What's new

Why aren't flat bottomed pipes more common?

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
When I was looking at cheap tobacco pipes recently, I was surprised just how few pipes are sitters. To me, being able to put a pipe down, seems a very natural thing to want to do, yet the vast majority need some kind of stand to be able to do that without toppling over. There may of course be some that look rounded, bit do sit stable, but there's rarely anything in the description to say that.

I'll hold a pipe in my teeth while I strike a match, or fish the pokey thing out of my pipe tool, but if I take a drink, reply to a text message or whatever, the pipe goes down. Am I really in that small a minority? A rounded bottom pipe is about as much use to me as a rounded bottom mug.

Anybody else favour sitters over topplers?
 

nortac

"Can't Raise an Eyebrow"
I can't say that I prefer sitters over "topplers" but I do appreciate their utility in that respect. I have a couple but rarely smoke them. I have yet to find one that really speaks to me. Peterson has a sitter that I've had my eye on for years but I've yet to pull the trigger. I'd also like a nice Cherrywood . I have the MM cob Dagner Designs sitter, but don't smoke it too often, not the biggest fan of short stemmed pipes.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Oh, I'm no longer looking, it's just a general talking point.

Besides, at 140 notes, it would need to do the gardening and vacuum the house too, for me to be interested :p
 

nortac

"Can't Raise an Eyebrow"
Actually, I was not suggesting it for you, just letting you know what appeals to me.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
I'm just speculating, but it's probably because of ergonomics, aesthetics, and a lack of variety in shapes when carving a pipe that's meant to be a sitter.

I was wondering if difficulties in getting the balance point right might factor in too. I often have to rest the stem of my Parker Cherrywood on something, or have the bit overhanging the table.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Not quite as nice feeling in the hand either...

I think I quickly fell into having index and middle finger around the pipe, and ring finger below, maybe from starting with cobs. I kind of expect them all to have that same kind of feel now.
 
proxy.php

I do love this Sav though, smokes great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Kilroy6644

Smoking a corn dog in aviators and a top hat
I'm just speculating, but it's probably because of ergonomics, aesthetics, and a lack of variety in shapes when carving a pipe that's meant to be a sitter.
Aesthetics is definitely the reason for me. Pokers/cherrywoods/barrels/tankards are ok, because they're designed to sit, but it's more difficult to make one of the classic shapes sit without it looking cut off. I don't like the aforementioned Petersons because of that truncated look. I appreciate the practicality, but the look is off. And if you successfully maintain the look of the classic shape while making it a sitter (like my Medico Gold Crest Lovat), it tends to be a little tottlish. It will sit, but it doesn't take a lot of effort to knock it over.
 
My cobs act as sitters. Another reason they're away from the house pipes. I can really see myself using a good briar sitter at home (if I found one that spoke to me). But really, that's enough fabric or pebbles or whatever around that if I don't have a stand handy, I can cobble together a good enough alternative.
 
Aesthetics and design limitation really. Not only does the shape need to look good with a flat bottom but you need to make the shank short enough, or the bowl heavy enough to stop it toppling over. Quite often that means sitters are very heavy pipes for their size, not everyone wants that.
Dunhill used to make quite a lot of their pipe pseudo-sitters by grinding the bottom of the pipe flat, makes for a rather ugly look in a lot of cases and they are quite precarious too I think.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
This pipe really speaks to me, but not at that price point!


I have a Parker of London Cherrywood, which is a Dunhill 4120 (not 5120) second. It cost me £25.00.

IMG_20200528_123946.jpg


Mine came from ThePipeShop.co.uk in Edinburgh, but I just helped @steveclarkus get one from mysmokingshop.co.uk for the same price.
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
I have a Parker of London Cherrywood, which is a Dunhill 4120 (not 5120) second. It cost me £25.00.

View attachment 1107476

Mine came from ThePipeShop.co.uk in Edinburgh, but I just helped @steveclarkus get one from mysmokingshop.co.uk for the same price.
And I thank you for it. Just ordered some cobs. All sitters I believe. Had a bit of Macouba this PM. GOOD STUFF. My paternal great grandparents were from Edinburgh or a town nearby. Coal miners.
 
Aimless Wanderer, I just had a thought that may or may not be relevant for you (or anyone else, for that matter). In my camera bag are three beanbags, about corn hole size. This is so I always have a support for my telephoto lenses. Toss them onto a log, rest the lens on the bags.

It's a patch rather than a fix, I understand that. Not a substitute for a sitter. But it would still allow you sit the foolish thing down.
 
Top Bottom