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Post by Stearmandriver on Jan 9, 2019 12:11:43 GMT -5
Hello,
I just received my first Savinelli, a nice quarter-bent rusticated apple, model 626. Beautiful pipe, feels great in the hand, clenches nice... I'm psyched to try it out later.
However, I was surprised to detach the stem and discover a piece of wood stuck in the shank. Further browsing of the box revealed that this is a "balsa system" pipe. Now, I guess I like the idea of an all-natural filter, but I'm a guy who usually tosses a filter immediately and smokes all my pipes unfiltered whether they came with one or not.
Any reason not to do that in this case? Anyone have any experience they can share about this balsa system?
Thanks!
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Post by Legend Lover on Jan 9, 2019 12:14:49 GMT -5
Hello, I just received my first Savinelli, a nice quarter-bent rusticated apple, model 626. Beautiful pipe, feels great in the hand, clenches nice... I'm psyched to try it out later. However, I was surprised to detach the stem and discover a piece of wood stuck in the shank. Further browsing of the box revealed that this is a "balsa system" pipe. Now, I guess I like the idea of an all-natural filter, but I'm a guy who usually tosses a filter immediately and smokes all my pipes unfiltered whether they came with one or not. Any reason not to do that in this case? Anyone have any experience they can share about this balsa system? Thanks! The balsa filter works quite well without affecting the taste of the smoke too much. YMMV |
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Post by daveinlax on Jan 9, 2019 12:27:38 GMT -5
Mine draws fine without the filter.  |
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Post by slowroll on Jan 9, 2019 12:28:33 GMT -5
The balsa works well in absorbing moisture especially in bent pipes. I've never noticed any effect on flavor, and they don't impede the draw. In replace them every smoke.
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Post by Ronv69 on Jan 9, 2019 12:38:38 GMT -5
Try it, you may like it.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2019 13:06:47 GMT -5
The balsa works well in absorbing moisture especially in bent pipes. I've never noticed any effect on flavor, and they don't impede the draw. In replace them every smoke. I was going to write the same but the way slowroll rolls with the balsa filters is how I roll. So ^^^^^ plus one. |
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Post by Butch Cassidy on Jan 9, 2019 13:13:32 GMT -5
The balsa works well in absorbing moisture especially in bent pipes. I've never noticed any effect on flavor, and they don't impede the draw. In replace them every smoke. Agreed.......Although I don't replace them after every smoke. I let them dry out after I clean the pipe. I get about 3-4 smokes out of them without an issue.YMMV |
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Post by kxg on Jan 9, 2019 13:15:06 GMT -5
I've a couple of Savinelli's that use them. I find they smoke fine with or without the filter. I tend to use the filters and discard after one use. Somewhere I read of a fellow who cuts his in half given most of the gunk tends to be in the front half of the filter. So he gets two for one. I haven't tried that yet but will. Bottom line: do as you wish and you'll be fine.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2019 13:17:17 GMT -5
There's a fairly significant difference between 6mm and 9mm. When I thinned my briar herd, 6mm went the way of the Dodo bird. I kept my 9mm Savs which are currently the mainstay of my current rotation.
6mm balsa systems just never worked for me in the end. I tossed both filters and pipes as well.
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cgvt
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Post by cgvt on Jan 9, 2019 13:33:57 GMT -5
My 320 came with one. I tried it. I didn't like it.  It also came with a tube to put in it to make it filterless. I like that much better. |
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Mac
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Post by Mac on Jan 9, 2019 13:42:42 GMT -5
I smoke all my filter-taking pipes with neither filter nor tube/adaptor.
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flybypipe
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Post by flybypipe on Jan 9, 2019 18:19:06 GMT -5
The balsa works well in absorbing moisture especially in bent pipes. I've never noticed any effect on flavor, and they don't impede the draw. In replace them every smoke. +1 |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2019 18:30:31 GMT -5
I like the balsa filters. They remove some moisture from the smoke without changing the taste. I sometimes have to trim them to get an unimpeded flow, but that's easy to do with balsa.
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Post by Ronv69 on Jan 9, 2019 18:42:41 GMT -5
My 320 came with one. I tried it. I didn't like it. It also came with a tube to put in it to make it filterless. I like that much better. Well, that's fine but I do sometimes like it. Not my fault that it didn't work out for you. Others note, although I didn't specify in my previous post, YMMV. |
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Post by peterd-Buffalo Spirit on Jan 9, 2019 21:39:25 GMT -5
...I do not use any filters at all...I've tried them a few times...just didn't see the need to continue...
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puritana
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Post by puritana on Jan 9, 2019 21:56:52 GMT -5
I like balsa simply because it draws moisture, and that is all I really continue using them for.
I fold up a pipe cleaner and stuff it in my 9mm pipes with the same result.
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Post by Legend Lover on Jan 10, 2019 4:05:19 GMT -5
I like balsa simply because it draws moisture, and that is all I really continue using them for. I fold up a pipe cleaner and stuff it in my 9mm pipes with the same result. I'm with you on this. The purpose of the filter, to me, is to catch moisture. I've found that my pipes gurgle somewhere in the stem, not in the bowl. A filter stops that. |
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Post by Stearmandriver on Jan 10, 2019 7:31:59 GMT -5
Thanks; great collection of insights as always. Guys. I LOVE this pipe. I tried an inaugural bowl of 965 tonight, wide open (no filter, no tube). I absolutely loved the easy, wide-open draw. It made smoking less of a series of puffs, and more of a super slow but almost continuous stream of smoke. It was... meditative. I'll try it with a balsa strip too, but it's already a definite keeper. Size, weight, balance, finish, clenchability are all winners too. Life is good! |
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puritana
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Post by puritana on Jan 10, 2019 12:29:17 GMT -5
I like balsa simply because it draws moisture, and that is all I really continue using them for. I fold up a pipe cleaner and stuff it in my 9mm pipes with the same result. I'm with you on this. The purpose of the filter, to me, is to catch moisture. I've found that my pipes gurgle somewhere in the stem, not in the bowl. A filter stops that. Yeah, and I also notice that there is no moisture buildup in the shank after smoking with a balsa filter. Without the filter, I usually leave a pipe cleaner in because there is noticeable moisture.
With the filter, I just ram a pipe cleaner in a few times and that's it.
And again, as said before, to each his own...as long as you are relaxing and enjoying yourself, that's all that matters.
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