Pipe Screens, Screen Balls, or No Screen?

[SSGT.]

Was talking with my 93 yr old uncle while breaking in my new Peterson. 1st thing I did was pull out the filter that they come with. he responded with "Good boy my brother taught you well, do you put that wire in the bowl?"
My Dad Passed long before I took up the pipe and can't remember if he used filters or screens, I don't I can see the reasoning behind them just wondering how many feel it is a good thing or like me feel its just something extra to worry about before you smoke. and if you use them are the actual screens better or the balls.

 

[Uguccione]

Sorry, I don't understand what filters exactly you're talking about.

 

[judcole]

Screens????????? In a tobacco pipe? Why? Back in younger days, we'd use screens when smoking grass to keep from inhaling a seed, but I never have heard of anyone using a screen when smoking tobacco.

 

[AroEnglish]

I don't think many (if any) here use use the metal wire balls but a few do use loose material (meer chips, absorbamt stones, charcoal) as a filter or as a way to smoke all the tobacco without burning the chamber draft hole.

 

[Briarcutter]

IMHO, screens are for windows.

 

[Doctor Chopper]

Tobacco does not require screens, and they would plug up quickly with the same stuff we see on the pipe cleaner after each smoke. If you are smoking weed, it is dry and dusty and that is why screens are used. We don't discuss such things in pleasant company, and not on this forum either.

 

[Sobrbiker]

Screens are for smoking intended to be a forceful draw, delivering as much smoke as possible into a deep inhale to get the contents of the smoke into contact with as much respiratory tissue as possible to deliver as much of the active ingredients as possible. This method of smoking needs to filter the combustion products (ash, etc) so screens or drawing through water are necessary.

The methods above describe the intent of ingesting as many chemicals as possible per draw, and is used to deliver the active ingredients of cannabis, hashish and more. It is completely antithetical to the practice of smoking tobacco.

 

[kcghost]

As everybody has said screens are an unnecessary evil in pipe smoking unless you are smoking something other than tobacco.

 

[jpmcwjr]

None of the above.

 

[jpberg]

Dude you are posting some weird stuff.

 

[64alex]

Sometime stem get clogged and they can be easily unclogged with a cleaner or blowing strongly. However in the double walled clay pipes if the drawing hole is clogged it cannot be reached by a cleaner. In this case or in any case when the cleaner cannot pass through the stem as in tavern style clay pipe a simple brass clean avoid this problem and I use them in these cases. It does not alter the taste or the draw and actually they are sold from some pipe stores for the use in the pipes. So while it is true they are mainly used for weed consumption they have an use in some types of pipes and are sold by some pipe stores. I do not use in any other situations other the ones described above.

 

[InWithBothFeet]

I bought some of those hemispherical screens and they do part of what a lot of folk do with the various chips they put in the bottom... create an air gap (of course a wire screen isn't going to absorb moisture like the chips do). Your draw is applied not just at the draw hole but to the entire bottom of the tobacco column. I think some complaints of a restrictive draw could be alleviated with a wire ball/screen. I'm a newb though that smokes his pipe once a week at most and I like gadgets/accessories.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Here, it's a hard no on all extra contraptions. Oops, I repeat myself.

 

[InWithBothFeet]

You should see my kitchen.... I hate cooking and have a bunch of gadgets that I think will make that task easier. Doesn't negate the fact that I hate cooking. Being a biologic that requires food on the regular is such an inconvenience. If I were to win the lottery, I would build a guest cottage and hire a live-in cook/maid.

 

[OverMountain]

Tobacco does not require screens, and they would plug up quickly with the same stuff we see on the pipe cleaner after each smoke. If you are smoking weed, it is dry and dusty and that is why screens are used. We don't discuss such things in pleasant company, and not on this forum either.

OP: Screens are not a part of enjoying fine pipe tobacco.