Smoking Quality

[Butch_Y]

All this being said, can I assume if I purchase a predrilled block and stem from Pimo's that it will be engineered correctly? All I'm really looking for is an illustrated example of the perfect airway/mortise/chamber. Does Pimo's book go over these things in detail?

I too am a beginning pipe maker but have worked wood all my life. I have no issues with the outside construction but I want to make pipes that are drilled correctly so i have no complaints. I myself am not a pipe smoker and so this info is more than critical to me as I have no previous knowledge of pipes. So far it has all been this forum and precision guesswork.

Thanks

[KurtHuhn]

I myself am not a pipe smoker and so this info is more than critical to me as I have no previous knowledge of pipes. So far it has all been this forum and precision guesswork.

I've had this discussion with other pipe making hopefuls before. I think that, in order to truly understand what makes a pipe smoke well, you really need to smoke a few and examine what works and what doesn't. There's no magic bullet, no mathematical formula that automatically works, and no blueprint for every shape of pipe. Without an the experience as a smoker, you're looking at a long and hard road to find the craftsman's skill necessary to make a good pipe.

Rad and I were violent agreement over a similar subject not too long ago. The idea of "engineering" versus "craftsmanship". Symantics aside, the argument is that you cannot depend on drawings and formula to make a good pipe, you have to be a pipe craftsman and put care and experience into your work. That experience can only come from one thing - smoking a lot of different pipes.

To this day I will buy pipes, just to see how they smoke. Sometimes I luck out and get a good smoker, sometimes I don't, and I have to perform work on the stem, the airway, or even the tobacco chamber in order to make it a good smoker - even though, for all intents and purposes, the was constructed "correctly". Would I have known what was wrong if I had never smoked a good pipe? Absolutely not.

Also, and don't take this the wrong way, but a lot of your potential client base will find it insulting that you don't smoke pipes. Pipe smokers are an odd lot - referring to themselves as a "brotherhood", and putting a lot of value in that. I'm not saying you'll never sell a pipe, but it will be an order of magnitude more difficult to build a customer base big enough to make a living.

The same goes for pipe makers - they're not going to be as open with you when they know you don't smoke pipes. They're going to view you as an "outsider". You'll get some basics, but the finer points might not be made available to you, since other makers will be under the perception that you cannot possibly understand those finer points without the experience to go along with it.

Put it this way: would you trust a custom chopper builder who has never ridden a motorcycle?

I supose that's my rant for the day. But to answer the original question about the PIMO blocks, yes, they are typically right "correctly". They might not be drilled "ideally", but are fairly correct and will produce a smokable pipe. It's been several years since I read the PIMO book, but I do recall that it does go into some detail about drilling the airway.

[RadDavis]

There are exceptions to every rule.

I believe I read somewhere that Kent Rasmussen doesn't smoke a pipe.

Rad

[KurtHuhn]

I just *knew* that someone was going to bring that up. :whistle:

[bvartist]

All this being said, can I assume if I purchase a predrilled block and stem from Pimo's that it will be engineered correctly? All I'm really looking for is an illustrated example of the perfect airway/mortise/chamber. Does Pimo's book go over these things in detail?

PIMO's book does go into detail about the drilling of the airway/mortise/chamber, and I used a couple PIMO predrilled blocks before I started drilling my own. The predrilled blocks will make decent smokers, not great, but decent. A couple problems you'll most likely find, the airway in the shank and the airway in the stem aren't the same diameter. And there is also a large plenum (gap) between the end of the tenon and the bottom of the mortise. The two predrilled I used smoke ok, but tend to build up moisture on the end of the tenon causing gurgling.

I myself am not a pipe smoker and so this info is more than critical to me as I have no previous knowledge of pipes. So far it has all been this forum and precision guesswork.

I've often wondered if there were pipe makers that didn't smoke! Guess now I know there are at least a few. One thing I would suggest, find a friend who is a pipe smoker. Someone you can really trust to give a good opinion on the smoking qualities of your pipes. It may mean giving away a few freebies, but I think the feedback would be worth it.

David

[flix]

There are exceptions to every rule.

I believe I read somewhere that Kent Rasmussen doesn't smoke a pipe.

Rad

So, Rad,

Kent not only charges (and of course gets) astronomical prices for his pipes, but, he doesn't even smoke them! Blasphemy! Outrage!

Every time I break in one of my misbehaving pipes, I think to myself "maybe it's not worth it to become a craftsman". Some of my pipes are true torture devices to my poor old body. I'm really of the opinion that if you carve pipes, you have to smoke them, just a reality check on your craft, even if you don't take it up as a "hobby".

Which reminds me of that old Monty Python album, where the musician introduced himself with the words:

"Good evening, I've suffered for my art, now it's your turn"

[Nick]

"Good evening, I've suffered for my art, now it's your turn"

ROFL!! That is perfect for pipe makers.

[ArtGuy]

It is true that Kent does not smoke a pipe, however, you also need to remember that he learned to make them through study with Teddy Knuteson. I think that would make for a decent substitute for smoking them. That and the product speaks for itself.