Pros and Cons of Filters?

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olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
Oh, man, if the WHO gets ahold of those pictures they'll quickly mass produce posters and warning labels: "non-smoker's lung vs smoker's lung". :rolleyes: :oops:
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,399
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Oh, man, if the WHO gets ahold of those pictures they'll quickly mass produce posters and warning labels: "non-smoker's lung vs smoker's lung". :rolleyes: :oops:
I remember seeing people making these videos that show running a burning cigs smoke through a tube into something to catch it. Then saying that's what a cig does to your lungs. Sorry but no one smokes a cig like that and my lungs aren't made out of cotton swabs or whatever. Funny how little differences can be huge. If they said this shows how much gunk is in cig smoke I'd say wonderful demonstration, but to say that's what one cig does to your lungs. Worse part is public health info goes best when you treat the public as intelligent and deserving of informed consent for their actions.
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,399
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Haha. Yeah, I was thinking of those to as I typed my post above.
ever wonder why light cigs have those stupid holes on the filter? Because it makes those kinds of tests show less gunk. That's also why the tobacco is not packed as tight in lights. That said those tests are still better then vivisections on smokers. Though there are limitations that's not the problem the problem is those limitations are ignored to be more dramatic and drama is a good way to cry wolf.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,399
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Current narrative and MO about something else we just can't stop hearing about, huh? :oops: ??
depending on your sources and stuff. However the current topic clearly has the potential to be very serious. Cause sure it's just a flu and flus kill people too... However we have built in immunity to most flus which means they don't get around so much, it's key significant feature is how fast it moves. Which means that it can overwhelm a health system really quickly and suddenly and then lots more people die. And the thing is it isn't the numbers of dead that matter as much as the dense concentration. This thing is serious, maybe not as serious as some people are acting but still nothing to sneeze at (don't let people sneeze at you either).
 

Ebarber

Can't Leave
Mar 11, 2020
377
1,248
Newark, Ohio
I've just recently gotten back into pipes after dabbling with them a few years ago.
I used to smoke cigars most days and still do but the cigars are more of a rare occasion now.
I'm really enjoying the pipes but I'm still trying to figure it all out so I guess you can call me a semi experienced noob ?.
With all of that being said I have pipes with and without filters and at this point I seem to prefer the 6mm filtered Savinelli's for the most part.
I do have a Savinelli unfinished bent apple second that is unfiltered and I absolutely love that pipe.
It was the first pipe I bought when I first tried smoking pipes and it smokes like a champ. I like the fact I can pass a cleaner through it mid smoke if needed and I never have to take it apart.
Filters vs unfiltered seems to have both pros and cons.
 
Apr 2, 2018
3,113
35,200
Idong,South Korea.
THIS JUST IN FROM DENICOTEA :I Just received an email from Denicotea saying that their crystal filters are intended for use in cigarette holders,and not in pipes.The reason being that pipes may at times burn too hot ,melting the plastic casing and ruining the pipe.Although I had no difficulty using the filters in my pipe,that doesn’t mean it won’t happen to you,or someone else.
 
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DavidT

Might Stick Around
Nov 12, 2019
94
214
Iowa
My favorite pipe, and daily smoker, is a BriarWorks author that I bought myself for Christmas. It has a 9mm filter. When I say "daily smoker" I mean I've smoked 5-10 bowls a day every day through it since I opened the box x-mas morning. My conclusion...I love my 9mm filter pipe! I don't get any tobacco, or pipe juice in my mouth.

I've experimented with several brands of filters and have found so far that "Stanwell" has the best draw.So I stock up in those.I can get them from amazon for around $32 for a box of 200 (16 cents ea) currently. The price does change so I keep a look out for when it drops and buy several. The end caps are ceramic, so are unaffected by heat, the tubes are paper/cardboard, and they are filled with activated charcoal.The tubes will get saturated after one or two smokes and need to be changed. Sure it adds another cost, but to me it's well worth it.

I do have a few other pipes in my collection, but the non-filtered ones just don't get used much , if any at all at this point. I make exception for the clay pipes I recently obtained. I still can't get my head around how dry those clays smoke. I'll smoke the clay churchwarden filled with Nightcap or Irish Flake just before bed.And I do enjoy the shorter clay on the weekends when I have time to devote to it.
 
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Hillcrest

Lifer
Dec 3, 2021
2,640
12,779
Bagshot Row, Hobbiton
EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9) - Bob

I have pipes that take 9mm, I have Balsa (Savinelli) pipes, and I also have filterless pipes.

Here's my take:

The 9mm filter: It does take away some of the flavor in the smoke, but it also does provide a much cooler and more dry smoke. The flavour will taste more 'bland' with a 9mm filter. If you are a noob, you will not even notice the difference. Experienced pipe smokers will.

Balsa: I wouldn't even call these filters. They are basically just moisture traps. They do not alter the smoke taste, but they prevent gurgling and moisture build up within the pipe. They are really only good for one smoke. If you try to smoke two bowls with the same filter, the pipe will gurgle. They also smell rancid.

Filterless: Highest flavour, highest difficulty. However, ease of access and abundance of pipe options come into play. I don't want to shit on anyone, but most experienced pipe smokers prefer filterless (myself included). This provides a huge range of options for aesthetics, shapes, sizes and brands. Also, naturally, if you don't have to buy filters ($0.10/smoke) then filterless is a cheaper long term option.
I realize this is an old thread but if you read the Savinelli website ...somewhere on there ... they tell you that two university labs conducted studies and the balsa filters do filter 66% of the tar and nicotine out of the pipe smoke. Savinelli originally tested meerschaum, bamboo and balsa and went with balsa for cost effectiveness. I would imagine the charcoal filters do the same or better. As others have stated it comes down to personal preference and any choice has pros and cons.
 
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