Pipe Physics

[Olkofri]

I think I've found out that with pipes, as with an ecosystem's net primary production, it mostly comes down to temperature and moisture. Given that not all tobaccos burn the same, I was wondering if pipe shapes, stems angles, and/or other design features make a given pipe suit a certain kind of tobacco best.
I was reading a few reviews the other night and stumbled upon this, on the reviews of MacBaren 7 Seas Royal: "A Small Half Bent gives the best results, lots of creamy smoke and a tiny bit of taste". Got me wondering, especially since my last smoking session last Tuesday which was a rather bittersweet experience.
I had packed my Vincenzo churchwarden to ~1/3 of the bowl, since I didn't have much time to smoke. The tobacco in question was an aromatic shop blend from my local B&M (that 'best for beginners' aromatic I bought when I first purchased the pipe [my first one]), which I had let dry for a few days till to an 'optimal' moisture content. The tobacco lit fine and seemed to be burning alright, not so many relights, but still a few. I was getting excited because for the first time I was finally getting the tobacco's flavour, but halfway through the smoke I had to start relighting more. Then I had to stop as I had to go to class. After class I relit my pipe and this time I would get only like 2-4 puffs before it'd go out and I had to relight again.
Long story short, I was getting a sore tongue and was having a heck of a time keeping it lit, so I stopped and actually had to throw out ~1/6 of the bowl. Tobacco was unburnt. Ouch.
My tongue felt bitten but none too bad and even when waking up the next morning I thought it wasn't that bad and maybe I'd be able to have another pipe on Wednesday. Well, by noon my tongue was very sore. One of the worst tongue burns I've experienced. I haven't smoked since then, though I'm thinking of having half a flake of MacBaren's Navy Flake to-night. Maybe.
Now, I know that aromatics burn hotter and the churchwardens cooling the smoke is more of a myth than real occurrence, but I was wondering if a different pipe or pipe shape would suit aromatics more. Maybe I should relegate the churchwarden to English blends.
Thoughts?

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Corn cob.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

There's a few things about this post.

I was wondering if pipe shapes, stems angles, and/or other design features make a given pipe suit a certain kind of tobacco best.

Knowing what I know now, aromatics are certainly NOT best for beginners. But that being said, doesn't mean a beginner can't or shouldn't smoke one if coached on how to properly smoke it. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that tobacco, after drying for two days is extremely moist tobacco. Wet tobacco causes steam. It's the steam I think, coupled with the fact you might have packed to tight and were puffing too hard to try and keep it lit that burned you. Churchwarden or not, all those elements will bite you.

I was wondering if pipe shapes, stems angles, and/or other design features make a given pipe suit a certain kind of tobacco best.

I actually believe this to be true, but I wasn't a strong advocate for this theory until I got my first Savinelli 320. I had heard that the shape was a fantastic smoker, and even helped enhance the flavors in more complex blends such as Englishes or Balkans. I never really cared for the shape (in photos... once you see one in person, it's a lovely shape), but I decided to try one, whether I liked the shape or not (I love them now, by the way). Now I truly believe, any fan of complex blends, be they English, Balkan or any blend with four or more tobacco types should own at least one. They do great with aromatics as well.

 

[aldecaker]

The Monkfish is right. A Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipe is the ultimate tamer of a blend that, for one reason or another, smokes like shit.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

^ True as true gets.

 

[zack24]

Straight briar billiard.....13/16” diameter chamber...4mm draft...it will smoke almost anything quite well...

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Cobs are glorious because they're underengineered. I always get a chuckle at conversations about "pipe engineering" and draught physics and all that other BS. If you can drill a hole in a cob, shove a hollow piece of wood in it, attach a plastic bit and it smokes like heaven, any conversation of engineering is tosh. This is all my opinion, of course.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I am, of course, the only person in the known universe that doesn’t think a cob is a great smoker. I meam... I could smoke one,.. I have several different types, but they just require too much fiddling.

As for advice... Dry it, or not. Check your packing, and make sure the draw is not like a milkshake, not like an empty cup, but just like sipping on a soda through a straw. And, get a variety of shaped pipes. I’m not so sure that the actual shape of the pipe matters, but I like conical shaped chambers , U shaped chambers, pot shaped chambers, tall ones, short ones, and big ole “stick your whole thumb in” chambers. Try different blends in different chambers. I like my balkans in a fat chamber, my Virginias in a tall cone, and aromatics,... well... they don’t matter to me. Whatever is handy. But, I’m not dogmatic. I’ll switch out favorites, just to see what a blend is like in a different pipe. Get variety. It’s the spice of life. ::

 

[weezell]

I am, of course, the only person in the known universe that doesn’t think a cob is a great smoker.

What's to fiddle with a cob??...

 

[aldecaker]

You know, the putting the tobacco in it, lighting it, drawing a breath from time to time. They're a persnickety bitch if ever there was.

 

[Olkofri]

I do have a cob. Been using it for that particular aromatic, and the shop's English blend once as well. I'll try it with a flake next time, methinks. We'll see. I've a tin of Samuel Gawith Navy Flake that I have to dry and cut into cubes.
For this MacBaren Navy Flake, I used the cannonball method this time. I'm having a bit of a hard time with packing. And the videos I see on youtube are mostly for packing a full bowl. Right now, I need to pack only 1/3 of it. Hence I'm staying away from the 3-layer method or even the Frank Method.
I packed half the bowl of my Brigham 184 earlier. It wouldn't stay lit for long. One thing I've noticed, the heat from the lighting/relighting is what seems to be causing most of my tongue problems. Do you sip when you light the pipe, or do you puff (stronger draught)?
This pipe is the one that tends to get clogged, and it did it again to-day, even though I decided to smoke it without the filter (which increases the hole and the draught). I think I only burnt through half of the tobacco I packed (~1/4 of the bowl). I'm thinking of leaving it as it is till to-morrow. Tired of throwing out the tobacco.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"If you can drill a hole in a cob, shove a hollow piece of wood in it, attach a plastic bit and it smokes like heaven, any conversation of engineering is tosh."
Sounds right to me ::
Regards,
Jay.

 

[bassbug]

One thing I've noticed, the heat from the lighting/relighting is what seems to be causing most of my tongue problems.

Try holding the flame a little higher off the tobacco. When you're lighting, you're drawing in the heat of the flame. Don't be in a hurry to get the thing lit, theres no sin in taking two matches to light.

 

[oldmansmoking]

Get a Falcon with a meerschaum bowl.

Dry as a bone and no tongue bite.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Once you get you packing down, no matter which method, try sipping the pipe or the breath method, where you just leave the pipe in your clench and just allow the smoke to passively go in and out of your mouth as you breathe. You’re not breathing in the smoke, but as you breathe through your nose, your “gullet” (for lack of a better word, your neck) contracts and such, pulling smoke and pushing it very gently. Cigarette and cigar smokers have the hardest time adjusting to smoking anpipe, IMO. They expect billowing smoke, or at least a “feel” for the smoke. But, then you will be heating up the cherry too much and thus heating up the smoke causing burn. Guys nowadays in most of the world don’t have other pipe smokers to watch. But, in my youth you never saw clouds or billows of smokes emitting from pipemen. Expect, after initially lighting your pipe, just trickles of smoke. Think, smoking so that everyone doesn’t have to be annoyed by your smoke, like you’re hiding it. But, really the goal is to smoke your pipe on the verge of going out. Don’t worry about the cherry of fire going all the way across the surface. The flavor comes from heating tobacco surrounding and just below the cherry of fire pushing out the delicious oils and flavors. So, it makes sense to take it easy, relax into the method. At first you will have to think about it. Like driving a car, at first you have to think, clutch, shift, gas/letting off the clutch, engage... but, then after a while, it will just be reflex. There is a learning curve that is different for each person. And, each pipe is different in how it wants to be smoked best, like vehicles all require differences. Some are old trucks, some are sleek small sports cars. Learning my pipe is an exciting part for me. I love getting a new car pipe and taking it out for a run. I also prefer long uninterrupted country roads without having to take my pipe out of my mouth, as opposed to congested stop/go city roads, with people asking me questions where I have to keep taking my pipe out to talk. Give me an hour or more of uninterrupted smoking.
As to cobs... the OP asked a question, and then gets popped with “buy a cob.” It just didn’t answer the questions. “I can’t get my truck in gear.” “Buy a wheelbarrow.” There’s nothing wrong with people liking cobs or wheelbarrows, it still leaves the truck in question on the sidelines. Sure, buy a cob. Even someone who loves designer Italian shoes should own a pair of flip flops.
As to pipe engineering, I’ve already said that, yes, I think the chamber shape affects the smoking and tobacco flavors as it stoves in the pipe. There’s also the draft, and the bit and button feel. These are the fine Corinthian leather seats of a finer car. Sure, it’s not necessary to just “burn some baccy.” But, these things are what separates a Mercedes from tractor.

 

[cortezattic]

Nice post! ::

 

[cosmicfolklore]

You know, irony is that when I first started posting here, I was saying the same thing. I’ve even said the exact words, “stick a tube in a corncob, and that’s all the engineering you need,”and, “drilling, draft, as long as the two holes meet, that’s all the engineering...”.
And then after driving a Mercedes, a Lambourgini, and a classic Rolls Royce, you can feel a difference.
I’ll never actually own a top end vehicle, but the top end pipes are still within reach. With some time and saving, I can own a Becker, Dunhill, an Eltang, the Mercedes or

Lambourgini of pipes. But, we sometimes start out with Pinto, ha ha.

 

[mackeson]

The funny thing about well engineered high end pipes and low end off center drilling is that, in my experience, both can be great smokers. I have yet to be able to identify why certain pipes smoke well for me and others just never seem to hit their stride. Someone much smarter than me can probably shed some light on this.

As to the OP's original question, I have never found a shape that's a better or cooler smoker than others as a general rule, so I think it's just luck of the draw on a specific pipe. Some seem to sing with specific blends more than others and my experience does not always match "common wisdom," so I can't make specific recommendations other than to try different blends in a pipe and focus more on drying/packing/smoking technique.

-Of course, I might be full of crap and something else may work better for you. Just my experience

 

[stickframer]

A lot of it comes down to technique. As a wee lad, the longtimers would tell me to dry my tobacco, and when it seemed dry, dry it some more. Smoke slow, and when you think you've got it, slow down more.
And light carefully, so the flame barely touches the tobacco, if it touches at all. Gently draw the flame to the tobacco with small puffs.
Puffing too fast will burn like the fires of hell and create enough moisture to steam up the living room windows. Smoking cadence has a huge impact on both temperature and moisture.
Edit: And how could I forget packing! Thete is lots to read here and online on all these topics. The thrill is in the hunt! ::

 

[cosmicfolklore]

In some ways, it’s not just the brand or any of that other marketing. I would find it harder to buy a Merecedes online than being able to go to a high end pipe shop and checking the tires, alignment, chamber and such. And, I have a Volkswagen Bug or two in the garage that gives me a lot of fun and excitement.