cool smoking pipe

[Boxerbuddy]

I'm a pretty new pipe smoker, I have 4 pipes in my collection now. 1 of them smokes cooler than the others. It doesn't matter if I pack it tight or loose, smoke it slow or fast, it still smokes cool pretty much no matter what.

Is this due to the cake? The porousness of the Briar?

Is it luck of the draw to get a cool smoking pipe or are there brands or makers out there that have a reputation for it?

In any case here is the pipe...it's Nording freehand with a sandblast finish on most of it and a smooth finish on one side....sorry in advance for the pic quality....crappy cell phone camera.

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[Boulder]

Very nice, best of luck with it.

 

[joshoowah]

There are many factors when figuring out why it's a "cool smoking" pipe. Most of the time, I would say it's just the method of the pack, but thickness of briar, diameter of shank drilling, and quality of the briar play a factor in my opinion. That bowl looks quite thick, so that would be my guess. Also, cake does play a factor as well.

 

[Sasquatch]

I'll try to answer your question, Boxer, without either offering a dogmatic opinion or waxing mystical.

By "cooler" I'm going to assume that what you mean is that the thing feels fairly cool in the hand, that it doesn't get hot to the touch, and that also the smoke coming out of the stem does not feel hot, does not burn your tongue.

If this is the case, then in my experience, yes, certain pipes do this, and it's invariably pipes that share some properties with yours. I think the thickness of the walls is helpful in the same way that a thermos bottle keeps your spaghetti warm until lunch time - wood is not a real good conductor of heat, and those thick walls insulate well, returning a lot of heat to the tobacco. The result is that less "cherry", less of a burn zone, needs to exist in order to continue the burn.

Second, I've heard it postulated that pipes with the grain running vertically will be better at this heat retention/return than other pipes. Most pipe makers and many pipe smokers will say that's rubbish.

A tall chamber, relatively narrow compared to it's height, is probably the easiest shape to light well and burn thoroughly, again without requiring a huge cherry and a ton of heat.

Lastly, I'll wager that the pipe is fairly "open", that is the airways allow you to move smoke fairly freely.

You put all these things into a pipe and it smokes like magic, in my experience. I built a pipe "just for me" the other week, and you'll notice all the factors in play (and I can tell you that the airway is 11/64" diameter too).

Anyway, what you have experienced is simply pipe smoking as it can and should be. It's possible that your other pipes could be modified internally to smoke better, but it's no guarantee. For your packing technique, puffing rhythm, etc, that Nording works for you. Consider yourself lucky that you found such a pipe and so dramatic of a difference early on in your career - now you know what to look for on your next pipes. And that's not saying just buy Nordings - lots of pipes offer that kind of setup.

 

[Boxerbuddy]

thanks sasquatch, actually the pipe itself does get hot, especially on the smooth side, but it always delivers cool smoke. Cooler than my other pipes. But thanks for all the knowledge you imparted in that post. I get obsessed by hobbies and this one is no different, I learn as much as I can as fast as I can and you just enabled my information insanity!

Oh and btw did you make that pipe yourself or have it custom made to your liking?

If you made it yourself, great job.

 

[Sasquatch]

Made it. And kept it for, uh, quality control testing. Yeah. That's right.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Made it. And kept it for, uh, quality control testing. Yeah. That's right.

:lol:

...beside that fact, Sas, nice response to the original question.

"Hot" versus "cool" seems to be poetic and "mystical" in both opinion and (what we presume could be) fact. The research I've done lends itself suggesting tighter grain "withstands" heat, which makes me wonder, as a novice, how hot exactly I might be getting the tobacco if I can't exactly feel it on the outside. Perhaps I'm blaming tobacco for being ill-tasting or "peppery" because of my draw, but I remember it tasting so good when I first tried it. Habit? *shrug* All I know is, I enjoy a pipe that has the ability to feel hot on the outside so I can kind of gauge if I'm totally fanning flames or properly smoking a pipe.

As for cool smoke, on the other hand, stem/shank length and thickness, and bore/airway diameter have to play a factor, assuming the smoker has the right tobacco moisture and is drawing/packing right. A Canadian I refurbished recently I just smoked last night, and its airway is as wide as ditch culvert, far wider than any other pipe I own. Packing the tobacco does little to restrict the flow, and I have found I am more comfortable on a thinner bore. I adapted, though, and that pipe may well serve me a way to test problems like nervously smoking and not minding my technique, deciding whether or not it's a bad pipe (comparatively to another or for me in general) or a tobacco I simply don't like. That pipe, in the wrong hands, might give a nasty-hot smoke to some. Probably why I found as a dusty estate rather than a well-used one.

I guess the simple answer is, "Some pipes smoke better than others." (May we all find ours.)

 

[Sasquatch]

It's all very personal, yes. Packing and cadence, type of blend, type of cut.... one guy's dream pipe might be another guy's dud.

I totally understand about the "thick walls = I can't tell what the hell I'm doing" concept, and in a sense, especially for a new guy, a thin walled pipe will "teach" a lot more - damn thing gets hot!!

I can load to the top and smoke to the bottom of the pipe in the picture without it ever feeling warm in any way at all. It feels like an unlit pipe after a 1/2 hour of smoking, so I consider that a "cool smoker". I was surprised to have the OP here say that the pipe still gets hot but the smoke is cooler - that's a new one for me.

 

[asmoke]

Made it. And kept it for, uh, quality control testing. Yeah. That's right.

I'm about to start a pipe for "quality control" testing. I love quality control...

Thin walls do make for excellent teaching...

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Personally, I think I draw too much (not necessarily too fast...), still have that "gotta keep it lit" mentality. A hot pipe feels hot, and hot smoke tastes/feels very prickly, I guess one would say. Not to mention too-hot convects and dries the poor, defenseless tobacco underneath waiting its turn. I don't think I've had a hot pipe give me that blissful, awesome smoke that makes me glad I started this hobby (regardless if it was my doing or the pipe's design)...so yes, it's a weird concept to me, too.

Ah well, learn as I go. Just trying to keep track of the "good smokes" so I can deduce the findings. My "crap smokes" to "good smokes" ratio is getting much better. 8) My cheap Washington cob actually has the thinnest walls of my modest collection, and gets the hottest, and at $4, is training me plenty. Gotten great smoke out of it, too.

 

[Boxerbuddy]

It's all very personal, yes. Packing and cadence, type of blend, type of cut.... one guy's dream pipe might be another guy's dud.

I totally understand about the "thick walls = I can't tell what the hell I'm doing" concept, and in a sense, especially for a new guy, a thin walled pipe will "teach" a lot more - damn thing gets hot!!

I can load to the top and smoke to the bottom of the pipe in the picture without it ever feeling warm in any way at all. It feels like an unlit pipe after a 1/2 hour of smoking, so I consider that a "cool smoker". I was surprised to have the OP here say that the pipe still gets hot but the smoke is cooler - that's a new one for me.

I'm sorry if I caused any confusion. I guess I'm using "cool" as a relative term. None of my pipes actually deliver a "cool" smoke, or I should probably say my technique probably doesn't lend itself to literally cool smoke...except for the 1st few puffs upon lighting.
This pipe just happens to deliver "cooler" smoke than the rest of mine.
And I guess in this case "hot" is also a relative term. The pipe never gets uncomfortable to hold, but I do feel a decent amount of heat coming through the wood.

Did you make the stem yourself sasquatch?

Thanks for the help though guys...always looking for some piping wisdom to store away in the grey matter.

 

[Sasquatch]

Well, everything is relative in pipesmoking anyhow - one man's coolest smoke is another guy's "too hot".

Yes, I made the stem too. That one started as a block of briar and a 4" stick of acrylic.

 

[Lestrade]

Nice looking pipe congrats and enjoy!

 

[tiltjlp]

I think decent smoking pipes are a result of many things. The following pointers were given to me by my dad and his friend back in 1959, and I still use them, with success every day. As with anything, it's mostly a matter of trial & error until it all clicks.

Dry your tobacco more than you think you need to.
Pack it looser than you think you need to.
Smoke it slower than you think you need to.
Tamp it less , and more lightly, than you think you need to.
Clean your pipes after every smoke, using pipe spirits of some sort.
Don’t worry if you have a few relights.