Traditional Shapes v Free hand?

[sparrowhawk]

Has anyone noticed the difference in smoking quality of a free hand and more recognizable shapes (Dublin,Apple,billiard and so on)? I've noticed that free hands tend to have more unpredictable smoking than the standard shapes. In my most recent winnowing of pipes I noticed many were free hands. (Although some free hands were among the best pipes I had. The problem is, you don't know how good a free hand is until you try it, no matter how artistically it's shaped. What's your thoughts or approach to this?

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I think it mostly depends on the briar and chamber, and the airflow of any given pipe, although I still believe there's something very special about the Savinelli 320. That being said, some of my best smokers are freehands. One of these is my rather inexpensive Nording Signature. It's really your typical danish floral dublin shaped freehand, but it's never let me down. Now I have two Peterson 106 billiards (definitely getting more). Both are great smokers, but the newest one seems to smoke a little better than the other. Another example is two Moonshine Deviled Eggs. Same shape, but one smokes a little better than the other. I could go on and on, so it's hard to say a single shape smokes better than others. With freehands, no two are exactly alike in shape, in fact not all freehands are dublin-esque in shape, so it comes down to the drilling and the briar.

 

[Waning Embers]

Other than my 904s, the majority of my pipes are freehands, and great smokers. I would put them over my Dunhills any day.

 

[craiginthecorn]

Freehands seem to be a bit out of favor at this time, but I think that's a matter of fickle style preferences, as opposed to how well they smoke. I have a number of freehands and virtually all of them smoke very well. I can second the love for surprisingly inexpensive Nording Signature pipes. Due to the extra mass and weight, most freehands aren't good pipes for those who clench, but it also leads to a cool-smoking pipe.

 

[crashthegrey]

I believe the only real difference in shape is how hot the outside of the bowl can get. The engineering and each unique piece of briar determine how a pipe smokes. Shape is aesthetics, hand feel, and bowl thickness.