I often see folks say a particular blend performs really well in a particular pipe shape. What has your experience been? Any rules of thumb (eg. english blends perform well in a larger bowl).
Pipe shapes for blend types
- Thread starter oddfellow
- Start date
I've never experienced that phenomenon. I rotate six different shapes and bowl sizes and one blend will taste the same to me in every single one. But I also feel like I don't have anywhere near the discerning palate that some others around here have, so that may be why.
Shape and bowl size are two different things. I chose (that's right, past tense! No trace of PAD here) my pipe shapes based exclusively on appearance and feel, but I also required most of these pipes to have bowls on the smaller side due to my preference for shorter smokes. I've tried all kinds of blends in different pipes with a wide range of bowl sizes, and not once did I notice either the bowl size or pipe shape of one affecting the experience any differently than any other one.
Just my five cents (adjusted for inflation).
Just my five cents (adjusted for inflation).
I’ve pretty much smoked everything in everything and about the only thing I’ve noticed is that some blends seem to open up more in larger chambers. If a blend isn’t working for me in a mid sized chamber I’ll try it in a larger one and that seems to work. Conversely some blends concentrate more in smaller chambers.
I just try out a blend in different sizes when necessary.
Moisture levels seem to be more important than chamber shape for me.
I just try out a blend in different sizes when necessary.
Moisture levels seem to be more important than chamber shape for me.
I’m still pretty new at this only smoking a pipe for a couple years, but this lines up with my experience so far also.
Ok. It's been years, but when I first came on here the common notion was that a narrow bowl was better for VA/VAPers and a wide bowl made Englishes open up.
Of course back then everyone loved .40 cal pistols and poo poo'd 10 mil. Now it is the opposite, so smoke what you want in what you want. Times change.
Of course back then everyone loved .40 cal pistols and poo poo'd 10 mil. Now it is the opposite, so smoke what you want in what you want. Times change.
I think the only exception is when smoking the very full and heavy nicotine blends. In these circumstances a large 1” x 2“ chamber may lay you up for a while so a smaller chamber might be preferred. Personally I find pot shapes seem to get more flavour but I think that’s just me too.
I do notice a bit of difference, in bowl diameter, not shape. I smoke Virginias almost exclusively and I find a larege chamber diameter can wash out certain blends, while a smaller diameter bowl can focus or intensify them a bit. I like a chamber diameter of 0.75” for straight Virginias. Then again, maybe it’s all in my head.
I find the tobacco tastes best in shapes I prefer aesthetically. Other than that, it's bowl inner diameter and geometry that actually matters.
I like a wider bowl for Latakia and similar blends but I also like a medium wide bowl for Virginias. I haven't had the best of luck seeing a difference in a narrower and smaller bowl but I could be doing something incorrectly.
I think it comes down to what you like in what pipe, even with my not quite rules there are pipes that make certain blends shine more than others and they seem relatively sized.
I think it comes down to what you like in what pipe, even with my not quite rules there are pipes that make certain blends shine more than others and they seem relatively sized.
I prefer narrow bowls for smoking folded and stuffed flakes or coins. It’s been my experience that I get a better burn with a minimum of unburned flake sticking to the sidewalls. It’s also possible that I’m just a no-account fool who lacks sKilZz, so YMMV.
I have one or two taller stack-ish bowls and I'll put a flake in those (probably read a suggestion on here somewhere) and it seems to burn efficiently - no real opinion on whether they taste better. Same with some conical Dublin like bowls. But those are a minority for the pipes I have.
Otherwise, grabbing a pipe is about which one calls to me and grabbing some tobacco the same and in it goes.
Otherwise, grabbing a pipe is about which one calls to me and grabbing some tobacco the same and in it goes.