The perfect flake pipe

[bobby46]

I thoroughly enjoy 2 pipes that I crafted specifically for flakes and crumble cakes. If you already own small-bowl pipes, you need not read further.

I always noticed that Va/Vapers tasted best to me near the end of any pipe.

I had read articles that state:

A. Smaller pipes are best for flake tobacco

B. Bowl cake makes a pipe perform better
Of course, the bowl caking provides better burning characteristics to any pipe, much like a
blackened WOK makes better stir-fry.
Could smaller bowl diameter contribute a taste-factor that bowl-cake is coincidentally helping?
All pipe bowls taper somewhat at the bottom; but not very much. Long before I started the
flake-pipe-quest, I experimented and found that the best compromise of rim diameter for draw on any pipe is 3/4 inch. I stayed with
that here. But beginning from half-way down, I drilled an ever smaller severe taper, so that approaching
bottom, the cavity size was a cup just under 1/4 inch diameter. (After break-in), what a
difference in captured flavor!
I made another pipe, this one also a nose-warmer, but full-bent. Same success.
If you do not make your own pipes, perhaps you may try employing a cob, or "beater-pipe. The use
of pipe-mud to line the bottom half to a severe taper may work equally well.
I'm curious if others will agree, but You know what? I'M ALREADY THERE!

 

[nsfisher]

It is a criminal offense to post a thread stating that you made pipes and fail to post pics. A call has been placed to the proper authorities! lol I am fairly certain that if you send said pipe along to an address to be discussed later, that you will get off with just a warning.

 

[jchaplick]

Haha, I agree no pictures is a crime, if it works as well as you suggest, you may be able sell them here

 

[rigmedic1]

I agree, a tapered chamber works best for flakes. I'd be interested in seeing your work as well.

 

[smokenscotch]

Pics please!

 

[bobby46]

Coming soon to a theater near you...............

 

[bobby46]

Tapered chamber of favorite flake pipe.

 

[bobby46]

 

[bailey331]

I have a small bowl Earlof Esex pipe that is tapered and perfect for flake.

 

[bobby46]

Pair of incomplete experimental clones. Black walnut construction, outfitted with temporary plastic stems.

Shanks will get further treatment and mate to vulcanite/acrylic only after break-in trial.

I added the rustic freehand pic last minute. This one got me the reaction from an outsider that I had blown out the whole top. Freehands are easiest to make. Other people think the finished product is what I originally intended.

 

[buster]

 

[bobby46]

Yet another small pipe design I copied from an ebay pic. Its small, less tapered chamber also works with flake.
This one made from cherry is nice enough to attempt duplication with a briar block.
BTW, nice savinelli, buster. My humble creations above are of similar dimensions.

 

[rigmedic1]

That is an interesting construction. I recall recently where G.L. Pease had written about preferring to smoke flakes in a wide, shallow chamber, such as in a pot. As I have no such pipes, has anyone done a comparison? Everyone has their own opinions of course, but I would be interested in hearing some of those opinions. My flake pipes tend to be narrowly constructed because I found them most suitable for the fold and stuff method, and strong flakes give me quite a nicotine hit.

 

[dylan793]

A wide, shallow chamber for flakes? Wow, that's entirely opposite from most of what I've read concerning good flake pipes. I suppose it depends entirely on your preferred method of preparing the flake. Fully rubbed, I imagine, can go in just about anything. I suppose the difficulty comes in choosing a fold and stuff pipe.

 

[cortezattic]

Matching Pipes and Tobaccos, by G.L.Pease.

 

[rhogg]

I have a Savinelli 611 shape is the best for smoking flake tobaccos. Also I highly reccomend not buying a pipe with a pre-carbonized bowl for flake.

 

[bobby46]

"Fully rubbed, I imagine, can go in just about anything. I suppose the difficulty comes in choosing a fold and stuff pipe."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dylan, I wholeheartedly agree. My flake-pipe quest was totally based on the fold+stuff presupposition. What's the point of flake tobacco selection and rubbing out? I once rubbed out a crumble-cake and got a lot of dark powder in my palms. What got into the bowl was nice and curly, but flat tasting. My excursion into chamber shaping yielded full-flavor from virginia flakes much further (earlier) from the bottom.