Pipe rack question

[Musicus]

I'm reading in "The Pipe" (a book by Georges Herment) that the best way to store a pipe is vertically, with the bowl on top and stem pointing downward. He says that to store it with bowl at the bottom is stupid. Seems illogical to me, since the bottom of the pipe rack has a bowl-like indentation. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Bluecow]

I would be curious why it's stupid or is this just his opinion and anyone that doesn't follow his eminent wisdom is a fool. I would also be curious what makes him the guru of all things pipe. Then I'm no one to ask, my pipes get stored wherever I happen to set them down, usually horizontal, uncleaned, and get smokes several times a day. I don't get to work once and the days of rest why should my pipes? I do clean them...when I can't draw though them. Never store my pipes stem down. All that gunk gets build up at the tip and you get a mouth full of tar on the first draw, YUCK!

 

[Musicus]

While I like much of the book in other respects, the author's comment about pipe positioning in the pipe rack has the distinctive odor of snobbery, which I definitely don't like when it comes to pipes. The actual quote: "One can, indeed, buy so-called 'pipeholders' in which the mouthpiece is held uppermost. We pass these by without comment, leaving such stupidity to expose itself." I like your comment about the gunk at the tip.

 

[Chris Smith]

Seems to me it's just an opinion. I think bowl up would have a slight advantage for wet smokers as the moisture would down and.maybe not soak into the briar. Just a guess though.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[Singed]

Guess it all depends on whether you set your pipes aside to smoke again or put them away dirty. Kinda like a coffee mug.

 

[Bud Savoie01]

I'm reading in "The Pipe" (a book by Georges Herment) that the best way to store a pipe is vertically, with the bowl on top and stem pointing downward. He says that to store it with bowl at the bottom is stupid. Seems illogical to me, since the bottom of the pipe rack has a bowl-like indentation. Any thoughts on this?

I've read that book several times, and it's still on my bookshelf. I've had the same reaction to Herment's "bowl up" insistence that I suspect most of us have. However, the original illustrations of the Sherlock Holmes stories seem to indicate that Holmes would agree with Herment in this matter. Also, a photo of French detective author Georges Simenon shows his pipes bowl up. Could this be a European practice?

 

[denholrl]

I'm reading in "The Pipe" (a book by Georges Herment) that the best way to store a pipe is vertically, with the bowl on top and stem pointing downward. He says that to store it with bowl at the bottom is stupid. Seems illogical to me, since the bottom of the pipe rack has a bowl-like indentation. Any thoughts on this?

If you woke a particular pipe only once a week or so I don't think it makes any difference.

 

[Idlefellow]

I too read that book years ago and still have it. As I recall his idea of a "pipe rack" was to pound nails in the wall on which to hang the pipes by the bowl. Not to offend anyone who does this, but it looked silly to me. I prefer seeing a nice pipe rack with a lineup of favorites standing stem up; it just looks right to me. There's also a cadre of folks who believe that shotguns and rifles should be stored "barrel down" in order to keep oil from soaking into the wood. I've always thought that if you're worried about oil soaking into the wood you're using too much oil. But again, when I look in my gun cabinet I prefer to see the guns stored barrel up; just looks right to me. Sorry for the segue.

 

[MLBbreton]

I'm a bowl down guy for the looks. Never seen a sales display stem down.
You can't smoke them all-all the time. I love looking at my pipes. Farm is so dusty /dirty I have a duster to clean them off. Barely do that for the TV.
As far as tip down getting gunked you'd have to have a pretty gross pipe for gravity to dribble gunk down the stem. Might want to clean it a little bit before you hang it.

 

[shapeshift piper]

My pipes all lay scattered about the shop and vehicles and house.

 

[Balisong]

Two of my pipe racks. I read somewhere that storing pipes bowl up helped it to dry out. They also have a small footprint. I tried a toothbrush holder and wasn't impressed!

 

[Singed]

My own smoking cabinet. I cannot contend that bowl up or down seems to make a difference. My pipes go on the rack when they are clean and out of rotation. In rotation they rest on the desk.

 

[Singed]

View attachment 25321
Two of my pipe racks. I read somewhere that storing pipes bowl up helped it to dry out. They also have a small footprint. I tried a toothbrush holder and wasn't impressed!

I love the simplicity of your set-up.

 

[Musicus]

I too read that book years ago and still have it. As I recall his idea of a "pipe rack" was to pound nails in the wall on which to hang the pipes by the bowl. Not to offend anyone who does this, but it looked silly to me. I prefer seeing a nice pipe rack with a lineup of favorites standing stem up; it just looks right to me. There's also a cadre of folks who believe that shotguns and rifles should be stored "barrel down" in order to keep oil from soaking into the wood. I've always thought that if you're worried about oil soaking into the wood you're using too much oil. But again, when I look in my gun cabinet I prefer to see the guns stored barrel up; just looks right to me. Sorry for the segue.

As I recall, the author mentioned nails in the wall as one possible alternative to the regular pipe rack. He gives an entire section of the book to the pipe rack.

 

[Musicus]

As I recall, the author mentioned nails in the wall as one possible alternative to the regular pipe rack. He gives an entire section of the book to the pipe rack.