Newbie question number 10,346 3/4

[chlogeo3]

Which is the best way to store pipes, bole down or bole up?

 

[buck67]

My rack automatically stores them bowl down, but it mat not matter at all.

 

[tedswearingen]

Just make sure that the pipes aren't leaning for long periods of time. I've seen many a pipe that is bowed ever so as a consequence of leaning on a pipe rack for too long.

 

[cortezattic]

In the out of print book, All About Pipes and Tobacco, Carl Ehwa (who was/is associated with the McClelland Tobacco Co. in some way) mentioned that pipes should always be rested with the bowl down. In that position fluids in the draft can drain to the bowl where they can evaporate more readily.
I think that using a pipe cleaner after every smoke obviates the drainage concerns. Further, after swabbing the draft thoroughly, I leave a fresh pipe cleaner in the pipe for a few hours (at most) and it always seems to absorb just a little more yucky stuff.
Given that, I was considering making a pipe rack that was just a disk with a series of holes around the perimeter so I could store the pipes with the bowl up.

 

[jship079]

I have heard it said that in EU they store there bowls up more often and in the us it is more common to store them bowl down I dont think it matters. I do think the idea of keeping them bowl down so that moister will run back down towords the bowl makes sense

 

[classicgeek]

In the funny and thoughtful "Towards a Theology of Pipe Smoking", (found links here), the author writes:

The simplest rack is a piece of wood, attached to the wall, with holes in it for the pipe stems. You then hang the pipe, bowl up. If you do this, it is imperative that you clean your pipe after every smoke. Otherwise the goo in the heel will run down the shank, and collect in a single drop on the lip. When you go to smoke the pipe again, the drop of goo will melt and land on your tongue, and you will probably switch to cigarettes.

I store my pipes in a rack with the bowl down.
Simon

 

[cortezattic]

Correction: the correct title of the Ehwa book I cited earlier is The Book of Pipes & Tobacco.

 

[yachtexplorer]

If you have cleaned it out with a pipe cleaner, it really does not matter. If the pipe has a vulcanite/ebonite bit, store it away from windows and other sources of UV light as that will accelerate the oxidation and yellowing of the stem.

 

[unclearthur]

Except for my clays which I keep in antique wall racks I store all my pipes bowl down.