Moisture in My Churchwarden Pestering Me

[BROBS]

Create a funnel shape on the tenon end with a large drill bit or countersink bit.

I have one Peterson Churchwarden that’s probably from the 60s or 70s it’s beautiful and smokes perfectly but is impractical and I just don’t smoke it. If you just sat in a lounge to smoke it might be great but I’m usually on the go

 

[jaytex1969]

Maybe the more experienced pipers here can tell me if I’m crazy,

Yes!

?

 

[DavidT]

I love my Savinelli 921 churchwarden, but it gets the gurgles as well from time to time.Here's mine

Savinelli Churchwarden Smooth (921) | Buy Savinelli Tobacco Pipes at Smokingpipes.com

Smokingpipes.com is your one stop shop for Savinelli Churchwarden Smooth (921) Tobacco Pipes and all your tobacco smoking needs. From new tobacco pipes and estate tobacco pipes to tin pipe tobacco and bulk pipe tobacco, we have everything you need

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I use the pipe cleaner down the steam trick if it starts to gurrlge to the point it annoys me while I'm smoking it.
All the aromatics I smoke in it will gurgle at some point during the smoke. Nigthcap and Prince Albert don't gurgle at all.

 

[olkofri]

Maybe the solution is as simple as this: Nording Keystone Pipe Filters - https://www.tobaccopipes.com/nording-keystone-pipe-filters/

 

[mingc]

Maybe the solution is as simple as this: Nording Keystone Pipe Filters - https://www.tobaccopipes.com/nording-keystone-pipe-filters/

Someone please take one for the team and report back!

 

[logs]

For me, the one Churchwarden I have is mostly relegated for display.

Sounds about right. I have always maintained that churchwardens offer no practical advantage over any traditional shape--it's appeal is entirely about the look of a long stem. It's all "hey everyone look at me, I'm a pipe smoker." Even a gourd calabash, as utterly pompous as they are, still offers a great smoke that in many cases is superior to briar.

 

[mingc]

Sounds about right. I have always maintained that churchwardens offer no practical advantage over any traditional shape--it's appeal is entirely about the look of a long stem. It's all "hey everyone look at me, I'm a pipe smoker." Even a gourd calabash, as utterly pompous as they are, still offers a great smoke that in many cases is superior to briar.

Gourd calabashes are fantastic smokers. At least, the one I have is. But really unwieldy. Not a clencher. And most of the bowls don't seem to hold a whole lot of tobacco.

 

[tokerpipes]

My calabash has 2 bowls when I got it. The shallow one fell and shattered the second bowl was deeper and was a bit thicker meer.

 

[logs]

Gourd calabashes are fantastic smokers.

Indeed. (I'm smoking one in my little profile picture, pompous windbag that I am).

 

[olkofri]

Churchwardens are practical for me when driving: I can rest my elbow on the armrest and smoke away with minimal movements of my head or hand/arm. I don't clench. Everyone's different; just because my habits make something impractical doesn't mean the neighbour across the street won't find it just what the doc ordered.

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

The only churchwarden I smoke regularly is a MM Wizard Cobbit. Ive never had gurgling in it like I sometimes get in a briar. Maybe the cob just absorbs enough more moisture.

For me the attraction of the big MM churchwarden is that the long stem lets me prop my elbow on the arm of a comfy outdoor lounge chair in the shade of the back porch with my feet kicked up and enjoy a few hours’ smoke with minimal movement (mostly when I need to top off the iced bourbon in the other hand) on our hot, sticky NC summer afternoons…usually while smoking a couple pork shoulders to scratch the BBQ itch.

 

[BROBS]

Indeed. (I'm smoking one in my little profile picture, pompous windbag that I am).

Dude... I thought that was, like, Socrates or some such shit?

 

[olkofri]

I don't get any gurgling in my Wizard churchwarden, but it's a filtered pipe. Those balsa filters are wonderful for soaking up all that moisture. Of course, this doesn't help the OP, hence my previous suggestion of the clay 'filters'.

 

[BROBS]

Seriously though does no one else funnel the ends of their tenons?

 

[badbriar]

I found with mine (and may not work with yours) is to do a slow light blow in between puffs when it starts. Not to the point that you blow the lit tobacco all over yourself just enough to get it down to the bowl where the heat should take care of it. Give it a try if it works great, if not all hope is lost. J/k. The pipe cleaner trick works good also.

Yep - What he said!!!

 

[blackpowderpiper]

I have a couple of churchwardens and enjoy them both occasionally. I reserve them for end of the day smokes while relaxing in my recliner. Having said that, gurgling pipes, for me at least, is just part of the price of admission. To echo the suggestions of others, dry your tobacco more than you think you need to, smoke a little slower than you think you need to and keep a pipe cleaner handy. The main thing is to sit back, relax and enjoy your pipe.

 

[voorhees]

Sounds about right. I have always maintained that churchwardens offer no practical advantage over any traditional shape--it's appeal is entirely about the look of a long stem. It's all "hey everyone look at me, I'm a pipe smoker." Even a gourd calabash, as utterly pompous as they are, still offers a great smoke that in many cases is superior to briar.

I've always said the same about churchwardens. I was even hesitant to try a gourd calabash until I found one in a more conventional bowl size that is the same size as one of my standard briar bowls. And yes, it does smoke fantastically.

 

[phxrock]

I don't get any gurgling in my Wizard churchwarden, but it's a filtered pipe. Those balsa filters are wonderful for soaking up all that moisture. Of course, this doesn't help the OP, hence my previous suggestion of the clay 'filters'.

interesting my cobbit wizard isn't filtered nor is any of my cobbits. Now my other churchwardens they don't gurgle. Try taking the stem off and insert a pipe cleaner into the bowl then pack your pipe. Remove pipe cleaner and reassemble the pipe. Now light and enjoy. This will show you if it it a packing problem or not. Now there are times when we draw a small piece of tobacco up into the shank or stem. For this you can gently blow into the stem and remove the item.

 

[olkofri]

interesting my cobbit wizard isn't filtered nor is any of my cobbits.

I don't have a cobbit. Sorry, I shoulda been more specific, specially given the popularity and ubiquitousness of MM's offerings. I was taking about my MacQueen Wizard briar churchwarden.

 

[logs]

The way I see it, the Cobbit is a gateway drug. You start out as an ordinary pipe douche, probably smoking cult blood red moon.


Next thing you know you're this guy...