Straight pipe or Curved pipe?

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dixieman

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Apr 22, 2009
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Powder Springs, Georgia
Personally, I prefer a curved pipe. Some call it a crook-neck, some call it a bent pipe. Whatever you want to call it, a curved pipe stays out of my way when I'm working and I don't have to keep one hand on the pipe(like I do with a straight pipe). So what do you guys prefer, and why?

 

admin

Smoking a Pipe Right Now
Staff member
Nov 16, 2008
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That's an interesting topic dixieman.
I recently interviewed Gordon Smith of FGT Enterprises & Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco in Tampa FL.
I asked him, "what’s the ratio of bent pipes versus straight pipes that you sell?"
He said; "Definitely more bent. It’s probably seven bent out of a dozen. Out of a dozen mix, we’ll sell seven bent today."
That would be almost a 60/40 ratio of bent to straight. (58/42 to be exact).
Personally, when buying a pipe or picking one from the rack to smoke, I don't think about whether the stem is straight or bent. I just reviewed my collection and my ratio of bent to straight is almost 60/40. It is 63/37. I have 10 bent and 6 straight.
I only counted straight as completely 100% straight stems. Some of the bents are very bent, and some of them have just the ever slightest bend to them, but they got counted as bents too.
As far as mouth feel or holding the pipe in my teeth without hand support, I find no difference between bents and straights.
However, a very big pipe, of which I only have one, can be hard to hold with only your teeth.
The one in this picture I cannot really hold in my teeth like that for more than a few seconds just to snap the picture. It is too heavy and I had to support it with my hand while smoking.
cellini-pipe.jpg


 

eddiegrob

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 15, 2009
122
28
I like both, particularly Canadians in straight and one-fourth bent pots, but seem to lean somewhat to the bents.

 

dsturg369

Can't Leave
May 9, 2009
357
738
57
Augusta, GA
I'm rather new to pipes and pipe smoking and like many, I began with a better liking for bent/curved pipes. I have several of both and now find myself grabbing a straight just as often.

 

python

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 8, 2009
3,756
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Maryland
pipesmagazine.com
I own both bents and straights. It depends on my mood on which one I prefer at the time. I do own more bents than straights though and I guess I do smoke the bents more often than the straights. But sometimes I am really in the mood to smoke a straight.

 

dixieman

Lurker
Apr 22, 2009
7
0
Powder Springs, Georgia
Thanks for your input, I was just wondering what people prefer most and it seems like the bent pipes have it. I don't even own a straight pipe, but I think I'll go buy one just to try it. I might even get some of that "fancy" tobacco to smoke in it. (lol)

 

admin

Smoking a Pipe Right Now
Staff member
Nov 16, 2008
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St. Petersburg, FL
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Straight is better. Easier to clean and maintain. Easier to perfect the internal engineering. Better airflow. A properly made straight pipe need not be disassembled-ever. Also better to keep a lit bowlful out in front of you when you have a long beard.
That is true! I often have difficulty getting pipe cleaners through my bents without taking them apart. Sadly, I have also learned the hard way the perils of disassembling your pipe to often. Wah!

 
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ronin

Lurker
May 7, 2009
3
0
Hmm for me its got to be a good bent, I have a couple of straights but got to admit my favourites are all bents...

 

sander

Lurker
May 18, 2009
24
1
The Netherlands
At the moment I only have one pipe, and it's a bent one.
I plan on buying a straight pipe soon, I just seem to like the looks of a straight pipe more.
And for smoking experience and I can't say much because I haven't had a straight pipe yet, I'll find out soon enough which I like more!

 

admin

Smoking a Pipe Right Now
Staff member
Nov 16, 2008
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St. Petersburg, FL
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volk said: ...and then the silly man climbed up on his soapbox and cried " One million Dunhill straight billiards can't be wrong!"
LOL!
I have two straight Dunhills and one bent. They are all gorgeous.
And sander, if you meet some girl that asks you the question that is the topic of this forum, she may be talking about a different pipe. LOL. ;-)

 

sander

Lurker
May 18, 2009
24
1
The Netherlands
And sander, if you meet some girl that asks you the question that is the topic of this forum, she may be talking about a different pipe. LOL. ;-)
LOL Where did that come from! thanks for the advice anyway. LOL 8^D
BTW, I just found a good site that sells a nice amount of good pipes in my country for good prices! which is a good thing in case you didn't know...

 

dixieman

Lurker
Apr 22, 2009
7
0
Powder Springs, Georgia
Well, I tried out my first straight pipe today. I didn't like it. My ol' Grandpa, God rest his soul, said that "a bent pipe is a workin' man's pipe. Straight pipes are for dandy's." I don't know about all that, but I can honestly say that I just plain prefer a bent pipe. Straights are fine for leisure time, but I don't have much of that. When I do I'll try to make myself smoke the straight, who knows, I might get used to it.

 

sander

Lurker
May 18, 2009
24
1
The Netherlands
I got my first straight pipe about a month ago and I like it more then my bent one, but thats probably because of the low quality.

the straight one I have is a Lorenzo spitfire, not expensive and I like that!

 

runewolf

Lurker
Jun 19, 2009
18
2
I have very old style clay tavern pipe. It has a slight bend to it and is about 7" long and does not disassemble. I actually enjoy smoking it more than any other pipe I own. The bowl does not accumulate any tar buildup inside. Apparently clays are the best for trying out new blends of tobacco for just this reason, they don't retain the taste of the previous tobacco. Maybe one of these days I'll get one of the clay pipes called a "Churchwarden" from the 16th century. They had a very small bowl that you could probably just fit the tip of your pinky finger into (because tobacco was not so easy to come by back then)and some were two feet in length or more. I like either a straight pipe, or one with just a slight bend. Never been into the really curved ones too much.

 

runewolf

Lurker
Jun 19, 2009
18
2
Volk, thanks for the interesting information. I didn't know that much about the churchwarden pipes, only that they were quite long and had a small bowl. I thought for sure I read somewhere that they got longer than 16 inches, from what I remember they even referred to them as "yardsticks". I could be mistaken though. Do you find that when you smoke your clay the tar from the tobacco seeps to the outside of the bowl? The bowl on the outside of mine is all discolored/mottled. Is that just normal or what? Thanks for the link to where I can buy the pipes. I will definitely be getting another one. They are a pleasure to smoke with.

 

chuckw

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 7, 2009
679
12
Being an addict of Peterson's System pipes, most of mine are bent to one degree or another. For my heavy hitting tobaccos, I prefer a smaller, straight pipe tho.

 

withnail

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 30, 2011
737
1
United Kingdom
*** Restarting This Debate! ***
I thought I would "bump" this thread as there are so many new members and it was something I wanted to ask anyway. Personally I prefer straight pipes as I don't like to keep a pipe in my mouth between draws. They are easier to keep clean and I just like the lines better. One is exception is when smoking aromatics, as I think they taste better in a fully bent pipe.
Kevin Wrote -
I have two straight Dunhills and one bent. They are all gorgeous.
I love the look of the Dunhill range - are they really worth the premium price tag that comes along with them?

 

romeowood

Lifer
Jan 1, 2011
1,942
155
The Interwebs
Great bump withnail, and a great debate. Going through my collection of regular smokers yields 38 straight, 9 bent--81% straight, 19% bent. Seems I gravitate toward the straights, though purely on aesthetic grounds.

As regards Dunhill, they're consistently a great product at any age, but perhaps their best attribute is holding their resale value regardless of changing trends. IMHO

 
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