Insane Pipe Design? - Yes. - But, How Does It Work?

[misterlowercase]

All of the Ser Jacopo Insanus pipes are quite insane,

but this one is really insane.
How does it work?
http://www.alpascia.com/pipes/d/Ser-Jacopo-622-i34660.html
Is the black button on the faux bowl a clue?
:?:

:puffpipe:

 

[hawke]

uh....

 

[dcrguns]

I saw that one too. I thought they took the picture upside down, then I saw the video, Interesting design. Not sure how it would smoke but it would make quite the interesting conversation at the local pipe night! 8O

 

[weezell]

WTF???...

 

[jparker]

SORCERY!!!!!!!!

 

[mso489]

There's some explanation, but whether that makes it a good smoker or not I cannot say. The bowl is open at the bottom as near as I can tell, so either the airway drops down the wall of the bowl and draws off the bottom like a regular pipe, or you are somehow drawing the smoke off the top of the bowl, which doesn't seem likely to provide a smooth sip. Instead of the silly white gloves shifting this around like the crown jewels, they ought to have a demonstration of such a pipe being packed and smoked, so we can visualize any benefits this configuration might offer. I'll keep my regular bowl open at the top Ser Jacopo, thanks. But if they'd like to offer a video of how this one works, I'd be intrigued to see it.

 

[jparker]

Ok so it might not be SORCERY... Probably more like this.

 

[misterlowercase]

Very cool JParker!

:!:

Thanks for the drawing,

I think you're probably correct.
But,

there simply must be some sort of sorcery involved also!

 

[sablebrush52]

But will it pass the pipe cleaner test?

 

[lohengrin]

I think jparker's suggestion is correct. One of the first pipe I made is similar:

I made a hole on the top to reach the base of the bowl - you can see it in the last picture - and closed the surface with plaster. The hole in the bottom - that I didn't drill on my pipe - is needed to clean the airhole.

 

[bigpond]

I shot over an inquiry about the airway though I'm sure it's exactly in line with what one would expect. They've drilled bends that defy expectation in the insanus line before. of course, there's that valve...but, hey, worth asking.
Aside from novelty and a few minor comfort related perks I wonder if there is any real benefit here. I'm curious how the taste of the smoke changes by filtering the distillates through the ash and ember. Who wants to buy this thing for the sake of research?

 

[mso489]

What a lot of trouble. I'd be amazed if it delivers a lot more, or any more, than a Yello-Bole. Pardon me, Ser Jacopo.