Papa-San Kiseru Pipes

[gatorlope]

I have a twenty one and a half inch kiseru that I call my Papa-San pipe and just bought another that’s twenty nine and a half inches. I also have some of the Japanese tobacco that is appropriate for them.

The thing I like about them is that they have larger bowls than the diminutive ones that you see on the smaller kiseru. A good sized pinch of takara bune gives me a nice relaxing half hour smoke.

 

[gatorlope]

Correction... the pipe I’m smoking this afternoon is 23 and a half inches - not 21. No big deal.

It’s just a nice breezy afternoon here in South Florida as I sit out on my patio with my pipes - mid 70’s. I just wonder if I’ll enjoy it as much as summer comes on.

I was hoping my new pipe would arrive today (one reason I have my kiseru out today) but not yet.

BTW, the papa-san kiseru has a big enough bowl that I can occasionally enjoy some of my regular tobacco blends in it.

 

[mso489]

You might also take a look at Iwan Ries offerings of French EWA pipes which have notably small bowls, in the Group 2 and 3 range. I'm thinking of the short churchwarden shapes, though they also make small traditional shapes, many for under $40, last time I looked. Being French pipes, they are well made, above their price point. I think they'd double for smoking kiseru cuts, but would also provide a longer smoke with flake/coin/plug/rope. Small pipes are much more adaptable than they first appear. Forums member fish'n'banjo put me onto smaller pipes when I thought of them as mostly souvenirs and toys. Small pipes and extra large pipes each have good use if you have more than a few pipes. Be advised that years ago I ordered the green stain EWA churchwarden and was surprised to discover it was stamped "Ladys," i guess marketed as a pipe for women, but it smokes well and it don't bother me none. I doubt most of the pipes are so stamped, maybe not even the green stain ones.

 

[gatorlope]

Funny you should mention Iwan Ries- I got two parcels in the mail today. Of course one was my big kiseru that I’ve been looking forward to.. (I like it!)

The other one had three pipes that I had the winning bid on from this past week and included an Iwan Ries acorn - I was going to call it a pickaxe, but I found it online being called an acorn, though I’m not sure what the distinction is.

The other two were large free hands, one from Lorenzo and the third is marked “Skulptur by Kalik” with a big letter “A” stamped into it. I haven’t been able to find any reference to Kalik online, so I have a new mystery...

 

[gatorlope]

No wonder I could not find him... It’s spelled “Kabik”, not, Kalik!

 

[gatorlope]

Comparing Japanese kiseru..

One more or less “normal” size,

Two “papa-San” kiseru (23+ & 29+ inches, respectively)

And my gnarly looking beast of a kiseru that I’m currently cleaning up prior to smoking it. An interesting detail is that the mouthpiece looks like it might be white jade...