Churchwarden pipes, Care and feeding
Jack
not know how to care for cigars and I was tired of expensive smokes that
were harsh and dried out. I picked up a corncob and have happy ever since.
Recently I found some decent estate pipes on ebay. It was there I
discovered my greatest smoking find yet (for me at least) The Churchwarden
pipe. It really works for me, but I do have some questions about it's use.
I have always used a filter of some sort and now with the purchase of these
pipes, I find myself owning pipes that seem not to allow them. How do I
smoke these with out getting a mouthful of nastiness? Shorter, easier draws
and cleaning after each use? Will someone please offer some advice, as my
corncob is a bit rustic and getting too much use!
Thanks
Robert
Churchwardens are like any other pipe except that being so long you
need to have a comfortable place to sit while smoking. You shouldn't
have to taste any 'nastiness' in any pipe and by that do you mean
tobacco or just smoke? You also didn't say anything about how you pack
your pipe or what tobacco you use. However, to start with I pack my
pipes using two methods; gravity feed and in 3rds, I first fill my
pipe using gravity feed to the top then push the tobacco down using my
thumb for the first 1/3rd, then I repeat the process for 2/3rd and
again for 3/3rds. Once packed, your pipe should have a slight
resistance to it. Light your tobacco evenly, and then once going let
it go completely out. Then re-light it, this will ensure that you
catch the edges. You should smoke all your pipes in the same manner as
you breathe; relaxed and easy.
I would recommend that you clean all your pipes on a regular basis and
you can find churchwarden pipe cleaners online here or at other sites:
http://www.cupojoes.com/cgi-bin/dept?dpt=D&srch=DD&tier2=7
There are those who very seldom clean their pipes or not at all and
prefer not to crack their pipes due to possible loosening of the tenon/
mortise, but these effects are negligible in my opinion. I can only
say I would rather smoke a clean pipe and any loosening can always be
corrected by using a small amount of beeswax.
Everyone has their own methods for cleaning their pipes and some are
more involved than others. I have posted mine numerous times if you
wish to do a search for it. To not maintain and clean ones pipes
builds up tars and residue and makes the pipe foul tasting and only
makes the task that much more difficult. Additionally, when dealing
with sandblasted or rusticated finishes the pipe may loose its
definition under the tar around the bowl rim.
Hope this
helps,
Robert
Biff
I agree with everything Robert hada to say on the subject. I have one
churchwarden which was my first decent pipe. I used to always get
moisture on my tongue which tasted nasty. This pipe still gurgles but
I am not having the nasty wet smoke I used to. The difference for me
was the packing method and how vigorously I puffed. I have learned
how to sip a pipe and I get much better results in terms of moisture
and more importantly the taste of the smoke. I like to smoke
Virginia tobaccos in a churchwarden because it helped to cool the
smoke. Virginias can bite your tongue like a pitbull if you smoke too
fast. I learned how to smoke Virginia in a churchwarden and it helped
during the learning curve. I can now smoke Virginia tobacs in
shorter pipes because of what I learned about sipping on the Church.
Slow down and puff less frequently and less deeply and the smoke will
taste a lot better. This is just my experience.
I hope all is well with you.
Mitchell
Briarroot
Welcome back to the world of pipe smoking. While I can't offer any
advice on the care and feeding of churchwardens, I can recommend the
ASP information pages as a useful source of information pertaining to
pipe smoking in general.
Regards,
Tim Parker ... GL Pease Montgomery in a basket billiard
--
"The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the
blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of
misery." - Winston Churchill
Bill
Jack,
I pretty much smoke churchwardens exclusively now and it really isn't
much different than a regular pipe. I started with the cob that had a
filter and now I have no issues without one. The one thing to keep an
eye for that has not been mentioned yet is that you need to be more
careful of the stem. Being longer it is easier to snap it in half.
Pipe cleaners come in long lengths so it isn't much different from
there. It is difficult to walk around with a curchwarden but i smoke
to sit and relax. The requirement of being sedentary is appealing to
me and it is a lot more comfortable to m since I am not a clencher at
all. For me the longer the better because it provides a good
comfortable holding position for my arm. Nothing eats a good CW..
Bill D.