Flake Pipes

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Starting a new thread because using the search to come up with previous ones is futile. Interesting enough to pass along, IMO :

Charles Mundungus":dfoy6coi said:
Before moving into a discussion of the final criterion of the “Flake Pipe Metric,” I’d like to put forth a hypothesis : have you ever noticed that most factory pipes of today and yesterday can be divided into two broad chamber categories? There’s one that I would call the “Standard Virginia Bowl” (SVB) with a 1 : 2 ratio, usually around 18.5mm to 20.5mm wide by 37 to 41mm deep. It’s not that this size of bowl can’t be used for English/Balkans, just that this 1 : 2.3 ratio seems ideal in keeping the Virginia sweet, cool, and flavorful. The other chamber category I call the “Standard English Bowl” (SEB) and it’s shorter and wider, more of a pot shape. The classic ratio seems to be about 1 : 1.6, typically 21mm to 22.5mm wide by 35.5 to 38mm deep.

(And this brings up another subject that’s sure to raise the ire of many a pipeman: why are most of the artisan pipes being made with such monster-sized bowls? I’m sure just the accusation will raise a few smoker’s hackles, but I really am curious, because Virginias and VaPers just don’t seem to behave very well in such cavernous spaces for many pipemen. Why don’t they make more traditional-sized bowls?)
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http://www.neatpipes.com/blog/the-quest-for-the-ultimate-flake-pipe-myths-mysteries-and-metrics/&id=26

PS : The Italians do. But they seem to stay in Italy :cry: WHY ?

:face:
 
I tend to think a group 3 or 4 bulldog is best, but that's based on subjective trial and error results. Lots of wood around the middle, where it's needed, and a not too deep or large chamber, as a folded stuffed flake smokes plenty long in a smaller pipe. The bigger pipes, it just seems to get lost.

And to contradict myself, I've had some stellar flake smokes in a large pot, with a wide but not so deep chamber.
 
Here we go with this one again! My experience with the flakes I smoke, and how I smoke 'em is that nice big bowled Pots do best with Bulldoggies right behind :twisted:
 
Cool little article. I Googled the author because, frankly, it sounded like a nom de plume. :p

I've never given chamber dimensions too much thought, but being a flake smoker, I've gravitated towards the smaller/narrower bowls. Most of my favorites fall into the Group 2-3 size. They just work better.

One of my hands-down favorites for Irish Flake is a little Dunhill Grp. 3 Apple. It's almost perfect for this blend, and happens to be what I'm smoking as I write this. 8)
 
The problem with any science behind this one is that subjective preference trumps it.
 
Mr E, I think you got the author confused with the French romantic pipe historian Mssr. Mundane Dunghill :)
 
Puff Daddy":e4gax6jj said:
Mr E, I think you got the author confused with the French romantic pipe historian Mssr. Mundane Dunghill :)
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Either him or Charles Mingdungus. Do you suppose he's smoking flake tobacco in this photo?



 
A group 3 Italian briar with olive oil on the stem does it for me.
 
IMHO, group 3-4 size BBDs & their cousins are the Sweet Spot in the flake pipe world. Departures from that that work best depart from it in one dimension (billiard, Dublin, &c.) but have the others in common (wall thickness, chamber diameter &c).

Even then, with flakes, the Sweet Spot in a billiard does not necessarily extend from the rim to the heel. (Unless the flakes are rubbed out. But then you're only smoking flakes on a technicality). If/when it does, I think you've mastered the art.

:face:
 
I have struggled to get through a bowl of Brindle Flake, but perhaps using a smaller bowled pipe was a contributing factor (the other is not letting it dry for a bit)

Hopefully the weather this weekend will allow for a trial in a larger scale bulldog
 
As i use to rub the flake out so i can say that every pipe(group 3-4) with a cylinder tobacco chamber is ok for me.
A pot or a 1/8 bent pot are on the top of the list and, on the contrary i always, had trouble with conical chamber pipes(bulldog, dublin...).
An extreme chimney packed with a not rubbed flake does appear to be a great smoke adventure for the experienced virginia flake smoker, but unfortunately i am still not ready for that. :evil:
 
What a bunch of fine, white ashes.

So, I have a legit question and one that should be asked:

As for "group" number sizing, does there exist a chart, graph or list of group sizes with chamber depth and width as a rough measurement? Has anyone compiled such a thing? It seems to me that a pipe is limited to its physical parameters as far as tobacco chamber versus the outside, but there's some pretty wild variations. Obviously, a giant freehand isn't likely gonna sport the same tobacco capacity as a lean prince shape. Part of what attracts me to the standard-size (whatever that means) bulldog or Rhodesian shape, for example, is the fact I'm much closer to a pipe that I know is going to smoke a particular way.

So, the way I see it, if a pipe has a "Group" number, it would have a minimum and maximum tobacco chamber capacity (W x D) for that group.

8)
 
Pipe heads being wonk types, they started that, years ago.

As I recall, it fell apart over whether rice was acceptably accurate or if it needed to be salt poured into the bowls before volume measurement, and whether it should be tapped to settle it.

:face:
 
Yak":u2ivzzmm said:
Pipe heads being wonk types, they started that, years ago.

As I recall, it fell apart over whether rice was acceptably accurate or if it needed to be salt poured into the bowls before volume measurement, and whether it should be tapped to settle it.

:face:
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I don't know why, but that made me laugh out loud here at work
 
Well, some kind of universal term for general discussion (like group size) about considering pipes would be better than bringing a digital caliper with me to measure tobacco chambers...so far, I use my pinky finger...if the bowl edge goes much past the first knuckle, "flake pipe" to me. Anything beyond that, good Latakia pipe. Past the second knuckle, it's too much garage space to park my 'bac. There has to be at least 1/8" (preferably 1/4") space between my finger and the side of the chamber if my finger is on the opposite side. If my finger can't move side-to-side, it's a no-go.

Chamber matters most to me, but carver/maker styles can vary.

 
Got a Vigor plastic mm. dial calipre 30 (?) years ago that's accurate to 0.05 mm. They never wear out, and they don't leave marks on antiques.

Tried your little finger test & ??? It goes to the bottom in all of them ; some tight, most not. No second knuckle with any. Widest bowl goes 1.5 index finger knuckles. But it's an old, smooth AR Caminetto (long time ambition) so it gets allowances made. Otherwise, 13/16" is ideal and 7/8 is quite wide enough, thanks.

I've been searching "the internets" (your term) (?) for weeks looking for one or two more, and coming up empty. The only one I really like (a L'Anatra billiard) has an i.d. of a freaking inch. (!) It's a poster child for useless beauty.

:face:
 
Well, pipes being personal, I'm pretty sure we weren't granted the same little finger to use in such a test. It's probably only something I am able to do for my own preferences. It ain't no set of fancy calipers, that's for sure. :lol: If my finger fattens up over time, I'm in trouble. I have yet to drag my cheapo Harbor Freight digital calipers along for pipe shopping, but I'd tape the metal tines to prevent any damage, just a li'l calibration, and poof, I look like a total dork while at a retailer. :lol:



 
not to fuel a flame with my can of ignorance here, but i picked up two big radices recently, both having a chamber diameter of just under an inch (.94 and .92 i think, i don't have calipers, these are from marty pulvers site and park lane). and i smoke flakes in em. and they taste great! i was rubbing them out to a broken flake with a little ribbon cut consistency, but last night i tried the fold and stuff with just a little teasing packing style and it worked out pretty well. was a really long smoke though. i'll make a point just to smoke VA flakes this weekend. you know, for research purposes. :D
 
No argument there. Had an old re-stemmed Stanwell giant billiard that FVF just exploded in. But it lasted like 3 hours. Which, IMHO, is too much of a good thing.

Gave it to a friend who was retired & had time for it to enjoy.

Hey -- wait a minute -- I'm retired now too . . . ! :clown:

:face:
 
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