Why I'm Beginning To Dislike Straight Pipes

[HawkeyeLinus]

The straight pipes I have work fine, but most of mine by a wide margin are bent - just turned out to be my preference for a few reasons.

 

[Hillcrest]

I have a few straight pipes that are great smokers and cause me little to no hassle. However, I have around a half-dozen pipes that I've decided to give up on today despite loving their look simply because they clog too damn easily and realized everyone is a straight. Don't have near this problem with bent pipes. I get tired to their constant de-clogging.

I don't believe the problem is the shape. I have had this problem with 2 or 3 bents that I smoke regularly. I went so far as to deep clean them with salt and alcohol. The problem I noticed is that as the cake builds up in the bowl it narrows the trench leading to the draft hole in the bottom of bowl and the cake and tar starts to clog the draft hole into the shank. The briar also remains 'moist' despite cleaning with a cleaner. The solution that worked for me was to use a bristle cleaner to clear; a regular cleaner to wipe out and then let the pipe sit for several days without the stem so the draft shaft can dry out. This seems to work until it happens again and then start over. In my case its from using the same pipes too regularly with fresh moist tobacco. PS I always wipe bowl and stummel chamber clean after each use with paper towel too.

I hope this helps you in some way. Best of Luck.

 

[proteus]

For me, bent pipes stay out of my line of vision easier when reading. They also fit easier when leaning my elbow and holding the pipe. Straights extend too far out for me. So all my pipes are curved or bent types. Even a slight curve makes the difference for me as in an a 320ks author the least bent style of pipes I own.

 

[Auxsender]

Absolutely. The pipes I'm griping about will clog after 1 bowl to the point where I have to resort to hot water bowl soaks and shank brushes to open them up again. I always want to smoke multiple bowls at a sitting, so this is more than an inconvenience.

In my opinion, something else is going on other than pipe shape. You definitely should not have to be deep cleaning your pipes after each bowl. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that and I never have to do that and I only smoke straight pipes.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

So I'm a little curious - what kind of tobacco are you smoking?

I've never had more than a stray crumb or two come down the shank, and certainly never so much to clog anything up.

 

[AJL67]

I use at least a pipe cleaner during every smoke, just running it through, no breaking down the pipe, i detest even the slightest bit of gurgle, so there ya go.

 

[Green Hill Hermit]

I wouldn't go there. Water flushing is a very hot topic. Almost like waterboarding a house fly to teach them not to come in.

Oh boy....you've done it now.

Seems the water flush method is for bored pipe smokers who wanted to start their own "tik tok" challenge lol

 

[Lumbridge]

I've tried putting a bit of dry shag cut tobacco in the bottom of a bowl before filling the rest with my blend on top of it. Just some cheap stuff like Ohm or similar. It helps absorb moisture and gunk, and acting both as a filter and as sacrificial dottle, so I waste less of my pricier blends. Also, it helps make it easier to smoke one of my pipes with a 2" deep chamber (which I can't smoke past the 2/3 point to save my life) since it takes up some space at the bottom of the chamber.

Anyway, it might also help with the clogging issue. I can't say that this is an issue I've had to contend with very much, with either straight or bent pipes, regardless of tobacco cut.

 

[irishearl]

So I'm a little curious - what kind of tobacco are you smoking?

I've never had more than a stray crumb or two come down the shank, and certainly never so much to clog anything up.

Not an aro smoker. So, no goop.

 

[macaroni]

I've done a complete 180. From the beginning I've loved bents but this year after 32 years I find myself preferring straights. They just clench easier.

Me too @Chasing Embers

 

[macaroni]

I usually stack a few aquarium size carbon pellets in the bottom of my pipe and it prevents blockages.
The pellets also clean all the ash and dottle out with a single tap on the heel.

Never heard of carbon pellets. Are these like carbon fiber, the stuff that submarine was made from? Like meerschaum pellets (White Elephant)--which I've not yet tried?

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

Only two of my pipes do this, but they have a problem with the tar juices coming up the stem and ending up on the end of the bit. Really nasty when my tongue accidentally touches the bit and comes away with this liquid. These pipes are both straight.

 

[mso489]

I have clogging problems so rarely I've never given it any thought. My only issue with straight pipes is the increased leverage against my jaw and teeth when a straight pipe is somewhat heavy. These I smoke mostly in hand, but I still enjoy. Lighter straight pipes are not a problem.

However most of my pipes are at least slightly bent.

 

[kcghost]

I used to smoke pipes that were at least a 1/4 bent. But as I have gotten older, I prefer pipes that at most are a 1/4 bent. I don't recall whether this coincided with my switch from English blend to vapers.

 

[orvet]

I have a few straight pipes that are great smokers and cause me little to no hassle. However, I have around a half-dozen pipes that I've decided to give up on today despite loving their look simply because they clog too damn easily and realized everyone is a straight. Don't have near this problem with bent pipes. I get tired to their constant de-clogging.

I smoke almost exclusively straight pipes, but have a few quarter bents, and a couple that might be considered half bent. I don't have that problem, except I had a couple straight pipes that were smaller and had a smaller diameter draft hole. I drilled them out and that eliminated the plugging problem.

Sometimes I will get a bit of moisture in a pipe while smoking and I just run a pipe cleaner down the stem, through the shank to the bottom of the bowl. That removes the moisture and also helps prevent buildup. Depending on the pipe and the tobacco I may do that two or three times in the course of smoking a bowl. One of the reasons I like straight pipes as you can almost always get a pipe cleaner all the way down to the Bowl without removing the stem from the shank, which can cause the stem to loosen if done repeatedly.

I almost never smoke a pipe twice in the same day because of the moisture build up from repeated smoking. The pipe does not have time to dry out. The exception is when I am fishing and only have a couple of pipes with me. I will rotate back and forth and that is when I have problems with tar buildup in the shank, especially if there is a gap between the end of the stem tendon and the end of the mortise hole in the shank. That is easily cleaned with grain alcohol and a shank brush or a folded bristle cleaner dipped in alcohol. I use Everclear which is 90% grain alcohol. It may take two or three swabbings to get all of the gunk out, but the pipe tastes much better after that.

The only time I have ever soaked a pipe in water was when I dropped one out of the boat while fishing. It took several days to dry it out before I could smoke it again.

 

[irishearl]

I smoke almost exclusively straight pipes, but have a few quarter bents, and a couple that might be considered half bent. I don't have that problem, except I had a couple straight pipes that were smaller and had a smaller diameter draft hole. I drilled them out and that eliminated the plugging problem.

Sometimes I will get a bit of moisture in a pipe while smoking and I just run a pipe cleaner down the stem, through the shank to the bottom of the bowl. That removes the moisture and also helps prevent buildup. Depending on the pipe and the tobacco I may do that two or three times in the course of smoking a bowl. One of the reasons I like straight pipes as you can almost always get a pipe cleaner all the way down to the Bowl without removing the stem from the shank, which can cause the stem to loosen if done repeatedly.

I almost never smoke a pipe twice in the same day because of the moisture build up from repeated smoking. The pipe does not have time to dry out. The exception is when I am fishing and only have a couple of pipes with me. I will rotate back and forth and that is when I have problems with tar buildup in the shank, especially if there is a gap between the end of the stem tendon and the end of the mortise hole in the shank. That is easily cleaned with grain alcohol and a shank brush or a folded bristle cleaner dipped in alcohol. I use Everclear which is 90% grain alcohol. It may take two or three swabbings to get all of the gunk out, but the pipe tastes much better after that.

The only time I have ever soaked a pipe in water was when I dropped one out of the boat while fishing. It took several days to dry it out before I could smoke it again.

Don't actually soak the pipe in water. I take an eye dropper and dribble very hot water into the bowl. Hold it for 2 minutes or so and then work to get the blockages clear.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I have over 100 straight pipes , and I’ve never had a pipe clog. I’m not even sure how to make a pipe clog.

 

[simong]

I take an eye dropper and dribble very hot water into the bowl. Hold it for 2 minutes or so and then work to get the blockages clear.

What a namby pamby way of going around something that doesn’t need doing in the first place. A complete & utter waste of time.
For a quick fix, drop a chalk pad or wire birds nest in the chamber.

 

[jpberg]

Boy I’ve seen some weird threads, but this is the topper

 

[macaroni]

I have over 100 straight pipes , and I’ve never had a pipe clog. I’m not even sure how to make a pipe clog.

Well cosmic..., don't sit on the damn thing! Otherwise, you might find out after fat a#@ envelopes it...yes, the drinking lamp is lit