What size pipe do you prefer

[Growley]

The first pipe I ever made was massive! This is a common mistake of new pipe makers. It's much easier to make a large pipe than it is a small one.

In my first months of pipe making, Tyler Lane (wonderful pipe maker) pointed this out to to me. He said that some of the most expensive pipes he's ever seen are very small. Seeing that I strive to make very good pipes, I've focused on making smaller pipes ever since.

Working in somewhat of a vacuum however, I always wonder what the average pipe smoker prefers. What size pipes do you guys prefer? How long, how tall, what chamber depth and bore? For what reasons do you like what you do?

I look forward to hearing what floats your boat!

Brian.

 

[williamcharles]

I like a bowl with an inside height (chamber depth) of no more than 1.5". If I really like a pipe I'll go 2" chamber depth but that's a rarity. I get bored with a deeper bowl.

 

[LIPIPE]

I like a large pipe with a large and deep bowl. Unlike my friend, I don't get bored with a large pipe. Conversely, I don't feel satisfied if my smoke ends too soon. Additionally, I like to clench a substantial vulcanite saddle bit.

 

[Anonymous]

Interior height = 40 mm. max.

I.d. = 18-19 mm. ideal.

Length = 5.5 - 6"

Probably not representative.

:face:

 

[DustyRoundup]

Maybe its the way I smoke, and I am a newb.
I really like Virginias, and My favorite pipe is a little Peterson 317
with a Chamber dia of 0.67
Chmber depth of 1.23
outside dia, 1.33
lenght 4.63
bowl hight 1.61

For some reason, i get along better with it than any other.
but, running a close second, would be my silver spigot mod 65
Chamber dia,,,0.76
chamber depth,1.53
outside dia,,1.40
length ,,,4.75
bowl hight,,1.75

I dont know why, but smaller bowls taste better for me.

Oh, and my MMcobs,, ie, Diplomat, and Great Dane,, those bowls are a nice size too.

 

[monbla256]

Dunhill did a good job of standardising pipe sizes with their "group" nomenclature. Myself, I seem to have gravitated to what would be termed Group4 or Group 5 and some Group 6 sized pipes. The BIG freehands that seem to be so much the rage now are really WAY to big for my comfort either in smoke length or teeth clenching capability for me. Sipping a good straight Virginia flake I can get a good hour out of a Group 4 bowl !! JMHO

 

[mark]

3/4" bore x 1 1/4" - 1 1/2"deep,,,,90% of my smokes are flakes ,,,, preferably the pipe should be 6 1/2" - 7" long minimum ,,,gimme a bowl the size of a baseball, but I'm a big galoot with huge hands and a standard pipe looks like a toy. :lol!:

 

[Ocelot55]

The size of pipe I prefer depends on my mood, the time I have to smoke, the occasion, the tobacco, ect. ect.

I find that with my busy lifestyle I smoke approximately Dunhill grp. 3 and 2 sized pipes more than the others. I love breaking out the large bowls for lazy Sunday afternoons like today. I also smoke my meerschaum and chruchwardens on Sundays.

 

[CygnusXII]

I like Pots and live by the "rule of the thumb." It's a rule I learned from my two "old codger friends" I always talk about. Ned & Bill. A pot shape that has a bowl big enough to fit your thumb into, and be able to rotate the pipe freely around your thumb, like a pivot. I like a Bowl Depth of any where from 1.5 to 2.0 inches. With a bowl I.D of around an inch or so, and a good .25 of an inch outer wall. Pipe Length about 5 to 7 inches tip to tail. As I've said many times before, and will probably default to again in the future, these guys were my Mentors, along with my Best Friend. They always gave me good advice, and I listened to what they talked about like they were Prelates, and I was a Novitiate.

 

[KevinM]

That's a good Q. I measured several pipes that I particularly enjoy. They are between 5 1/4" and 5 3/4" inches long. Bowl height is typically around 1 5/8" with the tallest at 2 1/4" inches. Bowl depth was around 1 1/2" to 1 3/4". Is that Dunhill size #4 or so? I'm not sure.

I think I like this size, because they handle different types of tobacco, they're light, the stem isn't long enough that the leverage induces lockjaw, they travel well, and I suspect that economics -- i.e., the price of tobacco -- is providing a push away from large pipes. Also, I seldom go about with a pipe clenched in my jaw (it will begin to pop), and prefer to sit, smoke and relax with a beginning, middle and end to the interlude. I do have half a dozen larger bents that are great for smoking and reading.

FWIW -- I think a pipe can be too small. I've noticed that if I smoke an aged Latakia tobacco in a pipe less than 5 1/4" long it loses some of its aged smoothness and seems hotter and rougher. "Course, this could be due to something other than length.

I don't mean that mine is "The Right Size" for a pipe, just that it's what I would reach for.

 

[Boxerbuddy]

I've got all different sized pipes, but the ones I gravitate towards are larger because I'm usually smoking in my lazyboy with a nice Dogfishhead 90 minute ale by my side. My smokes go anywhere from 45 mins to an hour and 15 mins usually. Most of my pipes are 13/16 or 7/8 bowl width and at least 1 1/2 inches deep. My Peretti bulldog's bowl is about an inch wide...thats the widest bowl I have, but I'd really like to get a pot shape with a wide shallow bowl and see how I like that.

Cygnus, put up some pics of those pot pipes you have, if you don't mind. I'd like to see them.

 

[CygnusXII]

Boxerbuddy: I posted them in a thread here. https://www.brothersofbriar.com/t17098-my-pipe-collection-04122012-a-poor-man-s-collection

 

[dshpipes]

The size of pipe I prefer depends on my mood, the time I have to smoke, the occasion, the tobacco, ect. ect.

I find that with my busy lifestyle I smoke approximately Dunhill grp. 3 and 2 sized pipes more than the others. I love breaking out the large bowls for lazy Sunday afternoons like today. I also smoke my meerschaum and chruchwardens on Sundays.

I totally agree with Ocelot here.

Generally though, I prefer a pipe that is less than 46 grams, approx 5 to 5.5", 1.5 to 2" tall, and 1.5 to 2" wide. That's the general focus. I have a handful of pipes that I'd call favorites that fall outside of this range.

 

[Rob_In_MO]

Dunhill did a good job of standardising pipe sizes with their "group" nomenclature. Myself, I seem to have gravitated to what would be termed Group4 or Group 5 and some Group 6 sized pipes.

I agree with these statements and this is what I normally gravitate to as well. Of course a large freehand is most enjoyable while kicking back in the easy chair and watching the game. But since most of my smoking time is 'up and around', the Group 4 or 5 seems to work best for me.

 

[Brurobas]

I prefer a large pipe with a large bowl.

I like my puffing to last as long as possible.

 

[Smoker99]

Nowadays a grp 5 is my favorite. Typically, a .75 in dia chamber, and an OAL of about 5.5 in. Lately I like tall bowls, so a 2-2.25 in bowl is good with me. I like longer smokes, the height concentrates the flavor and strength.

 

[idbowman]

I like to be around or just over 45mm in chamber depth (a heavy 1.75" or so), with a chamber diameter in the 20-21mm range (about .75").

I'm with the rest of you saying that it's a mood kinda thing, though...sometimes a smaller bowl is just what the doctor ordered.

 

[Wayne_Teipen]

I prefer to smoke group 3 or 4 pipes and don't have any larger than that in my personal collection. I make them in any size but tend towards group 3, 4, or 5 unless specifically asked to make something larger or smaller. When I started making pipes I tended to make larger pipes too. There's just more room to correct errors that way. The smaller you get the better your shaping skills have to be. One thing I did that helped me get my pipes smaller was to intentionally limit the size of block I started with. It's much more challenging and taught me to work within the parameters limited by the block size.

 

[sam a]

something betwixt too big and too small

 

[KevinM]

FWIW I just exchanged a very nice, light, hand carved, beautifully grained Sav that was probably group 4-ish for one that is mid-group 5. The 4 was a beautiful pipe, but it just looked like a mini, and when my wife saw it she immediately said, "Why would you return that? It's cute!" Not the best endorsement. (Though it would be a perfect lady's pipe.) But it just seemed to me that between size and the bowl's taper there wasn't enough room for much else but a quick smoke, and I have plenty of candidates to fill that spot.