bowl shape vs tobacco type

[jacko]

Hi Folks

I'm wondering what your opinion is on what is the best bowl shape (or pipe shape) for particular kinds of tobacco, VA, English vs Flake vs cake etc. I'm sure this topic has come up before but searches didn't yield anything directly relating to the question.

Thanks!

 

[Harlock999]

I know that quite a few have weighed in with the opinion that bulldogs, especially squat ones, often make good flake pipes due to the dimensions of the chamber. I tend to lean in that direction as well, but not exclusively.

 

[Anonymous]

The trouble with asking questions like that is you're going to elicit answers from people who do ridiculous things and like the results.

For Virginias, generations past zeroed in on bores around 3/4 to 13/16" wide, and roughly 1" deep. They knew what they were doing. That size would subsume your straight and bent bulldog (a personal favorite), prince, apple, and similar designs. Billiards with bores that size can also work well, provide you don't often find yourself reaching the point where you've had enough before you reach the bottom of the bowl.

(Yes, DGT can be pleasant. But it's an orange to an apple comparison).

Those who smoke English mixtures often seem to find that wider bores (7/8" &+) (more surface area involved) accentuate the flavor, letting it stretch out and expand a bit.

re. straights or bents, personal preferences vary, and more goes into choices than pure performance. Two notes though :

1) It's hard to go wrong with a straight (or nearly so) design, and

2) LL has noted that the majority of pipes he gets from people wanting their performance improved (especially chronic wet smokers) are bents.

(Which is not to imply that you're not going to find a bent that smokes well. But unless it's a Peterson System, the odds that you'll find one on the budget rack are not in your favor, and you can spend quite a bit on a "name" bent and still have to send it off to Hoth for corrective surgery).

FWIW

:face:

 

[MisterE]

It´s funny you should say that, Yak, because I have only one bent in my regular rotation and is sucks for flakes. Don´t know why it doesn´t work, but I just don't smoke flakes in it.

:lol!:

 

[Hunter5117]

I smoke a lot of flake Va and Vaper's and as stated already by the good Mr. Yak, almost always find that a small, straight or almost straight pipe is my preference. Far and away my favorite bowl shape for these tobaccos is a Dublin. I find the thick walls allows me to smoke slow yet build up a good level of heat in the bowl which works to release the goodness of the tobacco without over-puffing which is what leads to excess bite. For burley's and english blends which I smoke less frequently, I can handle a bent shape with a larger bowl as I can smoke these a little faster and still find them enjoyable. Excess moisture buildup is only a problem when I forget to bring a pipe cleaner with me or have used them all up, I run one quite frequently when smoking these shapes.