Wide Mouth Shallow Bowls. Good For?

[monty55]

I own 2 pipes with a wide mouth, but shallow bowl. I have smoked all kinds of cuts and blends from them. And I cannot find anything that seems to smoke better than another in these. This is not the case with most of my pipes. I usually fine a blend or cut that prefers a pipe shape. I don't smoke aromatics, which I have read smoke best from this shape. So out of the english, va, va/per tobaccos has anyone found a cut or blend that works best in this shape over another? I don't mind buying some untried blends to smoke from these. I fear that they are really only perfect for aros. Is this true?

 

[buroak]

Broad, shallow bowls seem to be good for complex English and Oriental blends. That said, I was surprised at how different Carter Hall tastes when smoked in such a bowl.

 

[mso489]

Following suggestions by others, I think I'd agree that wide bowls, leaving depth alone for a minute, do expand the flavors in more complex blends, like those with four or more components. This stands to reason since more different kinds of tobacco might be burning at once in a broader bowl. The depth of the bowl has more to do with the duration of the smoke, although sometimes moist blends won't continue to burn as well in a deep bowl. So if you really want to get the full range of flavors from big English, Scottish, Balkan, or more complex non-aromatic burley blends, a wide bowl is a good prospect. These include many pots, princes, authors, diplomats, and others ... what shapes am I forgetting? But there's no law here. Some ample bowled billiards, Dublins, pokers and such may also do an excellent job; it varies from pipe to pipe.

 

[monty55]

So this is interesting. Does this possibly mean these two pipes happen to smoke all these complex blends, that I prefer, equally as well, and that is why I am not seeing a preference?

 

[northernneil]

MSO, I fully agree with you point of view. I tend to select my pipe and tobacco paired using your criteria.

 

[mso489]

Monty, likely, yes. Some of the Virginias and Va/Per, with fewer separate kinds of leaf, but still with a lot of nuance, seem to show off (for me) in small bowls, not particularly wide, and also some with conical (narrowing toward the bottom) bowls. Again, no hard and fast rules, but generally, often a better bet.

 

[monty55]

Thanks so much mso. You sir, are a plethora of pipe knowledge! I love this forum!

 

[romeowood]

I have a couple that I tend to favor for Lat & Oriental blends, particularly GLP fare such as Key Largo or Westminster.

Neal Archer Roan has a good primer on the subject here.

 

[monty55]

Great article, thanks romeowood. Good info there. I had to laugh tho when he says GLP Stonehenge is one of his favorites. That must be tough when there was only like 1500 tins ever produced LOL. Most of us would give our left nut to try a single bowl!