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Post by urbino on Mar 15, 2021 5:29:38 GMT -5
Reading about tobacco blends, I occasionally run across a statement like, "This will work best in a wide bowl," or the opposite, "This will work best in a tall, narrow chamber," or some other variation of the same idea.
This seems like next-level piping to me, but it has me curious. Do you guys find bowl size/shape has any effect on the smoking qualities of a blend? If so, what does your experience tell you? Are there tendendencies? English blends tend to work best in ____, while VA/Pers work best in ____. Flakes smoke best in ____, but cube cut seems to like _____.
Anything along those lines?
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Post by Legend Lover on Mar 15, 2021 7:24:56 GMT -5
I wish I could determine this too. Everything works well in any pipe, to me.
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Post by just ol ed on Mar 15, 2021 7:36:01 GMT -5
just echoing Paddy above. Have found no difference & forever since '62
ol Ed from Batavia, NY
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Post by Darin on Mar 15, 2021 7:55:56 GMT -5
In general and not always followed:
Va's in taller, more narrow bowls.
Lat blends in wider, larger bowls
Burley in Cobs
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Post by fadingdaylight on Mar 15, 2021 7:56:50 GMT -5
I've read that flakes do well in tall, slender bowls, like chimneys.
That said, I just smoke whatever I want in whatever I want, and it works for me.
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Post by taiguy66 on Mar 15, 2021 8:05:16 GMT -5
It’s a great idea, and I do have specific pipes for certain blends but that’s as far as I go for now.
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Post by exbenedict on Mar 15, 2021 8:06:18 GMT -5
If it smokes well in the pipe I happen to be smoking then I'm fine with it.....so far, I haven't found anything that didn't, so I'm going to say that no, it doesn't matter.
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Post by trailboss on Mar 15, 2021 8:09:14 GMT -5
In general and not always followed: Va's in taller, more narrow bowls. Lat blends in wider, larger bowls Burley in Cobs Pretty much how it goes for me. |
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Post by mrlunting on Mar 15, 2021 8:48:28 GMT -5
I have one aro designated to a certain pipe (Georgian Creme & Brigham Algonquin).
Other than that I have smoked blends in various pipes and found no difference.
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Post by Ronv69 on Mar 15, 2021 9:27:07 GMT -5
On some blends Jim has given me guidance and it has worked, but I forget. I Smoke FMC in an egg shape that is taller like a stack. It's not nearly as good in any other pipe. Bengal Slices works best in a billiard for me. More complex blends seem to open up in a pot.
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Post by sperrytops on Mar 15, 2021 11:45:33 GMT -5
My selections are always random.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2021 12:26:14 GMT -5
It's really interesting to me that so many smokers see no differences. I can't imagine smoking flake in a short, wide bowl. On the other hand, a short wide bowl is better for heavily-nuanced tobaccos that aren't compressed (plug,flake), which makes sense if you think about it: if a blend has many components and you smoke it in a slender bowl, some components may not get lit.
I guess the main thing is - if you can't tell any difference, you're good continuing on as-is, and if you CAN tell differences, you need to continue doing what you're doing if it works.
The other reason I see for different pipes for different blends is ghosting - I can absolutely tell if I smoke straight VA or VAPer in a pipe that I previously smoked a Lakeland (and forgot I had done so). On the other hand, a friend of mine sees so problem whatsoever following Lakelands with VA's. And for reasons I forget, I have a meer and a morta that I only smoke Latakia blends in.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2021 13:31:21 GMT -5
Speaking of flake pipes - I just received my first 'Cramptholomew' this morning. It's a Pibe Dan style with a 2 5/8" tall bowl and an 11/16" bore. I'm expecting it to be a fabulous flake smoker. Sorry - until I get my photo-hosting working on my web-site, I'll just have to keep honing my descriptive skills. I'm practicing by re-reading Steinbeck and Michener.
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Post by CrustyCat on Mar 16, 2021 1:19:38 GMT -5
I just seem to smoke everything in my favorite pipe. It fits in my pipe pouch and it's a nice long smoke. As far as ghosting goes, I've never noticed any. But I can't pick out all the different nuanced flavors of tobacco either.
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Post by terrapinflyer on Mar 16, 2021 5:46:33 GMT -5
In general and not always followed: Va's in taller, more narrow bowls. Lat blends in wider, larger bowls Burley in Cobs That's the prevailing wisdom I've heard. Virginia sort of stoves itself on the way down, so that makes some sense. I read GLP somewhere saying that a wide bowl works in lat blends because there are more components and the wider ember gets all of them at once. The man knows his latakia blends. Burley? Idk. Most of my pipes are cobs or small bowled briars. I smoke out of whatever hasn't been used recently. I do have a couple that I only smoke lats in and a couple for Lakelands, but that's because of Casper, not bowl dimensions. |
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Post by urbino on Mar 16, 2021 14:35:23 GMT -5
Really interesting stuff, guys. I kind of doubt, given my general level of disorganization, that I'll match blends/cuts to bowls on any kind of consistent basis, but it'll be interesting to experiment with sometimes.
Ghosting is definitely a thing, but not the thing I'm asking about. I keep a little set of pipes for aromatics. I might end up doing the same for Lakelands, depending on how much I end up smoking them. Dunno if I'll ever get as far as segregating latakia pipes from other non-aromatics, but maybe. Right now, though, I'm only asking about matching blends/cuts to bowl style.
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Post by lizardonarock on Mar 16, 2021 15:40:14 GMT -5
Pipes dedicated to blends sure, dedicated pipes styles for blends absurdity.
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Post by username on Mar 16, 2021 19:58:50 GMT -5
Outside of lakelands I smoke everything in all my pipes. I have a cob dedicated to lakelands because I’m more worried about Ghosting then any thing else.
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Post by Darin on Mar 17, 2021 10:00:21 GMT -5
So there you have it and it's as usual ... a few with opinions, a few with different opinions and those that couldn't tell the difference if they tried. Your best bet is to always do your own experimentation and develop your own opinions. This has become quite clear after almost a decade of online pipe forum time.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2021 10:52:31 GMT -5
So there you have it and it's as usual ... a few with opinions, a few with different opinions and those that couldn't tell the difference if they tried. Your best bet is to always do your own experimentation and develop your own opinions. This has become quite clear after almost a decade of online pipe forum time. And almost no denigration of others' opinions, which is always great in a discussion forum. |
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Post by qmechanics on Mar 17, 2021 22:56:16 GMT -5
Another question I would ask is, how sophisticated is your palate? Are you someone who can pick out subtle flavors and/or detect what you are smoking? Many of us can taste broad differences like comparing a straight Virginia blend to a strong Latakia blend. But when you break it down and ask one to discriminate between the different varieties of Virginia tobaccos and/or the difference between Cyprian and Syrian tobaccos and/or various Orientals etc. (their interplay etc.) in a given blend, can they tell? Or more specifically what can they discern? So it is no surprise that some might not be able to tell any difference, when it comes to matching certain blends with different bowls. I for one would not have a problem with that, unless one boasts about their experience as universal. There are also many other factors that might come into play when discerning differences in tobacco.
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jay
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Post by jay on Mar 17, 2021 23:06:28 GMT -5
For me, matching is easy. The pipe is brown, the tobacco is brown, so they go together.
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Post by Silver on Mar 17, 2021 23:15:11 GMT -5
I only use about 8 of my pipes for anything with latakia. I can taste the latakia in these if I draw on these when they're empty. They happen to all be from classic English pipe makers, Dunhill, Sasieni, and Charatan. Just something I do. Also, I only smoke Haunted Bookshop in a corn cob. Just seems to taste better.
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Post by mrlunting on Mar 18, 2021 0:44:08 GMT -5
I will place a pile of the tobacco I am going to smoke on a plate. The pipe that closest matches the tobacco by color is what I choose. 🤪
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Post by Stearmandriver on Mar 18, 2021 1:08:30 GMT -5
I did not know Tsuge blends tobacco... I've always loved their pipes though. That's a nice one!
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Post by Ronv69 on Mar 18, 2021 10:25:56 GMT -5
I don't have a sophisticated palate, but there is a big difference that anyone should be able to notice if you smoke a wide variety of tobaccos. For instance, I had some Penzance given to me and I tried it in a dozen pipes before I found one that worked. I could only taste it in a Ben Wade English made pot.
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Post by taiguy66 on Mar 18, 2021 11:01:54 GMT -5
Another question I would ask is, how sophisticated is your palate? Are you someone who can pick out subtle flavors and/or detect what you are smoking? Many of us can taste broad differences like comparing a straight Virginia blend to a strong Latakia blend. But when you break it down and ask one to discriminate between the different varieties of Virginia tobaccos and/or the difference between Cyprian and Syrian tobaccos and/or various Orientals etc. (their interplay etc.) in a given blend, can they tell? Or more specifically what can they discern? So it is no surprise that some might not be able to tell any difference, when it comes to matching certain blends with different bowls. I for one would not have a problem with that, unless one boasts about their experience as universal. There are also many other factors that might come into play when discerning differences in tobacco. With cigars I’m really good at picking up different taste notes but not as good with pipe tobacco. Thinking perhaps I’m still “new” to the pipe world and still realigning my tastebuds. Also, pipe tobacco, IMHO, is more subtle then cigars. Regardless, it certainly is a lot of fun. Call it my “Zen moment “ if you will. 😁👍 |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2021 15:21:25 GMT -5
I don't have a sophisticated palate, but there is a big difference that anyone should be able to notice if you smoke a wide variety of tobaccos. For instance, I had some Penzance given to me and I tried it in a dozen pipes before I found one that worked. I could only taste it in a Ben Wade English made pot. That's true, but I've learned that if someone says they can't tell the difference, then they probably can't. Not sure if that's great or not-so-great. It's the same with lots of things - give me any old golf ball. What about having the 'right' glass for the 'right' drink? Maybe if I owned a brandy snifter I'd like brandy? Tequila in pint glasses? Barolo in shot glasses? Guinness in a wine glass? |
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Post by zver on Mar 18, 2021 15:44:36 GMT -5
Bowsell's Premium Burly in my only non Boswell actively smoked pipe.
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