2018 Pipe trials

[Shave_Rat]

Vintage Falcon, smoking Ye Olde Signe. The pipe was a rare antique mall score. I saw it in the case, and actually passed on it. I got home, looked up the info, realized the price for it on the shelf was a silly steal compared to them new, and I could still get new bowls and such for it. I found myself back at that same mall a few months later, and it was still there. Well, that sealed it and I picked it up. I have actually rarely smoked it since I got it. I picked it up more to have it in the collection then for any other appeal.

Pros:
So far, the lightweight and the stem make it a nice clenching pipe. It feels decently in the hand. Not great/awesome, but not bad either. So far, this is also the tastiest bowl of this blend I recall having. It never really wow'd me before, but right now it's really good. I can't say if it's the pipe or the blend just fits my tastes at this moment. The pipes cooling and drying engineering could very well be a factor, though.

Cons:
While the smoke is cooled off nicely, the bowl and metal under it, not as much. The draw feels a bit tight, which could be adding to it heating up a bit. So small design flaw in this, as well as any of the pipes with changeable bowls (Kirsten, Grabow Viking, etc.) is if a piece of leaf gets blocking the draft hole, it's not nearly as easy to clear it. Standard pipes just run a cleaner through the stem and 9 times out of 10 that resolves it. Not so with this design. Took the bowl off fast, and the hole in the bottom of it is pretty large, and nothing seems like it's blocking it, but the draw is still tight, and the bowl is heating up a good bit on me.

Yep, had to set it down to cool off barely 1/3 of the way in. Pretty large con in my book. As I said before, I don't prefer my pipe to tell me I'm done smoking for the moment, I like to make that choice myself. lol That certainly doesn't endear me to this pipe in any way, that's for sure.

After the relight, once it had cooled off, the bowl started to get pretty warm pretty rapidly again. The flavor also changed and went to tasting a bit off. I've also noticed that flavor change when I get further into smoking bowls out of the Dr Grabow Vikings I have, so I wonder if it's due to the metal body.

I found the culprit for the tight draw. The pipe cleaner ring I had in the underbody (like the ones Falcon sells, only home made) restricts the airflow and causes the draw to feel that way. Easy enough to not use that absorption ring, except the moisture that collected in there and that could flow back into the stem then. Maybe I'm just not a metal pipe body sort of smoker?

 

[Shave_Rat]

Dr Grabow freehand, Dunhill Dark Flake

Pros, round two:
Smoking nice and easy, feeling pretty good in the hand and clenching. This pipe is starting to grow on me more now, I think. The Dark Flake is tasting great all through so far, down the the last 1/4 or so.

Cons, round two:
Not finding a single con with this smoke or this pipe at this point.

Finished the bowl, smoked to mostly the bottom, minimal dottle.

I decided that when I revisit a pipe I already did a write up on, I won't go back to review the previous one prior to smoking it. I may not go as deep into reviewing the pipe the second time, and just stick to general over all impressions.

Reading back now on the original review, seems more of the same. Solid smoker, just got passed over for fancier pipes a lot.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Started the pipe last night, finished it this morning...

Kirsten with briar bowl, smoking Dorchester

Bowl pretty large sized for the body, looks out of proportion and unwieldy. Draw feels really tight. Feels ok in the hand, due to the larger diameter bowl. Just not as good looking with it.

Pros:
Easy clenching, though not as easy with the larger heavier bowl

Cons:
Bowl and body heated up twice during the smoke. Still not convinced on the over all looks, but with the briar large bowl, that part is starting to grow on me a little.

Took bowl off and poked from the bottom with a pipe cleaner to make sure the draft hole wasn't blocked by a bit of tobacco... didn't seem to be, and it didn't help the draw. Bit of a pain to do that with a full bowl. Ran a pipe cleaner from the stem side, but it won't go to far down the stem, so still no better. Finally poked and stirred the bowl a bit, finally got the draw to open. The tight draw wasn't the pipes fault then, but the design still causes a few extra steps to get it to clear.

Metal body started getting really warm, almost hot about 1/4 of the into the bowl. Set aside to cool, relight, sipped with more care. Another 1/4 and the fresh never smoked before bowl started to heat up. Set aside (again).

This time it sat till the next morning, and became the morning pipe. Acting way better this morning. Maybe the blend needed more dry time. Always a possibility.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Thanks for these reviews. I had been tempted to get a Falcon, because my step grandfather smoked them. It sounds like these aluminum pipes (Falcons and Kirstens) have some issues.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Thanks for these reviews. I had been tempted to get a Falcon, because my step grandfather smoked them. It sounds like these aluminum pipes (Falcons and Kirstens) have some issues.

Well, for me I'm not really liking them over all... but, there are plenty of people that do. Keep an eye out on the usual auction site, and etsy, and you should be able to score one cheap enough that it's worth it to try your self. My opinion is just that, and only one opinion, even. lol

 

[oc_in_fw]

Well, for me I'm not really liking them over all... but, there are plenty of people that do. Keep an eye out on the usual auction site, and etsy, and you should be able to score one cheap enough that it's worth it to try your self. My opinion is just that, and only one opinion, even. lol

I have heard the complaints you have had from other sources- when someone I know has the same problems, I pay more attention.

 

[Shave_Rat]

I have heard the complaints you have had from other sources- when someone I know has the same problems, I pay more attention.

OK, that's fair enough then.

 

[Ponycarman]

I have heard the complaints you have had from other sources- when someone I know has the same problems, I pay more attention.

They certainly aren't for everyone. But they aren't too pricey if you wanted to try one. I remember not being wowed when I first tried them. Sold my original pickup and just recently got another with a couple bowls. I was pleasantly surprised and have quite liked it for shorter smokes. They can overheat with the aluminum and the amount of flow with the big hole in the bowls. But if I focus on taking it slow (something I've been working on with every pipe) they do smoke cool and dry.

 

[Kentos]

TBO I don’t worry about the temp of my Falcons much because they arw relatively cheap. I think they heat up more because the stems cools the smoke down enough for me to lose track of my cadence. Where a Briar would be getting steamy and hot, the Falcon stays cooler, although the high heat isn’t great for flavor. YMMV of course .

My Kirsten’s are a bit more pricey so I take more care of them.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Dorchester in the Bjarne Viking bent rhodie

Pros:
Nice feel for clenching, feels good in the hand. Good draw as well.

Cons:
Gotten a gurgle a few times so far, 1/3 of the way through the bowl.

It settled in very nicely after that initial bit of gurgling, so maybe I just needed a bit more dry time on the blend. I'll have to look back on my previous notes on this one, but I'm guessing it's only "crime" is that it's not as "shiny" as many others in my pipe racks now.

Yep, looked back now on my original notes and came to the same conclusions as I did wth this smoke from it. Solid smoker, just doesn't trigger a lot of "I love this pipe!" type feelings. I had mentioned smoking some Stonehaven in it, but I think the Dorchester in it was enough of a test run after the first write up.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Dark Flake in the bent chestnut

Being heavier on the bowl side, with the bend is making it a bit unwieldy on the clenching. Does have a great classic look with some nice lines, and the wire rustication is a plus. Really wish it had better balance on the clench.

It smoked down to the bottom really well, another plus in it's column.

To go a bit more in depth, I primarily hold my pipe in my left hand, usually cause I'm drinking coffee, surfing B&B, playing some video games and such with the right hand on the mouse. About 3 years ago I was shoveling some heavy snow, felt a pop in my left elbow, and shortly after got numbness/tingles in some fingers on that hand. Turns out, I pinched a nerve running through. The corrective surgery for that is not nearly as successful as often as the one done on wrists, so the choice was made to let it go, resting it best as I can, and let it heal hopefully on it's own. While it's mostly no issue 90% of the time, if I spend too long with it bent (like, say, holding a pipe I can't clench easily for longer periods), it acts up still. This is my main issue with pipes that don't clench well.

Same conclusions as my initial assessment, looking back now. At least my initial reviews seem pretty spot on for my over all feelings on any given pipe. Given the clenching issue isn't one that will change, I guess there doesn't need to be any more evaluation needed on this one. Just have to decide for sure what I'll do with the ones that don't make the cut. Till then, I'll set them aside.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Dunbar in the Molina Sera bent dublin

Easy clenching, nice solid hand feel. The Dunbar is tasting great in this pipe, so it was definitely the right blend for the evening.

Bit gurgly, around 1/4 in, cleared with a pip cleaner, relit, and the spicy perique jumped to the front now. Bowl getting a bit warm on me more than my cadence would suggest it should. Not warm enough to set it down, or be uncomfy to hold, at least.

Second half of the bowl settled into a really nice easy smoke. Didn't want to burn nice to the bottom, good deal of dottle left. I seem to recall that happening a good amount of the time in this pipe.

Go figure, went and looked back at my orig write up, as is my way of doing this, and had the same conclusions over all. Though it liked the Woodbridge, so I have to remember to give it go with Stonehaven.. I'll have to make a note of that somewhere. OR, not let it rest long and just fire it up again later on tonight. lol

 

[Shave_Rat]

Stonehaven in the Molina Sera bent Dublin
It almost took right off from the char light. Barest tamp and relight and its smoking the Haven like a champ. Easily getting the great signature Stonehaven flavors, not even trying to coax them.

Halfway through, give or take, and still really doing the Stonehaven justice. I'm pretty positive this pipe just earned a full reprieve and is a dedicated Stonehaven pipe now. Except... it still doesn't like to stay lit once it hits a certain level in the bowl. The pipe just seems to want to leave a lot of dottle, and I can't say why it doesn't want to smoke well past that point. If not for that little issue I run into, this pipe may never have been on the list to maybe let go.

On a side note, let me just say I really really am starting miss just grabbing one of my favorite pipes at whim and loading it up. I know though if I let myself slip into that habit too much, I likely won't finish my various evaluations. lol Maybe tonight though... just another easy smoke night... heh

 

[Shave_Rat]

I'll be back to this and some other pipes I'm still not sure of once I am done recovering.