What pipes do you prefer for Va and VaPer?

[AimlessWanderer]

I've just got a couple of new pipes in, and am looking at setting them aside for pure Virginias and Virginia Perique blends. Before I do though, I thought I'd get your perspectives on which shapes, bowl sizes, or other attributes you all tend to prefer for those two tobacco types.

What do you tend to reach for when smoking one of those?

 

[KellyG]

When smoking Virginia based blends, I have gravitated toward billiard or Dublin shapes, usually with straight or slightly bent stems. My favorite Virginia pipes are a couple of Radice billiards with mid-sized bowls.

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

Straight walled bowls of any shape. I enjoy a huge Mark Tinsky Oom Paul that has a full bend. It's wonderful for reading or watching the games.

 

[Kentos]

Might depend on whether it’s a ribbon or flake. For me if it’s ribbon any bowl size works, but if it’s a flake either roughly rubbed out or stuffed I prefer a narrow bowl.

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

Might depend on whether it’s a ribbon or flake. For me if it’s ribbon any bowl size works, but if it’s a flake either roughly rubbed out or stuffed I prefer a narrow bowl.

VA comes in ribbon?!

 

[Kentos]

VA comes in ribbon?!

Elizabethan, 5100, Sutliff RC-151...
Uh, ya trolling me lol!?

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

Elizabethan, 5100, Sutliff RC-151...
Uh, ya trolling me lol!?

Tillbury...

 

[oc_in_fw]

In my experience it isn’t pipe shape, it’s bore shape. A narrow, conical bore makes VA’s pop. The 2018 LE woke me up to that fact. It’s a VA machine.

 

[nortac]

^ This, while you can smoke Va's in any shape bowl, conventional wisdom is that they do best in a conical bowl. My 2018 LE is my dedicated Va pipe as well.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

The answers so far seem to be weighted towards Virginias. Do you smoke all Virginia Perique blends in the same pipes, or keep the two separate?

 

[oc_in_fw]

The answers so far seem to be weighted towards Virginias. Do you smoke all Virginia Perique blends in the same pipes, or keep the two separate?

Can’t stand Perique, so I keep them very separate

 

[Kentos]

I keep Pipes separate for Latakia Blends, Aromatic Blends, everything else.

So while I might smoke a VaPer in a Latakia pipe or aromatic pipe, I don’t do the vice verse.