Questions for Falcon Pipe Smokers

[anotherbob]

Wanted to add one more thing. I feel happy with what i paid for every pipe, but i feel that per dollar spent it goes falcon then cob. And like a cob cheap enough to buy one just to see what the fuss is all about. And if you hate it, perfect gift to give your pipe curious friend.

 

[TheWhale13]

Wanted to add one more thing. I feel happy with what i paid for every pipe, but i feel that per dollar spent it goes falcon then cob. And like a cob cheap enough to buy one just to see what the fuss is all about. And if you hate it, perfect gift to give your pipe curious friend.

This made me really want to try a falcon. I will probably buy one now

 

[anotherbob]

This made me really want to try a falcon. I will probably buy one now

They're not my favorite. But as a utilitarian pipe that works great they can't be beat. Also if you have any blend that gets bity on you, they are perfect. The system works and if you need a little extra help cut the tip of a pipe cleaner off that can wrap around the little bump in the dome (or fluff up a cotton ball and put that in the dome, works as well as any commercially available filter). Mine is mostly smoked when I don't have the time for a full pipe or camping and outdoor adventuring. Though I do recommend what they call the large sized bowls. I have a meer lined snifter hyperbole (big sized) and a natural (hunter) billard hyperbole. Two stems a straight normal one and then a bent international. The normal one cools more and the international (looks more like a normal pipe) still works pretty good on that front and cleans almost as easy.

 

[huntertrw]

According to author Richard Carleton Hacker in his The Ultimate Pipe Book, the Falcon pipe was designed in 1936 by an engineer named Kenley Bugg, a resident of Fort Wayne, Indiana. His pipe was revolutionary for a number of reasons.

First, his inventive use of aluminum to create an extremely lightweight and durable base/shank/stem. When originally introduced, aluminum was more expensive than gold; however, according to a booklet produced in 1997 by the National Historic Chemical Landmarks program of the American Chemical Society, "By the late 1930s, a pound of aluminum cost just 20 cents..." I do not know how many base/shank/stems a pound of aluminum might yield, but given that American was still suffering from the Great Depression in 1936, it would seem to have been a very cost-effective choice. Further, since they were cast, the base/shank/stems were repeatable and not subject to the often irritating quality variations inherent in briar. Finally, aluminum dissipates heat extremely well; I recall seeing an early ad for the Falcon pipe that suggested that its spiral air-hole-tube cooled the smoke as it traveled from bowl to bit.

Second, his interchangeable briar-bowl feature offered the Depression-era smoker affordable variety. One needed only a single base/shank/stem. Bowl styles and quantity could then be chosen to suit taste and budget.

Unfortunately, Mr. Bugg's pipe did not reach the market until 1940. Diversion of aluminum to wartime production in the United States after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 nearly resulted in the Falcon dying aborning.

Thankfully it came into its own after World War II, when Mr. George Hunt of the Diversey Machine Works of Chicago, Illinois took over both its manufacture and marketing. Mr. Hacker states that by 1954 some six-million Falcon pipes had been sold. Further, he notes that in 1958 it was introduced in England where it ultimately became more popular than in the U.S.

For an in-depth look at this unique pipe and its history please see Back From The Ashes: Uncovering the Lost History of G.L. Hunt and the Falcon Pipe by Ms. K.A. Worth (she is the granddaughter of George Hunt). The book is available on Amazon.com.