Small Billiard Hydrofilter

[Briar Lee]

Who knows how many millions of economical but usable pipes have came from the E A Carey company over the years? This one was likely made in Oklahoma, and has a Duncan Hill brass air vent, and decent briar for a sub brand like Hydrofilter.

The Duncan Hill brass air vent is still open, and something makes this little billiard a cool, sweet smoker that doesn’t get hot, gurgle, or get soggy. E A Carey gadget pipes are all good smokers, that I’ve tried.

 

[didimauw]

Is that a carburator?

 

[ChuckMijo]

Is that a carburator

It’s just a brass inlay with a hole in it. The idea was, I assume anyway is it provided a cooler smoke. My dad had some of these in his heap of pipes. I never tried one.

 

[Briar Lee]

Is that a carburator?

Yes, in essence it works exactly like the old Kaywoodie carburetor pipes except the pin hole is in the side of the stem, instead of on the bottom of the bowl.

This one also has a long ebonite tenon that seems to be sort of a Venturi type device that would accelerate the smoke to meet an condensing space where the pinhole is. It’s quite the gadget.

Usually these are found, minus the long Venturi type stinger, on Duncan Hill Areosphere pipes made by E A Carey.

This little billiard didn’t have varnish, just stain. It fits it a shirt pocket with a packet of Half and Half like it was made to, which it likely was. It even sits almost full upright on a table. I thought E A Carey pipes have always been mail order, but Hydrofilter might have been a sub brand for sale on cards in drug stores.

The stem fits in the shank with the condensing chamber on top, just like a Duncan Hill. These are made on the same machines, in the same factory, no doubt.

 

[romaso]

The stem fits in the shank with the condensing chamber on top, just like a Duncan Hill. These are made on the same machines, in the same factory, no doubt.

What is the condensing chamber? Is it in the stem, like a 9mm filter?

 

[Briar Lee]

What is the condensing chamber? Is it in the stem, like a 9mm filter?

On a Duncan Hill there’s no long plastic Venturi type stinger, but there’s a condensing chamber, exactly the same as my Hydrofilter. On E A Carey pipes, there’s also a condensing chamber, but it uses a stinger covering up holes with a paper “filter” and vents.

The large portion of the stem that tapers quickly down for the bit is hollow. The theory is that hollow chamber acts as a condensing chamber.

After a smoke, on a Duncan Hill where you can see it, there surely is moisture and tars condensed all around the walls of the chamber.

The tars occasionally plug the vent hole, which you can reopen with a needle.

E A Carey bought Duncan Hill, and the brass vent pipes with the condensing chamber are Duncan Hill and this Hydrofilter is a Duncan Hill with a long stinger. Looking at it close it about has to be some kind of molded vulcanite.

A tiny bit of smoke will waft out from the vents on these pipes. It doesn’t noticeably affect draw.

This one was only $5 on eBay.

A Carey or Duncan Hill might be $25 for a perfect one.

Best gadget pipes ever, I think.

Another old time pipe with the same long plastic stinger, but no condensing chamber or brass vent, was Hessian Guard.

 

[anotherbob]

that pipe makes your hands look huge. Like giant huge.

 

[Briar Lee]

that pipe makes your hands look huge. Like giant huge.

That is about as small as a usable, good briar pipe ever was. Dr. Grabow made (and probably still makes some) millions of small briar pipes for farmers and other workers who occasionally snatch a pipe from their pocket and fire it up.

I’ve never seen an E A Carey made pipe that small. It holds two or three pinches of Prince Albert, Velvet, Half and Half, or Carter Hall and smokes as sweet as a nut.

And unlike the other cheap small “card pipes” this one has decent briar and is not varnished.

Just the thing to smoke while doing chores, if I did any chores.

 

[anotherbob]

small pipes are great. Big pipes are great. Just depends on the situation. I often smoke my small bowls at work. I get two breaks. I eat during the one so less time to smoke that gets the really small bowl. The other break I don't so the not quite as small bowl.

 

[romaso]

Thanks for explaining. I found a diagram that helped me understand the condensing chamber, which probably also means it has a reverse tenon (so you could clean it). Note it specifies a, "scientifically measured amount of air is introduced." That would be scientifically specified by the size of the hole!

So its kinda like smoking a 9mm filter pipe without the filter or adapter, a large chamber for gunk to settle.

 

[romaso]

More info on Duncan Hill Aerosphere Pipes here (including the patent drawings):
Duncan Hill Aerosphere Pipes | rebornpipes