullet08]

What wrong with that? I thought we were talking about something like this.

 

[hoipolloiglasgow]

...just buy an 8 Deco tamper for 10 bucks. It has holes in it so your ember can breath while you are tamping/moving air through your bowl which keeps your tobacco alive.

 

[luigi]

I figured it out. Rotating it so the edges reach all the surface works fine. A square is probably not the best invention for round pipes but it's manageable.
Recently I've discovered there are also oval pipe chambers. For example Savinelli Ovalina. An oval tamper would probably fit but an oval reamer not so much.

 

[keith929]

I got a new pipe tool which turned out to have a squared tamper instead of a circular one. I don't find it very practical, what do you think? If you had one, would you grind it? I think I'll go for that. It was a cheap one anyway.
The tamper surface is just a little bigger than the one a classic Czech tool has. I noticed it gets quite dirty after tamping which has never been an issue for the Czech tool, maybe because it doesn't have any carbon layer yet? Maybe the ashes and burnt tobacco pieces won't stick as much after it gets some "cake".
View attachment 292157View attachment 292158

I have the exact tamper. The square foot insures it spends it's time in the drawer.