Vive le Ropp! I agree, I find they're particularly good starter pipes not just because they're inexpensive, but they're smaller bowls, so good for trying different blends and shorter smoking sessions. And yeah, the retro style and history add to the appeal.
Just a small point of order, while I find that 6mm balsa (and ofc 6mm paper) filters will work well in cobs, I've found all the 6mm meerschaum or charcoal filters I've tried to be just half of an annoying-promiscuous-woman's-pubic-hair too wide and therefore unable to be used... I'm sure it's because Missouri Meerschaum uses the American metric system while the rest of the world uses the European one
I've only used white elephant so far and while their 9mm are a little to small for the 9mm tenon of my Rattray's Bagpiper their 6mm are about that much too big for MM.
Thanks for reminding me of my Lumberman. Enjoyed smoking that pipe yesterday. Chose it because of this post so thanks. Only thing against that style of pipe is that people love complimenting it.
Thank you for this new international standard of measure. It will replace the gnat's winky in engineering shops everywhere.
In my experience, filtering removes flavor, does nothing to reduce health risks.
Thank you for your input on your experience with a filter removing flavor, however little the reduction of certain carcinogens and matter and the reduction of tongue bite is my preference to use a charcoal filter.
Do you find that it actually reduces tongue bit? Have you A:B'd it, with and without filter? I ask not because I doubt you, but because I've never tried the charcoal absorbers. I can't imagine them not reducing flavor, and tongue bit is really a matter of pH, which a charcoal filter shouldn't be altering. If anything, charcoal is basic and may raise the pH.
