Okay, lots of "old briar" posts, lots of "good ole days" stuff, and lots of questions about the mechanics of pipery. So, let's just do a visual.
Here's the worst pipe I've got in the shop. Part of a big load of factory stuff. Surely a second of some line.
Anyway, here's a factory bulldog from 40 years ago, and a Canadian I made from scratch.
Both pipes, yeah?
Let's take 'em apart. Oh god, there's some kind of weird spaghetti-strainer in the bulldog. Damn. Handmade pipe has a nice smooth tenon with a little bevel on the inside to keep that airflow nice and smooth.
The other end now, and things are going from bad to worse... the business end on this factory abortion is .045" tall, the slot, and about 4 times as wide.. you can't ram a pin up this thing let alone a pipe cleaner. The handmade pipe has a nice wide slot, deeply V internally. Makes for a nice thin stem and good smooth airflow.
This is worth a close-up
So a nicely made stem, you see little micro-bevels on the inside of the slot, tongue-friendly, well polished. Factory stem looks like it might fuck you up in an alley.
Let's light these up. Put a bright light in the bowl.
Handmade pipe - nice and smooth inside, hell you can see right to the bowl, everything lines up, it's all pretty.
No light through the stinger pipe - doesn't mean it won't pass air, you can get some air through it, but it's... tight... Pulling smoke through this contraption is going to cause condensation - gurgle city.
Oh and did you SEE that fill??? LOLZ
There's that briar I just.. .can't... get... anymore. :nana:
So it's handmade pipe for the win, boys. Is this a fair assessment? Hell no. It's a rigged sample, this is, as I said, the worst pipe I've seen. And yet the stummel is drilled DEAD on. Has to be to accept that crazy stinger. But this pipe is.... bad. and lots and lots of pipes, while not this bad, are this bad in some specific way.
Here's the worst pipe I've got in the shop. Part of a big load of factory stuff. Surely a second of some line.
Anyway, here's a factory bulldog from 40 years ago, and a Canadian I made from scratch.
Both pipes, yeah?
Let's take 'em apart. Oh god, there's some kind of weird spaghetti-strainer in the bulldog. Damn. Handmade pipe has a nice smooth tenon with a little bevel on the inside to keep that airflow nice and smooth.
The other end now, and things are going from bad to worse... the business end on this factory abortion is .045" tall, the slot, and about 4 times as wide.. you can't ram a pin up this thing let alone a pipe cleaner. The handmade pipe has a nice wide slot, deeply V internally. Makes for a nice thin stem and good smooth airflow.
This is worth a close-up
So a nicely made stem, you see little micro-bevels on the inside of the slot, tongue-friendly, well polished. Factory stem looks like it might fuck you up in an alley.
Let's light these up. Put a bright light in the bowl.
Handmade pipe - nice and smooth inside, hell you can see right to the bowl, everything lines up, it's all pretty.
Oh and did you SEE that fill??? LOLZ
There's that briar I just.. .can't... get... anymore. :nana:
So it's handmade pipe for the win, boys. Is this a fair assessment? Hell no. It's a rigged sample, this is, as I said, the worst pipe I've seen. And yet the stummel is drilled DEAD on. Has to be to accept that crazy stinger. But this pipe is.... bad. and lots and lots of pipes, while not this bad, are this bad in some specific way.