I don’t understand calabash vs reverse calabash. Are there any cut-away drawings that explain what happens to the smoke in both pipes?
Reverse Calabash
- Thread starter LOREN
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I'm not certain but apparently the chamber in a Calabash is at the bottom of the bowl while the chamber in a reverse Calabash is outside of the bowl.
Yeah, the entire bowl a calabash pipe beneath the meerschaum cap and chamber is the cooling chamber and in a reverse calabash its just an oversized mortise.
This is the traditional calabash made from a calabash gourd. 
AFAICT a reverse calabash is just a non-trademark-infringing system pipe, only not as well thought out. Both the aluminum chimney and the tapered bore are effective elements of the design, and if there are any "reverse calabashes" that use them I've yet to see them. Of course a calabash doesn't use a chimney either, but it does have a tapered airway for a large chunk of the distance.
A system pipe is more for moisture and both calabash designs are for having a large chamber to cool the smoke. These work well enough.
both cool the smoke by precipitating some of the steam. almost all the heat in the smoke is in the steam, condensing or otherwise eliminating the steam is both necessary and sufficient to cool the smoke.
The calabash does it by holding the smoke in a chamber without the system gurgle though.
What system gurgle? On a Peterson at least the moisture precipitates into a well that is quite a distance from the end of the chimney. I once smoked three bowls in one of my system pipes just to see how far I could push it, with nary a gurgle. Emptying the ashes without inverting the pipe was interesting but using the czech tool tamper as a scoop did the trick.
I've never had gurgle smoking a System pipe ?
It can happen depending on the pipe.
I've read more complaints than praise across different forums.
Maybe they're not doing it right ?
confirmation bias perhaps?
Or perhaps I just got lucky with the two I have.
The only system pipe of mine that has even an occasional gurgle is my system spigot, but that's missing 2/3rds of the actual system and the internal geometry sends the stream of condensing steam straight at the intake. I'm sure it's possible to make a normal system pipe gurgle but I have yet to see an explanation for why a system pipe would be more prone to gurgle than a reverse calabash. More prone than a gourd calabash, sure. both the gourd and meerschaum bowl are extremely absorbent and the absolutely massive internal volume plays a role too.
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It would be really neat to have a canadian reverse calabash made like that, using a full macarthur cob as the reverse calabash shank...
Just ordered a reverse calabash to see what it's all about.
My standard system is gurgle free, unless I smoke really wet then tilt the bowl forward, emptying the well back into the chamber. Luckily, that's not a problem if one smokes with good technique to begin with. Great thing about systems is they're made so they can be broken down and swabbed mid smoke, if needed.
I have a gourd Calabash, a briar reverse Calabash, and a system. They all smoke exceptionally cool and dry, but very differently from each other.
My experience is that the RC does impart some of the characteristics of a full sized gourd. A good sized chamber for the smoke to swirl in does seem to remove some heat and moisture. A system is a totally different beast to be appreciated for what it is, not maligned for what it isn't.
None of the above will fix poor technique, but they all offer a unique experience that is very different than what you get with a traditional or filtered pipe.
I have a gourd Calabash, a briar reverse Calabash, and a system. They all smoke exceptionally cool and dry, but very differently from each other.
My experience is that the RC does impart some of the characteristics of a full sized gourd. A good sized chamber for the smoke to swirl in does seem to remove some heat and moisture. A system is a totally different beast to be appreciated for what it is, not maligned for what it isn't.
None of the above will fix poor technique, but they all offer a unique experience that is very different than what you get with a traditional or filtered pipe.
If they were drying, packing, and smoking right, they wouldn't need one.
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