Straights vs. Bents--To Gurgle or Not To Gurgle

[bluesmoke]

About half of my pipes are straight billiards, and the other half are bents of differing shapes. I can smoke any of my straight-stemmed pipes clenched, all day long, and never get any moisture that gurgles. I can even run a pipe cleaner through it anyway, and still pull it out nearly dry. Why is it when I smoke my bent-stemmed pipes the same way, about five minutes into the smoke I'm running for a pipe cleaner, and using it several times during the smoke? Is this something I just have to live with, or just stop clenching the bents if I don't want gurgle? I'm sure conserving pipe cleaners if I only smoke the straights, but like the bents, too. Anyone else have this experience?

 

[bluesmoke]

Yeah, I'm thinking I'll just have to change my technique or not grip the stem so far into my mouth.

 

[bluesmk]

I smoke straights,1/4 bends and full bends...no gurgle. I think what you're looking at is some poor internal dimentions.

Dan

Gabrieli Pipes ::

 

[bluesmoke]

Dan--that makes sense. Is there some easy way that a novice could alter or modify the dimensions to improve the smoke, or do I need to seek an expert for help; or should I just hang it on the rack for aesthetic appreciation?

 

[bluesmk]

This has been discussed many times on this forum but the search capabillities realy leave much to be desired.

Have a readhere about airflow:

http://pipedia.org/wiki/Pipe_care/cleaning

Give me a little bit and I'll comee up with more.

Dan

Gabrieli Pipes ::

 

[bluesmk]

Here's a wealth of info if you have the time:

http://www.pipemakersforum.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=10

As I said it sounds like your stem and maybe the airway need some tweaking but if you've never done it before you may want to send it out. Straitening out, specially acrylic to work on and re-bending came be a bugger if you don't know what your doing. Just trying to help I mean no offense.
Dan

Gabrieli Pipes ::

 

[salewis]

I have both full bent, mostly one quarter bent and straight pipes. I have been smoking a pipe for decades and have never experienced any difference in 'gurgling' between the different configurations of my pipes. Usually, gurgling has to with loading, type of tobacco used, moisture content of the tobacco and the engineering of the pipe. If you are not experiencing any gurgling in your straight pipes then it probably has to do with the engineering of your bent pipe or pipes. Often the draft hole in the mortise is not drilled wide enough and a professional would have to be used to slightly alter the draft hole.

 

[bluesmoke]

The loading factor makes a lot of sense--I usually smoke folded flake or coins, and I've got the loading into my straight billiards down consistently. I'm pretty sure my moisture content is controlled. My bents mostly have shallower, wider bowls--apple, bulldog, etc.--so the tobacco doesn't leave as much room for air, particularly at the bottom of the bowl. Gotta try a different approach to loading them. I know the draw in a few of them is tight--they may need some re-drilling.

 

[psychpipes]

or not grip the stem so far into my mouth

This. I was very guilty of this when I started smoking. Especially in the car. I tried clenching closer to the button and stopped getting the gurgling.

 

[warren]

My pipes rest way back in my mouth, on the molars. I might experience a rare gurgle. I usually attribute this to blend moisture or my mouth watering when it's near dinner time and my wife is preparing her signature spiced chicken. I have used the drill bit on one of my reamers, I forget the brand, to open bits and airways on a new pipe when I sense a restricted flow.
Ah, it's my Senior tool. The bit is sized for most pipe air ways and is particularly useful for opening up a pipe that has been sadly neglected. Some of mine get this way when used exclusively out of doors and they miss the Sunday cleaning regimen.