Jericho,
IMHO, Churchwardens are GREAT when you really just want to sit back and enjoy a smoke, maybe read a book but nothing serious, and I like that Lord of the Rings feel about them. I like to smoke while I do my studies and write papers, it helps me concentrate better, but I like the standard pipes for that because I just let them hang most of the time. Churchwardens don't do so well if you expect to be using your hands for other things.
I bought the Savinelli 601 Z and I can only say that it's fantastic. I use this one for aromatic blends and I love that the bit is quite thin and I can jus cross my arms and let it rest on my hand. pipesandcigars.com and cupojoes.com both have this and it's a VERY reasonable price. With the $40 I had remaining after the purchase, I put it aside for my next churchwarden to smoke non-aromatics in, which I will be getting from Boswell pipes. Check out boswellpipes.com and look at their churchwarden pipe gallery. I was about to buy the BC Balzac but once I saw this pipe from boswell I was hooked and though it may take a while to get, I'm sure my patience will pay off.
I simply asked him to make me this exact pipe, and for less than $100. There are other makers out there that can make one for you to your specs, and if Boswell turns out to be a good pipe, I may get one of their rhodhesians.
If you would like a CW right now, the savinelli is great, AND it passes the cleanner test, :shock: Just keep in mind, have plenty of churchwarden pipe cleaners handy as it DOES tend to have A LOT of moisture in the stem and does need a little extra oomph when puffing, but since my experience is based on the smell of the tobacco and not as much of the taste, the extra distance from the nose helps me get an even better fix.
Hope this helps