Going into a B&M or antique store to buy a pipe can be intimidating. You've read about the stinkers others have had and don't want to wind up with a lemon :lemo: But how can you choose the good ones from the bad ones? :indecisiveness:
It goes without saying that there is no clear way to determine a good smoker. Some of the properties are invisible to the naked eye; curing of the briar/wood quality. While others may need the eye of a veteran; tenon and mortise fit/airflow and stem work. But there are some things you can look for to make a more educated guess.
If you are in the shop and can actually hold the pipe, being armed with some good information, you might be able to eliminate the stinkers from the smokers ;)
1. Pipe Cleaner Test
A mechanically sound pipe should be able to pass a pipe cleaner from the mouth piece to the hole in the bottom of the bowl of the tobacco chamber. There are various reasons why this is an ideal quality of you pipe:
A. Cleaning the pipe- Passing this test ensures that you will be able to clean your pipe after smoking (and sometimes during the smoke if there is moisture build up within the pipe). Sure you can take apart the pipe after each smoke, but if the pipe passes this test, it's one less time consuming step.
B Unobstructed airflow-With no obstacles between the bowl and the mouthpiece, your smoke should be nice and dry. Obstructions in the pipe can cause moisture buildup. That moisture can run back into the chamber wetting the tobacco causing lighting issues, or it can build up in the stem and enter the smoker's mouth :disgust:
*When going to a B&M, purchase some pipe cleaners (because you're going to need them eventually) and try running it through the pipe you're interested in. Some pipes may require you to twist the cleaner clockwise or counter clockwise to pass through. But if you cannot get it in any which way, you will most likely be separating then pipe after smoking to clean it. There is a debate as to whether taking your pipe apart after each smoke is detrimental or not among pipe smokers. Regardless, it can be a non-issue if the pipe has straight drilling from mouthpiece to bowl. *
Caveat-Some pipes will not pass a pipe cleaner because they are designed to have built in reservoirs to absorb moisture. See Peterson System Pipes. Some bent pipes are so intricate that a cleaner will not make it to the bottom of the bowl. Since this is going to be one of your first pipe, why not start with one that passes the test :rolleyes:
2. Check The Draft Hole
This is the hole at the bottom of the tobacco chamber. A proper pipe will have two key components when concerning the draft hole
A. Proper Alignment- When the tobacco chamber goes deeper then the draft hole, any tobacco below the draft hole will remain unburnt. Here is an illustration.
You can see that the draft hole is level with the bottom of the tobacco chamber. This will ensure that you can smoke your tobacco all the way to the bottom of the pipe.
Attachment 746
Conversely, This high draft hole means that any tobacco below that drill line will remain unburnt. You buy tobacco to smoke it, not to let it sit at the bottom of the chamber.
Attachment 747
B. Centered Drilling- Be sure that the draft hole is centered with the hole in the mouth piece. If the draft hole at the bottom of the tobacco chamber is favoring the right side, the tobacco on the left side will most likely not burn evenly vice versa. When the draft hole is centered, you will be sure to have a nice even burn throughout the smoke.
Dead center drilling ensures a nice even burn.
Attachment 748
Off center drilling will ensure uneven burning of the tobacco.
Attachment 749
Now that you are armed with this information, start inspecting the pipes at your B&Ms or antique shops. A pipe cleaner and some lighting can go a long way when inspecting a pipe. Of course, there are countless other factors to what makes a pipe smoke well. But keeping these in mind will help you be able to eliminate some duds from the batch.
