pipemakersforum.com

Hey all,
I recently saw a photo of a reverse calabash by DSHpipes, it was very nice.
Seeing it got me thinking about the subject. Last time I saw anything about RC, the articles were dated 2003-04. Was this just vogue at the time? What do you guys think about them?
No, I did not do a search on the subject. All my time this week has been dedicated to reading about forming stems. As that is where I am right now. But, would like some food for thought on this topic?


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Do a search on the subject.
Many people like them.
I think they're stupid.

keilwerth wrote:Do a search on the subject.
Many people like them.
I think they're stupid.

+1

Yeah I've been looking at the old threads this morning while a little slow at work.


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I've made several and it is definitely a love it or hate it concept.
My personal opinion is that the theory works BUT IT IS NOT DRAMATIC.
Based on the way I smoke a pipe, I find the smoke to be a little cooler and a little drier.
I put a Delrin liner in the expansion chambers which makes them super easy to clean.
I predict the next big wave will be miniature hookahs that will look like a regular pipe.
Chas.

An extra-deep mortise does not a true double chamber pipe make.

The real thing is quite difficult to fabricate, technically speaking, and equally difficult to make look good. They are also quite large (not heavy, though). Net result? Few carvers either can or want to make the real thing, but no small number want to catch the latest trend-bus, so diluted designs that don't smoke better than a standard pipe are suddenly everywhere.

My prediction? A small but hardcore group of smokers who value the taste, ultra-easy draw, & ultra-dry experience above all other considerations will continue to buy pipes from the few guys who make the real thing long after the trend-bus has moved on to something else. A state of affairs that I think will make everyone happy.

LL,
I agree with you. To make it REALLY work the pipe will look like it has developed a huge goiter. You know to whom I am referring. The guy is unbelievably talented but I still cannot wrap my head around the appearance.
I try to make the chambers equal to or larger than the volume of the tobacco bowl. Not perfect but I can tell a difference.
Chas.

I agree. Anthony Harris makes the only reverse calabash pipes I've known that create a dramatic change in the smoking experience. They look ugly as sin, but they sure do work.

Ocelot55 wrote:I agree. Anthony Harris makes the only reverse calabash pipes I've known that create a dramatic change in the smoking experience. They look ugly as sin, but they sure do work.

Here is one of his. It's one of only two or three angular pipes he's ever made. All the rest have been some version of the "balloon" style. Those I don't care for, looks-wise, but this one isn't bad.

(It smokes spectacularly well.)

Yes I've seen this one in another tread about heavy stems for balance. Now i understand why it is so heavy. I could definitely understand desiring a cooler smoke. Is that one yours George?


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It seems that there are strong opinions based on precious little experience when it comes to RCs. I have been intrigued by the idea for some time but also have had a hard time wrapping my head around the bulbous second chamber on many that I have seen. Having the luxury of not selling my pipe but just making them to play and explore, I have been striving to make RC pipes that more closely resemble the look of a conventional pipe

There will be a blog post coming out soon on tobaccodays.com in which David did a fairly rigorous analysis of various RC designs, measuring the temperature of the smoke stream at various points and the humidity of the smoke. He used a range of RC variations (including one of my more conventional looking hollowed shank pipes and one of Anthony's). From what I have been able to glean, there is a rapidly reached point of diminishing returns where less and less extra cooling and drying are achieved with more and more second chamber volume.

I will make no empirical claims about the smoking quality of my pipes but will leave that for others to assess. That said, I have a pretty nice collection of patent Dunhills, Danish masters and North American pipes but find my self reaching for my own RC more often than not (yes quite possibly either pride or prejudice at play here). I will sah that the volume of liquid that is swabbed out after a smoke is considerable, something easily done with a twisted piece of facial tissue.

In the case of my efforts, the shanks are drilled out to a 1/2" diameter with a 1/2" deeply countersunk delrin tenon. This restricts the designs to have more robust shanks much like 9mm pipes.

Here are a few of my RCs:

First one

Ccoolee wrote: Is that one yours George?

Yes. I've had it a couple years.

Here's a couple of pics of the last RC that I made.
Chas.

Is this the pipe you're referring to?



It's a real RC.



Are they way better than a standard pipe? To some, I'm sure they are. I reach for my shop pipes most of the time because I enjoy smoking them the most. None of them are an RC.

From a crafting POV, RCs are a fun challenge to execute and I'm personally happy to offer them for that reason. However, unless specifically requested, I usually just drill 'em like usual.

More pics if anyone's curious: http://imgur.com/a/hZGVd

George, you're always going on about how some solutions will stop working after several years of use.

Don't you think that the inside of the cooling chamber after 20 years of smoking (even with regular wiping, though I'm sure not all smokers have the patience to properly clean this thing), will be almost impossible to clean?
My prediction would be that after hundreds and hundreds of cycles of fibres swelling, absorbing humidity and drying out the wood will be soaked with gunk that you cannot possibly just remove with a tissue. After many years I imagine a black, tar soaked chamber that doesn't really improve the flavor at all, in addition to looking ugly.

keilwerth wrote:George, you're always going on about how some solutions will stop working after several years of use.

Don't you think that the inside of the cooling chamber after 20 years of smoking (even with regular wiping, though I'm sure not all smokers have the patience to properly clean this thing), will be almost impossible to clean?
My prediction would be that after hundreds and hundreds of cycles of fibres swelling, absorbing humidity and drying out the wood will be soaked with gunk that you cannot possibly just remove with a tissue. After many years I imagine a black, tar soaked chamber that doesn't really improve the flavor at all, in addition to looking ugly.

An excellent question---it was one of the first worries I had upon learning of the design---but Anthony assured me it wasn't the case. That a properly-sized chamber would stay quite clean. I've now smoked mine several hundred times (with especially gunky dark-fired tobacco, no less) and all that's happened is the interior looks to have been evenly stained with a medium-gray dye. No gunk, no build up. The wood grain is still visible through it, in fact.

I'm not familiar enough with fluid dynamics, particulate deposition following condensation, and so forth to explain it, but the results are indisputable. Just twist the corner of a paper towel into a spike, push it into the chamber after each smoke, and keep pushing while gently turning until the chamber is "stuffed", turn a couple more times, and remove. The captured moisture is gone, and nothing significant remains.

If it was possible to take a photo of the inside I'd be glad to post proof, but that isn't possible with my rudimentary equipment. If you'll take Scottie's word for it, I'll try to remember to take the pipe along to a GKCPC meeting, and have her take a look and report back.

Thanks for your answer, your direct experience is valuable here.
My concern though is not the first 2, 3 or 5 years, but 20 or 30.
When I make a pipe I always keep in mind that part of the magic of the object is that it lasts a long time, a human lifetime at least. That's why I thought the tars in the chamber might be a problem.

d.huber wrote:Is this the pipe you're referring to?

Huber, yes that's the one. I thought you were the maker. It is lovely but you don't need a noob like me to tell you that. I see your posts about your shop pipes and tea. Part of my inspiration to learn more about this craft.


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yachtexplorer wrote:It seems that there are strong opinions based on precious little experience when it comes to RCs. I have been intrigued by the idea for some time but also have had a hard time wrapping my head around the bulbous second chamber on many that I have seen. Having the luxury of not selling my pipe but just making them to play and explore, I have been striving to make RC pipes that more closely resemble the look of a conventional pipe

There will be a blog post coming out soon on tobaccodays.com

In the case of my efforts, the shanks are drilled out to a 1/2" diameter with a 1/2" deeply countersunk delrin tenon. This restricts the designs to have more robust shanks much like 9mm pipes.

Here are a few of my RCs:

img]

Yatchexplorer, thanks for your input on this. I will be watching for that blog post. A lot of information to think about. I'll have to make one down the line when my hands listen a little better. I think how you were able to keep a traditional shaping with the heavier shank, but still maintain balance is great. The forth one is my favorite out of them.


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Keilwerth, thanks also. I was wondering what the negatives could be. I wonder if the expansion chamber lined with a thin sleeve of delrin would easier to clean?
So the moisture thing. I guess combustion gases cooled below 140f condense the vapor out. I know when this happens in a burner not specifically designed for it the condensates liquid attacks the metals in the burner by removing minerals from it. I believe that is why we use stainless tubing when a metal tube in required? I would think it could attack the wood looking for mineral as well? I also would be curious to mic a inner diameter when new and again a few years of regular use later to see if there is any change in shape?
George, again thanks for your input on this. Ultimately I suppose it is like so many aspects of piping, if you like it do it?


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