other than wood

[Henry_L]

I have a pipe (Chinese in origin) where the bowl is bakelite (or something like) with a metal interior. I've also noticed some meerschaum lined pipes where the bowl is synthetic wood. The question: any health red flags in smoking a pipe with such a bowl?

I am one of the minority who occasionally likes to smoke cigar tobacco in a pipe -- the metal lined bowl above is near perfect for this.

 

[warren]

Whatever turns your crank. I enjoy cigars waaaaaay to much to stuff an expensive stick into a pipe bowl.

Also, I'm not one to adulterate my briars with a metal? insert.

 

[Henry_L]

The question was related to safety of plastic pipes v. briar or other wood.

Any hard data on this?

 

[OzPiper]

Burning plastic releases hundreds of toxic substances, so I, for one, advise against it. Metal insert not withstanding.
When briar and cobs are readily available for not much dosh, why plastic ?
Or indeed any synthetic material.
I'm not a greenie by any means, but in this case, I prefer organic ?

 

[Henry_L]

China aside you can find any number of meerschaum-lined pipes where the bowl is not wood. Would they have proliferated if the plastic was a bid deal? Modern plastics can be pretty heat tolerant.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Using some type of pipe to smoke a cigar seems as logical as having sex with five layers of condoms. Or getting a hand job with channel locks or vice grips.

 

[Jwebb90]

Using some type of pipe to smoke a cigar seems as logical as having sex with five layers of condoms. Or getting a hand job with channel locks or vice grips.

When I worked at a cigar shop I had a handful of cigar guys that would place their cigar in a cob when the stick was too short to hold with their fingers.

 

[warren]

You're putting fire to tobacco and releasing all sorts of carcinogen along with the nicotine to be absorbed into your body. I'm not following your concerns. My big concern would be with any product of Chineese origin after the leaded paint on children's toys. dog food which contained various poisons from that country, the gift of Covid and so forth. My iPone is of Chinese origin but, it doesn't go into my mouth ... well, not very often.

Brylon pipes came and went years ago. A fad which simply died away from lack of interest.

 

[warren]

When I worked at a cigar shop I had a handful of cigar guys that would place their cigar in a cob when the stick was too short to hold with their fingers.

Freddy the Freeloader, you youngsters will miss the reference, used a toothpick for his butts. I've never needed the last possible taste. I'd simple light up another when smoke is too short to hold comfortably in my mouth. My cigars stay in my jaw mostly, same with pipes.

 

[Michigan_Bill]

I would be worried by two things: 1. Although there are surely temperature-resistant resins in the world, how do you know this Chinese manufacturer didn’t include ingredients which are not resistant? How did they test their product, if at all? 2. How do you know what the metal is? BTW, mercury vapor (released from contaminants in the metal, for example), is much more toxic than liquid mercury.
I'm not saying there is a problem. I hope not. But I have no idea how you would know if there is one. My daughter lived in China for a while. When she came back she told me stories which made my hair stand on end.
Wish you well!

 

[weezell]

I have a pipe (Chinese in origin) where the bowl is bakelite (or something like) with a metal interior. I've also noticed some meerschaum lined pipes where the bowl is synthetic wood. The question: any health red flags in smoking a pipe with such a bowl?

HHHMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, YES! And No I would not smoke it...?

 

[mparker762]

any health red flags in smoking a pipe with such a bowl?

so many that I'm surprised you can even see the pipe with all the waving red flags in the way.

 

[bullet08]

Metal.. Chinese.. Lead?

 

[Henry_L]

A quick web check of meerschaum-lined pipes shows only a small number listed as briar. Curious.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

When I worked at a cigar shop I had a handful of cigar guys that would place their cigar in a cob when the stick was too short to hold with their fingers.

I can smoke one down to a half inch with my fingers, that's enough IMHO. Our use a gator clip if one must.

 

[Henry_L]

Cigar connoisseurs tend to finish their smoke two thirds down. I suspect moisture and bite being the drivers.

 

[Henry_L]

The depreciated item as listed.

From my web research: temperature in a burning pipe approaches 500F; briar bowls heat in the 100 - 150 range. Standard acrylic melts at 320F, with 338F being the start of toxic breakdown. The insert is listed as stainless steel (I can't see any appeal for use with pipe tobacco). So pipe material toxic fumes likely not an issue, though I stand to be corrected by serious authorities out there

As to the type of tobacco that is certainly an individual call, akin to fly tying, orchid growing and other specialty practices that stir passions. No point to trolling.

 

[tobefrank]

I’m with @OzPiper on this one. Why take the risk if you don’t have to? I have also never heard of meerschaum lined pipes with plastic in them.

 

[Henry_L]

I’m with @OzPiper on this one. Why take the risk if you don’t have to? I have also never heard of meerschaum lined pipes with plastic in them.

I didn't see any listed as resin. A suspicious number of descriptions simply didn't state the bowl materials.

 

[tobefrank]

I didn't see any listed as resin. A suspicious number of descriptions simply didn't state the bowl materials.

You can buy a brand new briar pipe for $40 or a corn cob pipe for $5 from legit online shops like SmokingPipes.com, so why mess around with Chinese pipes from eBay that may have all kinds of toxic materials in them. I would only buy pipes like that to blow bubbles, never to smoke from.