An Exhaustive Guide to Picking the Best Smoking Pipe There Is

The feeling of taking a puff from a sturdy and ornately crafted pipe simply cannot be matched. And, if you have smoked a pipe before, you know what this means.

It is estimated that around 1.2% of tobacco users prefer a pipe, hookah, or water pipe in the US. Therefore, if you like to keep things old-school and classy, you’re not alone. That said if a pipe is a masterpiece, the act of choosing it is a work of art by itself. Irrespective of whether you are a veteran or a newbie at smoking pipes, this guide will help you pick a pipe that suits you the best.

The 4 Features of a Cracking Good Pipe You Cannot Miss

While many things set an excellent pipe apart from the rest, whether you like it or not ultimately boils down to personal preference. Nevertheless, it would help to buy a pipe with the following features:

1. The Family

Tobacco pipes are usually classified under families, and each family is characterized by unique traits – and they can have a considerable influence on your overall experience. For instance, Dublin, Calabash, Canadian, Bulldog, Apple, Billiard, and Sitter are some of the most popular pipe families you can take your pick from. And if you feel stumped by the vastness of choices, you can start by learning about each pipe family to form a picture of what you can expect.

2. The Shape

Once you find a family of the pipe that meets your requirements, you’ll need to think about what shape you’d like. And this is because there are further classifications within a family based on shape.

Let’s say that you picked the Bulldog family. In that case, there are four variants: the Rhodesian, the Bull-Moose, the Bullcap, and the Ukulele.

While both a Bullcap pipe and a Rhodesian pipe are of the best varieties, the former has a distinct bowl-like shape, while a diamond shape characterizes the latter. Likewise, a Bull-Moose pipe has a thicker design when compared with the others.

3. The Parts

After family and shape, the next feature you should consider is the pipe’s parts. In this regard, you should be on the lookout for the following things:

• Alignment: Ensure that all the constituent parts are well-aligned; you don’t want any of them to be out of place.
• The number of fills: A pipe should not have too many fills as it can cause usage-related problems.
• The number of sandpits: The fewer sandpits you have, the better the overall pipe quality.

Further, you should pay attention to the pipe’s finish. As such, opt for ones with a uniform, polished look, devoid of the occasional sandpaper blotches. Is it even a pipe if it doesn’t look like it’s straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie?

4. The Size

A good pipe should feel light on your hands and should be easy to hold. And this implies that you should avoid bulky ones. However, ensure that your pipe isn’t too light. Here, sticking to the middle ground would be the best.

This post covered the A-Z basics of pipes and how you should go about selecting one for yourself. And when it comes to the cost, try not to compromise.

When you invest in a pipe, you’d want one with great aesthetic appeal, good functionality, and that can last long. So, don’t hesitate to shell a few extra dollars; a good-quality pipe is always worth it.