Opinions on the Prince Shape

[elpfeife]

I have been interested in obtaining a Prince for some time, but haven't pulled the trigger because of the small bowl.
I would like to hear the opinions of those that have a Prince on its smoking qualities pro and con. I understand it is a shorter smoke, but just how short? Is it most suitable to a particular tobacco or cut? I mostly smoke Virginias and prefer ready rubbed.

 

[bullet08]

They are smaller than what I want. But they are cute.

 

[Pipke]

Get a bigger Prince.

Consider finding a bent Billiard that looks Princely.

 

[lraisch]

IMHO the "Prince" is the most elegant pipe shape.

Bowls do tend to be a bit small and for me a smoke in one is probably good for about 45 minutes as opposed to an hour or more in some other shapes.

I don't understand the idea of a straight "Prince" as the slight curve of the stem is what makes the shape work for me both in appearance and comfort.

 

[Oddball]

I can only really speak to Briarworks Prince Pipes. I have a Savinelli but it's a Churchwarden so I don't feel like that qualifies.

The Prince is one of my favorite pipes for sure.

The shape allows the index finger to fit snug around it and the stem length is enough that makes it a great driving or easy chair pipe.

THe bowl is wider and i think lends itself to a more flavorful smoke, especially with stronger flavored blends, like english or balkans. They hold the same amount as other non-xl shapes and the stem is basically straight enough to be a straight, with a straight shank.

I have 3, and they are regulars in my rotation.

 

[MisterBadger]

I have been interested in obtaining a Prince for some time, but haven't pulled the trigger because of the small bowl.
I would like to hear the opinions of those that have a Prince on its smoking qualities pro and con. I understand it is a shorter smoke, but just how short? Is it most suitable to a particular tobacco or cut? I mostly smoke Virginias and prefer ready rubbed.

@elpfeife - I have a Meer prince, purchased initially not because of its smoking qualities but because it went well with my re-enactment role as a Victorian farm bailiff. It slips easily into a coat pocket and its small bowl is enough to provide satisfaction on the job whilst there being no danger of my floating off into a one-hour pipedream, which a bigger bowl can well do. I can smoke the prince during the whole day in role, in momentary intervals in between visitors coming up to me and asking questions which I'm there to answer. I find it takes McConnell's Scottish Cake, Peterson's Irish Cask and De Luxe Navy Rolls all very well (but I'm almost exclusively a VA/Per fan). There's no way I can make one last more than 30 minutes without interruption. Insofaras any pipe-smoker can be a Type A smoker, I'd say a prince is primarily for one of those: someone who also smokes cigarettes and cigars - usually in preference to a pipe - like Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and later King Edward VII, for whom the prince was allegedly designed.

 

[OzPiper]

I love the elegance of a Prince.
These are my 3

The Ashton (bottom) was listed as a straight tomato. I asked the vendor (Blue Room Briars) to make it look more princely by putting in a slight curve in the stem.

Depending on the cut of the tobacco 20mins to 30+mins smoke

 

[Chasing Embers]

I have been interested in obtaining a Prince for some time, but haven't pulled the trigger because of the small bowl.
I would like to hear the opinions of those that have a Prince on its smoking qualities pro and con. I understand it is a shorter smoke, but just how short? Is it most suitable to a particular tobacco or cut? I mostly smoke Virginias and prefer ready rubbed.

All of that is terribly subjective. The only way to know for sure is to get one.

 

[BingBong]

I'm recycling this pic because I'm cheap like that.

Definitely my favorite shape and traditionally small-bowled, although I have a Savinelli which is a kind of scaled-up Prince (315).

What works for me in the Peterson, 18mm x 22mm chamber, is unrubbed flake; half a flake of OGS or anything of that size, folded lengthways then in half, then in half again to make a cube, jammed and squished in, gives a decently long and reliable smoke for the amount. I would not be without it; been eyeing up a Dunhill version with 16.5mm x 25mm chamber as a second "proper" Prince.

 

[antonine]

I'm recycling this pic because I'm cheap like that.
View attachment 347049
Definitely my favorite shape and traditionally small-bowled, although I have a Savinelli which is a kind of scaled-up Prince (315).

What works for me in the Peterson, 18mm x 22mm chamber, is unrubbed flake; half a flake of OGS or anything of that size, folded lengthways then in half, then in half again to make a cube, jammed and squished in, gives a decently long and reliable smoke for the amount. I would not be without it; been eyeing up a Dunhill version with 16.5mm x 25mm chamber as a second "proper" Prince.

What's the shape number on that Peterson? It looks a heck of a lot smaller than any of the Peterson Prince shapes that I'm familiar with, so I'm assuming it's a new one I haven't heard of yet!

 

[BingBong]

What's the shape number on that Peterson? It looks a heck of a lot smaller than any of the Peterson Prince shapes that I'm familiar with, so I'm assuming it's a new one I haven't heard of yet!

Peterson Pipes: Cara Sandblasted (406) Fishtail

www.peterson.ie

 

[antonine]

Peterson Pipes: Cara Sandblasted (406) Fishtail

www.peterson.ie

Awesome, thank you very much!

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

I have no strong opinion on the shape one way or the other, but smaller bowls might be a good option for smoking those higher nicotine blends. I have yet to test this out but do have a small pipe I need to restore just for this idea.

 

[FurCoat]

I'm not a huge fan of the shape but they are great for a quick smoke. The ones I have are really good smokers.

 

[ThermionicScott]

I love princes. The shape is (generally) elegant, and the short bowl is a feature, not a bug, in my book. Yet as long as I don't rush things, I still get an hour or so. Some princes have surprisingly large chambers, so they might not be as short of a smoke as you might think!

 

[renfield]

GBD made some nice Princes with bowls of about Group 4 size. Watch the estate market. One of my favorite pipes is an old GBD Prince. Great smoker.

 

[xrundog]

If you admire the shape you should have one. Too small for me.

 

[bullet08]

Get a bigger Prince.

Consider finding a bent Billiard that looks Princely.

There's Peterson "Irish Prince". Have couple of 'em.

 

[Groot5225]

I have been interested in obtaining a Prince for some time, but haven't pulled the trigger because of the small bowl.
I would like to hear the opinions of those that have a Prince on its smoking qualities pro and con. I understand it is a shorter smoke, but just how short? Is it most suitable to a particular tobacco or cut? I mostly smoke Virginias and prefer ready rubbed.

Here you go and SP has 20% off win win!

https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/Ropp/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=566304

 

[sardonicus87]

Prince is the second best shape after slightly bent apple. Elegant, classy, swallows rather than spits.

I have a Ropp Etudiant Smooth J16 on the way, which is a prince shape. Tracking shows Thursday, but it's very nearly here... last hub before my post office is 2 hours away and had arrived there earlier according to tracking but hasn't shown it left from there, so I might get lucky and get it today instead of tomorrow. My orders from SP almost always show up a day earlier than initially estimated on tracking.

I also have a Savinelli 315KS.

They smoke just fine, shape doesn't really affect the flavor... there's no shape/tobacco pairing effect beyond maybe a wider diameter chamber making a complex blend taste a little more consistent than in a relatively narrow chamber.