A Pipe Question

[Puffy]

I've had two danish freehand pipes for several years now.They are both beautiful pipes.Both are well balanced,and feel good in my hand.All of that sounds good,but there's a problem.Neither smokes as well as I would like.They're not bad just not as good as some of my other pipes.I smoke them some now and then in the hopes that sooner or later they will improve.I can't bring myself to give up on two really pretty pipes. Anyone here ever have that problem?

 

[Falconer]

What I've experienced it's usually the draw. If the shank can be drilled/bored out some you might have a better smoke.

 

[Trout Bum]

NCguy -- I agree with Falconer, it sounds like you might consider opening the airways... on that note, I have been wanting to get a 70's classic Danish freehand, specifically a Larsen or a Preben Holm... and I have been kinda curious about how they might smoke, specifically have been somewhat worried about the draw on them, and now you've got me double wondering about the airway on this style/shape of pipes! By chance, are either of your pipes a Larsen or a Preben Holm?

Just curious, thanks -- TB

 

[Harlock999]

I have an older Larsen, maybe 70's, and it performs very well :!:

 

[Skip48]

I have 2 free hand Jobey's and like both, but don't smoke them as much just because they are so large. Even so they are not heavier than smaller ones. Both smoke well though!

Skip

 

[Sasquatch]

One thing to consider with those Danish pipes is that they perform just terribly if you pack them with an ordinary 3-tier or just a "stuff it in till it's full" sort of pack. The conical bowls in those pipes will bung up at the bottom and the smoke will get wet and bitter etc.

If you want to see what these pipes can really do before you go the surgical route, take a ball of tobacco, and just roll it up in your hand, compress it to where it will fit in the pipe, and just pop it in. Do not push it to the bottom - leave an airspace below the wad of tobacco. Light this up (it may not light super easy), and smoke more or less as per normal, but you need to tamp far lighter and less often - this packing method takes care of itself.

This was the revelation which allowed me to really enjoy the tapered bowl in some of my pipes, and now to be honest, I prefer it in many ways. It's kind of bitchy to master, but once you figure out how to run this type of pipe without plugging up the bottom, they work incredibly well.

 

[Amenhotep04]

I'm in agreement with Sasquatch. I've done that before and had good luck with it. I'm reluctant to recommend opening up the airways since I'm not a big fan of a bigger draw.

:farao:

 

[Skip48]

A question for you Sas, on the conical bowls as you call it, are these like my pipes bought 1980 and before? All of mine are smaller at the bottom and dished so is this the same thing your talking about? My Caminetto's are also like that so just wondering if this way your packing the Danish pipes will also help on all of mine?

Of course can't wait to try the one coming from you as it is different I believe than any I have.

Skip

 

[mark]

Thanks Sas,,I've got a conical that's been less than co operative since I got it,,,,I'll give this method a shot,,,,

 

[itsKot]

Hmm interesting solution to the conical bowl there, Sas. What danish pipes use the conical bowl? Do current Stanwells drill that way or the run-of-the-mill bowl drilling? I only ask 'cause I have a Stanwell on it's way to me right now, so it struck a chord when i read your post.

 

[Sasquatch]

The conical bowls are often used in Dublin type shapes, which are narrow at the bottom, so a Stanny 217 for example, or the Hans Christian Anderson shape 2 (calabash) feature it. I'm in no position to comment on every Stanwell ever produced.

A lot of the egg-shaped freehands from Jobey Dansk's to Stanwells to various high grades, etc, Preben Holm.... all traditional Danish shapes will have that conical bowl.

How do you tell - well, I don't know if there's a rule, but if you stick your finger in your pipe and you can feel the bottom of the bowl at all points, it's probably fairly round down there. If your finger gets pinched by the sidewalls and can't get right to the bottom it's conical or tapered.

Skip, I don't really know what Caminetto does for bits. The Italian pipes I have all have pretty blunt bowls. Likewise, the brandy in question is NOT a tapered bowl (no reason in a brandy shape), so it's a Danish looking pipe with English guts, so to speak.

The packing method outlined works in every pipe, but it seems like a very natural fit with a tapered chamber. What it amounts to is having the tobacco compacted side-to-side rather than up-and-down, and I think the Frank pack accomplishes a similar thing, which is why you can pack so tight and still have a perfect draw.

Anyway, as with all things pipey, your mileage may vary, see dealer for details.

 

[itsKot]

I expect it to be mildly tapered, as it is their 191 bulldog. It's a nice chunk of briar so they could bore it regularly but I imagine in the interest of a larger bowl it is tapered a bit. But keep in mind these are just the ramblings of a crazy man, haha. Anyone have any light to shed on a stannie 191?

 

[Harlock999]

OK, Sasquatch knows what he is talking about! I just tried his conical bowl packing method on a Preben Holm I got a few weeks ago and the results were EPIC! This was the first time I smoked this pipe, and after packing some Davidoff Royalty in it using the above method, I was blown away. It was a pleasure watching monumental columns of smoke rising into the night sky. Now, I usually don't set out to produce huge clouds of smoke, but tonight was all about BIG smoke. That old Danish pipe was seriously producing!

 

[Trout Bum]

Sasquatch -- awesome info; thanks for posting!

 

[bluedigital]

Sasquatch -- awesome info; thanks for posting!

Ditto that thanks

 

[RobT]

That packing method works really well for me too. I think it's the same as the 'Frank Pack' method:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJP0JaNRw6Q
He goes through the process quite laboriously - very German... but the explanation is excellent.

 

[Sasquatch]

A similar idea for sure. But I usually don't have time to massage my tobacco and buy it a drink before I smoke it.

 

[Harlock999]

 

[Natch]

A similar idea for sure. But I usually don't have time to massage my tobacco and buy it a drink before I smoke it.

:lol!: Crude, but :lol!:

When I tried that line of thought in my younger years, I had a lot of first dates (only!).

Natch

 

[Trout Bum]

Harlock -- DUDE!! That is a flipping awesome Preben Holm! Seriously, that one is ultra bad ass... I am looking for something very similar. Someday soon, perhaps!