Who's Still Enjoying Churchwardens?

[pappymac]

Not counting the long stem clay pipes I have and use for sampling new blends, I currently own eight pipes with churchwarden stems and three of them get smoked at least once a month. Three of them have been relegated to display pipe status. The other two are large meerschaums that I usually only smoke during March.

I had two of the Cobbit pipes I bought in 2015 but both of them broke eventually broke.

 

[spugni]

Depends on tge situation. I usually smoke mine on Sunday mornings when it's nice, quiet, and I have lots of time. Other days are usually crazy busy and not suited for a churchwarden.

 

[winterland]

This is my Luna Churchwarden which I believe I had ordered from a pipe maker Luna that I had seen on this forum back in 2011 or so. It's in my profile pic too.
I smoked it at our MN Renaissance Festival a few times earlier this fall.
I love it with it's wood stem. Smoke mostly aromatics in it but this pic was from when I first got it. Probably Stonehaven drying out. Back when it was actually available.

 

[Bassman65]

Here are mine. Some are Frankenpipes or made by myself.

On the left is a MM cobbit modded to accommodate a 6mm filter. Below that is a Jean Claude 9mm (for quick smokes because the bowl is super tiny).

On the right is a BC unfiltered modded to accommodate a 9mm filter. Below that are two handmade 9mm Vauen pipes that I modded into churchwardens.

They ain’t pretty, but they work for me.

 

[OverMountain]

LOTR didn’t make the churchwarden, and it won’t break the churchwarden.

There’s a reason they’ve stood the test of time.

 

[Searock Fan]

I've showed this before, but... I got this churchwarden at a garage sale a few weeks back for a dollar and have been smoking it with Half & Half. It's been better than I expected except the bowl gets really hot and you have to hold it by the extension at the bottom or the stem and that it will start to gurgle near the end of the bowl. Hey, what should I expect for a buck?

 

[OzPiper]

@georged
Didn’t you make a shorter bent stem for this pipe sometime back ?

Hi @georged,

I did a search and came up with your post dated July 16th 2015 “BBB Belge/Cutty Re-work” where you made a new bent stem to replace a saddle-stem

Probably one of thousands of replacement stems you’ve made.
So you’re forgiven if this slipped your mind

Sorry I’m a tech dinosaur and haven’t learnt to cut-and-paste so you will have to do a search for that post

 

[georged]

Hi @georged,

I did a search and came up with your post dated July 16th 2015 “BBB Belge/Cutty Re-work” where you made a new bent stem to replace a saddle-stem

Probably one of thousands of replacement stems you’ve made.
So you’re forgiven if this slipped your mind

Sorry I’m a tech dinosaur and haven’t learnt to cut-and-paste so you will have to do a search for that post

Yup, the mind, she slipped. I don't remember making a short stem for that pipe, but (obviously) did, in 2015. Then (apparently) didn't like it as much as I thought I would (or something), so replaced it with the CW-length one in 2021. More pix of it here:

Churchwarden = wonderful education - pipemakersforum.com

I probably have the short 2015 one in an overflow box somewhere. I'll take a look (I never throw away useable stuff).

The original BBB stummel w/uglo-stem combination was a "tip"/gift sort of thing from a guy I restored a giganto batch of pipes for.

 

[OzPiper]

The original BBB stummel w/uglo-stem combination was a "tip"/gift sort of thing from a guy I restored a giganto batch of pipes for.

I remember that new stem because it completely transformed that ugly duckling

 

[Lumbridge]

I have a Mr. Brog No.15 that I smoke from time to time. Not a bad pipe.

 

[Maynard58]

I have a few, I like them I usually smoke one of them a couple of time a week, this one Im smoking to today .

 

[WVOldFart]

I wished I liked them better than I do. I believe I have 3 but rarely smoke them. Probably my favorite is a Cobbit Shire.

 

[SmokingInTheWind]

I only have one. I put a VT Freehand demi-churchwarden Forever stem on a MM General. I enjoy it when I have time for a long smoke.

I’m not a LOTR fanatic, but my wife did give me nice collectors editions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings many years ago.

 

[MisterBadger]

I have just the one. A Butz-Choquin Balzac, which came with an interchangeable standard length bent stem. It lives in a garden cabin with an armchair and side table, stove and other home comforts, since it's some distance from the house. Saves me going back to the house for a pipe when I'm gardening (and I have an agreement with Mrs. Badger not to smoke in the house). I find the short stem convenient for clenching whilst working, but 'tis bliss at the end of a job, to kick back with the long stem fitted, a mug of tea or coffee, and sit and survey the fruits of my labour. Or reading a seed catalogue. I keep a jar of Semois with it, which it particularly seems to like.