Tamps? What makes one better?

[drsam]

Czech tool by computer, in pockrt and van, and on keyring.

 

[gwynclan]

Czech tools every were, I bought a 1/2" by 12" wood dowel and made tampers out of that. cost like 98 cents and 5 min of cutting and milling down.

Nothing fancy for me just functionality.

 

[baronsamedi]

All of my tampers were trades with other pipe smokers, ichbinmuede, thesmokindragon and winton, which makes them special to me. I don't have any of the tampers I made, because I traded them all off! Maybe the next tamper swap, I'll make enough that I can actually keep one.

 

[winton]

Hey Baron, I also really enjoy the tampers I have received in these trades. Yes, a nail or dowel or something I made myself works, but it is especially fun to use something made by a friend.
Winton

 

[group4]

Whatever's available for me. I've been known to pick up sticks from the yard and use them. But when I'm home I eschew the usual Czech pipe nail in favor of a handcarved wooden tamper that conforms to the diameter of the bowl.

 

[winton]

Just came in from smoking some cherry blend in my mini churchwarden. I used the tamper from Ichbinmeude, because it was also long, thin and elegant. The walnut in the tamper went well with the dark wood of the pipe. Yes, I think that it enhanced my smoking enjoyment. Why, because it was cool and elegant.
Winton

 

[acme]

Greetings,

I make tampers also.

Some of the things said already, aesthetics, personal import, finding one wherever you sit down, etc. are all important and about the owner.
Also about the owner, what are the functions that you want from your tamper? Some peaple what only to tamp - a flat-ended dowel does it. Some want to pick, poke, dig, take it apart. or play withe it in some other fashion. You know who you are.
As to function, I think that there are two fairly important qualities.

There should be some significant portion of the stamping end which is round. The shape of the bowl is round, the item tamping inside of it should be round.

Second, the length of the post which enters the bowl while tamping should be no greater in diameter than the stamping end.

There are some smaller tweeks which can be nice, like slanting the end of the foot so that it touches the ash at the edge of the bowl before the center.
Just opinions,

anthony

 

[baronsamedi]

Mine from ichbinmuede goes on dog walks with me. The one from winton rides in my baccy pouch and the one from thesmokindragon is with me at the house.