pipe matchmaking

So, first let me say this is all subjective and a matter of personal tastes.

First, I don't dedicate pipes. I don't believe in it, and I personally think it's a waste of time. Second, I have never got myself hung up on certain shapes/sizes for certain types of blends. I find that a Bing will smoke everything well. Remember where I said this was all subjective? lol

That being said many are firm believers in pipe dedication and that certain shapes/sizes will improve the flavor profile. The idea behind pipe dedication is that you don't sully a bowl with something that is not in the same flavor profile. For example, a pipe that is dedicated to VA's will always allow you to taste the most out of any VA you put in it, since you haven't smoked Latakia in that same bowl. Obviously, Latakia can leave a distinct ghost which will impact a lighter VA.

As far as the size/shape opinion, I have heard that shorter, wider bowls (ie. Pot, Author) will open up the flavor of a complex blend. Narrow tall bowls (ie. Dublin, Stack) are often said to be better for flakes and plugs, allowing a focus of flavor.

Being a non-believer, I can't really enlighten any more than that. Hopefully some guys that are dedicators and shape/size insistent will chime in.

Sorry Maggie, but I'm with Justin on this one. EXCEPT for CONDOR: I have two briars dedicated to Condor, although they see a bit of other action too.

Good morning Cob Princess.
I'm a newbie also and have wonder the same thing.
Their is a lot of discussion about this on the internet.
There is a good article I found on a Google search that was done by Pipes Magazine if memory serves me😬
In general it says their are 3 ways of doing this and it depends on each persons taste, budget, etc
1. No dedication 2. Partial dedication. 3. Full dedication, to do this you would have to have the $ for so many pipes.

I personally have a couple pipes that I smoke only aromatic soon. Which is not my normal go to blend.
But I also have a couple other pipes for a few non-aromatics that just have a very strong flavor. That I can taste when I smoke other tobaccos in those pipes. Iwan and Ries King Oriental has a clove taste that lingers. McClelland 2035 Dark Navy Flake seems to linger in the pipe also.
And that is a straight Virginia. Both of these are favorites and I have now dedicated specific pipes to both of those

I have a Dunhill that I only smoke Penzance in.If I run into a blend that smokes a little hot I smoke it in a Canadian.The extra length seems to cool the smoke a bit.Other than I don't dedicate pipes.

This is just me:

Burleys and cobs go together, period. I've never taken this one any further as no need to buck perfection.

Virginia and VaPer's work best for me in briars.

I prefer Lats in meerschaum.

I only have specifically dedicated briar pipes for my favorite aromatics.

This took some time to work out, years, but it's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I also have a little food processor reserved for my favorite 50g tins of flake. They normally go down fast after getting the treatment.

I was late to this party so you stole my thunder!


Maggie you also need to make sure the pipe fits your personality so make sure you spend time with some pipes in front of a mirror and see if each pipe matches!

I don't have pipes dedicated for blends because of the residual aspect, but....

I find that wider, deeper bowls work better for my English and aromatics.

Narrower, shorter bowls seem to do better for Virginia/ Virginia Perique (va-per) blends. If I was to load a wide deep bowl of a Virginia blend, it really does a number on me heat wise, it seems to me that is an exercise in mouth roasting.


It really is subjective as others said... listen to the advice and see if you find commonality with anyone and post your findings here, I would be interested.

Matching the clothes is of course also subjective.

This is the way I see it from my experience, small bowls 3/4" dia. and smaller are good for full bodied tobaccos and larger bowls 7/8" dia. and up are better for medium to lighter tobaccos. Although I also find that tobaccos with a lot of different nuances in flavor tend to also be best in smaller bowls. Many will say differently and I think it all comes down to YOUR palette. We all have different tastes and I'm certainly not a tobacco kindasewer.