Thoughts on Giant Pipes

[pruss]

I like to have pipes of all sizes in my stable.

I have little sub Group 1 mini wardens which are awesome for a quick smoke, or to load up a sample at a pipe show. For you new people, we used to be able to collect in gatherings of more than four people, stand closer than 2 metres from each other and exchange tobacco while smoking it in each others’ company. I know right? Crazy...

I have group 1 sized pipes that will take a single flake and are great for times when I want to smoke around, and play with different flavours.

Most of my pipes are Group 3 or 4, and they are the mainstays for size in my collection. But...

I have a big bad ass Rhodesian from Rad Davis that has a bowl big enough to take my thumb and spin on it. On any given Sunday I could load it at the start of game 1 and be cleaning the ash out at the end of game 2 just in time for dinner.

As Hoosier says, clinching is a no go with that pipe, but using a rest or handling it isn’t a big deal if I’m watching a movie or TV. Alternately, it is great to load and smoke while I work in the shop. It just goes forever.

So that’s a yes from me on big pipes. Not all of ‘em... but there’s always room for a few in my racks.

— Pat

 

[Misanthrope]

I’m all about giant pipes.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I’m all about giant pipes.

View attachment 54604

 

[spicy_boiii]

Liking a pipe and it being great for smoking aren't always the same thing.

I haven't personally found a blend that smokes best in a very wide and/or very tall bowl.

But again, preferences are preferences. I smoke what I like and everyone else should do the same.

The few big pipes I have are kinda like those blends we didn't like at first but jarred up - I'm holding on to them in case I change my mind.

 

[Brew&Briar]

I am not a fan personally of big pipes. I have found I prefer a 30-45 min smoke. 18-19mm chamber is my go to.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Curses!
This discussion got me looking at Smokingpipes.com and I saw these crazy Tsuge "Topper" pipes.


I've always wanted a Tsuge, and for the last few years I've been collecting Stack shapes and these are some of the tallest I've ever seen, and they're on sale!

To comment more on-topic, in general I can easily go through two bowls in one sitting, so tall bowls are appealing if you're going to sit through a feature length movie, and being a fan of Churchwardens I've never clenched so size isn't a limitation. That being the case, it's easy to pursue larger pipes.

 

[olkofri]

View attachment 54608

Too small as per your standards. ?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Too small as per your standards. ?

You're not wrong.

 

[tschiraldi]

Not for me. I am very specific about pipe dimensions

 

[brut666]

No I don't think so. Bout mid size is where I like to be at the moment.

 

[Old School 3319]

Most of my pipes are Dr Grabow's so they are on the smaller side my largest is probably my MM diplomat

 

[mso489]

I have a Group 6 and a 5 or two, when I want a long smoke, and I enjoy them, but don't smoke them as often as my 4's through 1's. Even lighting a big pipe drags on the teeth and jaw, so mostly they are hand-held for me. Small pipes, on the other hand, can even give a medium length smoke with flake/coin/plug/rope cuts, so are a little more versatile.

 

[stevecourtright]

For me, large pipes lean toward the "Pipe Art" side of the "Art/Utility" spectrum, but I am kind of a wood freak, so I like them. Having said that, they don't often make an appearance in my rotation.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Wait, how large are you guys talking about? I was thinking like maybe 4oz max with maybe a 1" wide chamber. I can easily clench 4oz, but none of my giants really reach 4oz anyways. If you guys mean like chambers bigger than coffee mugs, then yeh, I don't think of anything like that as functional. But, 1" across on the chamber is totally doable. And, width of the chamber doesn't have anything to do with how long it smokes. It is a width x depth thing. I have many 1" wide pipes that smoke for just as short as a .5" pipe.

 

[kcghost]

Large (giant) pipes don't appeal to me at all. But to each their own.

 

[Brew&Briar]

I actually just got a Peterson x220. Even thought the chamber fits the bill for me.. the size of the stummel is just too big. So there is even a hand feel to the pipe size that I find important. It feels like a club in my hand. I don't think it will be in my possession for very long.

 

[pruss]

Wait, how large are you guys talking about? I was thinking like maybe 4oz max with maybe a 1" wide chamber. I can easily clench 4oz, but none of my giants really reach 4oz anyways. If you guys mean like chambers bigger than coffee mugs, then yeh, I don't think of anything like that as functional. But, 1" across on the chamber is totally doable. And, width of the chamber doesn't have anything to do with how long it smokes. It is a width x depth thing. I have many 1" wide pipes that smoke for just as short as a .5" pipe.

This stonker weighs in at 76g empty, which for its size is pretty handy. It is definitely not my heaviest pipe, and I can clench it for short periods.



— Pat

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I had to do a Google convert,. but that is less than 4oz. Nice Pipe!!

 

[pruss]

I had to do a Google convert,. but that is less than 4oz. Nice Pipe!!

Yeah, it works to 2.6oz or something close. It's a little heavier when loaded. Still a bit much for me to clench for the whole smoke. It's an armchair smoker for sure.

-- Pat

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Yeah, it works to 2.6oz or something close. It's a little heavier when loaded. Still a bit much for me to clench for the whole smoke. It's an armchair smoker for sure.

-- Pat

Build them jaw muscles, Pruss. Chew some gum. Practice balancing a claw hammer in your clench. Work it, work it!