Any Calabash pipe smokers out there?

[Fr_Tom]

Just curious......how would you all feel about a briar insert gourd calabash?

I would be interested in seeing one. I liked my calabash and wish there were an easy source of replacement meerschaum bowls to replace my cracked one. I wonder what the difference in density is for meerschaum vs briar. I know they are variable, but in general, I think that meerschaum is less dense. The bowls are pretty big if it is a full-sized gourd.

 

[Fr_Tom]

I was inspired by this thread to take a couple of pictures of my calabash for the forum. The bowl had a chip come off the very tip at some point in the distant past. The crack in the bowl is in the second picture. As much as I smoked this, you can see how the gourd colored. The top of the bowl never really did color much. This may be due to pressed meerschaum? Who knows...

 

[monbla256]

Fr. Tom,
Found these folks who say they have replacement bowls for Calabashes and do repairs on 'em as well. You might want to give 'em a call  

http://www.starfirepipeworks.com/pricing.html

 

[Fr_Tom]

monbla... I may do this. I have done the google search before and have come up empty. It has been a while though. I figured they just were not really able to be repaired... Tom

 

[CharlG]

I really don't have the answer to your question, ftrplt. I would think that it really is not economically viable to grow calabashes. It is sort of a niche of a niche market.
What I do know is that it is damn scarce over here. If you do not know somebody, you'll never get hold of it.

 

[Idlefellow]

Heck, smear some super glue on that puppy and fire her up! :?: !

 

[SPUD 15]

E bay always has replacement bowls also. MIKE

 

[Fr_Tom]

The bowls come in different sizes and I think they have to be fitted. I am going to get Scottie to make a briar one for it. That will look great and will fit, etc. I will be interested to see how this turns out.

 

[monbla256]

The bowls come in different sizes and I think they have to be fitted. I am going to get Scottie to make a briar one for it. That will look great and will fit, etc. I will be interested to see how this turns out.

That's a neat idea and ought to look and smoke good !! Give some thought to having the bowl blasted to make for some neat looking contrast :twisted: 

 

[Fr_Tom]

I am actually quite excited about the prospect of the new briar bowl. I think I am going with the birdseye option. I am claiming it will smoke great. This was always an armchair pipe anyway, so if it is a little heavier, I am not going to be stressed...

 

[ftrplt]

I really don't have the answer to your question, ftrplt. I would think that it really is not economically viable to grow calabashes. It is sort of a niche of a niche market.
What I do know is that it is damn scarce over here. If you do not know somebody, you'll never get hold of it.

CharlG.....pretty much what I've gleaned over the last few years. Labor intensative and not hugely profitable!!!!! FTRPLt

 

[fishnbanjo]

I owned both block meerschaum and enamel bowled ones, both have been given to friends that wanted to have one so I obliged with their wish. I smoked one (enamel) for 20 years and the block meerschaum for 30 years and both smoked very cool. My reason for giving them up was size, both bowl capacity and physical, since I suffer from a neurological disorder that causes severe cramping and hand holding something that size and sitting can be extremely uncomfortable.

I have replaced them with one by Maigurs Knets made from Briar and a Masur Birch Bowl which is easy enough to hang from my mouth and not constantly have to hold or sit, walking with it is easy and it smokes great. I also have 2 Calabash inside system pipes, one by Getz made of briar and the other a Chubby Billiard NeatPipes design made with Morta by Radice and both smoke extremely cool and dry and are very easy maintenance.

 

[Idlefellow]

Banjo, that calabash shape is sweet!

 

[Fr_Tom]

My calabash has been shipped off to Scottie.

 

[Fr_Tom]

Here is the finished bowl in the pipe. Scottie says it still needs buffing in this picture, but I wanted to keep folks current with the project. The bowl weighs less than the original meerschaum.

 

[Anonymous]

I wonder if she has any of that white shoe polish to put on it.  We use to get that for our "white bucks" that were popular back in the day.

[evil grin] or as Monbla would say, " :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: "

 

[Richard Burley]

Actually, I think I prefer the briar insert to the meerschaum. Looks more natural, if not traditional. What I'm taking from this thread is that it doesn't make any difference what a calabash is made of, as long as it has the configuration with a "holding tank" below the bowl to mellow the smoke. I think I just tossed tradition out the window. (As an almost unrelated aside, the classic movie image of Sherlock with a calabash always looked weird to me anyhow.)

 

[Fr_Tom]

I have no misgivings about the move to the briar bowl. I think it looks great. In terms of the calabash thing, I have never tried anything like an aerobilliard, so I can't comment on how the concept works on a smaller scale.

This calabash was always an armchair pipe, and I can attest to its being a cool,tasty smoke. I am looking forward to smoking it again.

 

[Fr_Tom]

Here it is buffed and ready to be shipped out...

 

[Fr_Tom]

The calabash with the new bowl is being smoked as I type this. It is great! I am very happy with the work, and the first smoke is great - Louisiana Red.

Thanks Scottie!