To Clay or not to Clay....

[Choatecav]

I love smoking my briars and meers, but I have read often that a simple clay pipe gives the purest taste of the tobacco with no ghosting or interference. So..... I bought a couple of simple clay pipes and by George, it does deliver a very pure smoke with no influencing that I can detect.
However, I don't like the small, hard, round mouthpiece of the clay pipe.

Does anyone know if there is a clay pipe being made that has a more traditional mouthpiece/stem? I could probably rig something up that would work, but if it is already out there, I'd like to know.

 

[AJL67]

Softy Pipe Bits - PIPES and CIGARS

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[blackpowderpiper]

Old German Clay Tobacco Pipes | Buy Old German Clay Tobacco Pipes at Smokingpipes

Smokingpipes is your one stop shop for Old German Clay Tobacco Pipes and all your tobacco smoking needs. From new and estate tobacco pipes to tin pipe tobacco and bulk pipe tobacco, we have everything you need

www.smokingpipes.com

 

[tobakenist]

Research Peterson Clays.

 

[Choatecav]

Softy Pipe Bits - PIPES and CIGARS

Find Softy Pipe Bits pipeTools at the lowest prices here at PIPES and CIGARS!

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I thought of these, and have some, but they are too large for the clay stems.

 

[Choatecav]

Old German Clay Tobacco Pipes | Buy Old German Clay Tobacco Pipes at Smokingpipes

Smokingpipes is your one stop shop for Old German Clay Tobacco Pipes and all your tobacco smoking needs. From new and estate tobacco pipes to tin pipe tobacco and bulk pipe tobacco, we have everything you need

www.smokingpipes.com

Oh, this is great. I have actually looked at pipes at this site, but did not realize that these existed. Thanks a lot.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

The trouble with clay pipes with plastic or vulcanite stems, I would think, is that you can’t put them in hot coals to clean them. For me the clean taste of clay, as well as the nice dry smoke they give, depends on the clay being clean. As soon as the clay is saturated with tar/oils—it doesn’t take long—it loses those qualities—and needs to be placed in hot coals to regain them.

What I do is take a regular clay pipe and shape the stem with a sharpening stone to my liking. Then I coat the stem with with wax or at least spit to prevent it from sticking to my lips. It’s still not the most comfortable thing to smoke but is excellent for assessing a tobacco

 

[simong]

Research Peterson Clays.

What good will that do? They stopped selling them 40 odd years ago!

My old man used to buy them from a tobacconist in Llandrindod Wells, 6 at a time! This was in the 60's & they cost literally next to nothing! A clay today with a nickel ferrule and vulcanite stem, would set you back considerably more, if you can find one!

 

[OzPiper]

Clay pipes can impart a “clay-ey” taste to the smoke when they are new.
Porcelain pipes are neutral.
It’s easy to get the walls back to bare porcelain by wiping out with wet paper towels after a smoke
Disadvantage: their double wall construction makes them considerably heavier than the standard clays



Royal Copenhagen estates are available from The Danish Pipe Shop

 

[condorlover1]

I had a couple of clay 'cutty' pipes with an aluminum and plastic stem which I gave to 'Sling Blade' on here since he is into all things clay pipe. I loved clays but they gave me 'pipe notches' on my teeth. Whilst I still have a box of Pollock Clays in storage in the U.K I just cannot see myself smoking them again.

 

[Fuelman]

I agree with you

I love smoking my briars and meers, but I have read often that a simple clay pipe gives the purest taste of the tobacco with no ghosting or interference. So..... I bought a couple of simple clay pipes and by George, it does deliver a very pure smoke with no influencing that I can detect.
However, I don't like the small, hard, round mouthpiece of the clay pipe.

Does anyone know if there is a clay pipe being made that has a more traditional mouthpiece/stem? I could probably rig something up that would work, but if it is already out there, I'd like to know.

View attachment 305400

I agree with you. I think the long stem gives the smoke time to cool down a bit before it enters your mouth.I don’t like the gritty feel of the stem though. The flavor of the tobacco is more pronounced I think.

 

[OzPiper]

A Franken-clay with a faux amber acrylic stem

 

[Choatecav]

A Franken-clay with a faux amber acrylic stem

View attachment 305420

That is very cool, indeed. Did you make this?

 

[OzPiper]

That is very cool, indeed. Did you make this?

This was an EBay find.

The guy (?gal) who made this went to a lot of trouble. Even finding an old pipe case to fit this in

 

[PipeIT]

Clarin has bigger stems/mouthpieces…

Clarin Clay Pipes | Smokingpipes.com

Buy handcrafted Clarin Clay Pipes from Smokingpipes.com, handmade by expert craftsmen in Brazil.

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Also Old German has clays with regular vulcanite stems on them.

Old German Clay Tobacco Pipes | Buy Old German Clay Tobacco Pipes at Smokingpipes

Smokingpipes is your one stop shop for Old German Clay Tobacco Pipes and all your tobacco smoking needs. From new and estate tobacco pipes to tin pipe tobacco and bulk pipe tobacco, we have everything you need

www.smokingpipes.com

 

[The Clay King]

Clarin has bigger stems/mouthpieces…

Clarin Clay Pipes | Smokingpipes.com

Buy handcrafted Clarin Clay Pipes from Smokingpipes.com, handmade by expert craftsmen in Brazil.

www.smokingpipes.com

Also Old German has clays with regular vulcanite stems on them.

Old German Clay Tobacco Pipes | Buy Old German Clay Tobacco Pipes at Smokingpipes

Smokingpipes is your one stop shop for Old German Clay Tobacco Pipes and all your tobacco smoking needs. From new and estate tobacco pipes to tin pipe tobacco and bulk pipe tobacco, we have everything you need

www.smokingpipes.com

@PipeIT I'd like to try some of the clays but last time I ordered from Smokingpipes I got stung for customs:-(
I think the Williamsburg clay would suit Redcoats & Revolutionaries. I'll probably stick to used / vintage pipes or buy one when I go to Buxton again. Can't have too many clays

 

[The Clay King]

I agree with you

I agree with you. I think the long stem gives the smoke time to cool down a bit before it enters your mouth.I don’t like the gritty feel of the stem though. The flavor of the tobacco is more pronounced I think.

@Fuelman I've noticed a cooler smoke with a long stem clay pipe; I think a long stem is much better for lighting with an ember from the blacksmith's forge

 

[eljimmy]

I have to jump on the clay pipe ship.

 

[blackpowderpiper]

I want to like smoking clay pipes but just don't. I agree that the flavor is neutral but the fragility and the heat they generate, not to mention the feeling of a clay bit against my teeth just doesn't work for me. I'll be the first to admit that their cool and I love the historical aspect.

 

[The Clay King]

I want to like smoking clay pipes but just don't. I agree that the flavor is neutral but the fragility and the heat they generate, not to mention the feeling of a clay bit against my teeth just doesn't work for me. I'll be the first to admit that their cool and I love the historical aspect.

@blackpowderpiper It was the historical aspect and seeing re-enactors smoking them that got me interested in clay pipes!