Petersons

Houtenziel · Fri Aug 17, 2018 7:45 pm

Interesting! I always attributed the gurgle more to the diameter of the airway and the temperature/humidity during the smoking session. Every narrow airway'd pipe I think I've ever owned has gurgled, and I think it's due to the smaller diameter becoming more quickly overcome with the inevitable condensate from smoking. This is how I always explained the phenomenon of gurgle proof cobs too, since their airway is huge. I recently got a MM Charles Towne Cobbler, and had my first ever gurgle fit in a cob.. and while correlation does not imply causation.. the stem on the Cobbler has a very narrow airway.

Your guess is as good as mine though.

Fri Aug 17, 2018 7:47 pm

I always though Ted was the guy who was presmoking them all.

On a more serious note, I have always been of the school that you want the draft hole at the bottom. I have built up the heel with a little pipe mud to achieve this over the years. I have never had a problem with gurgling, but I don't think I had a problem with it before mudding the heels either. I never liked the unburned tobacco you were dumping with the ashes when the heel was a little low. FWIW...

Fri Aug 17, 2018 7:49 pm

The wide airway is definitely a factor in gurgle free smoking, if you ask me. I open up every pipe I get to 5/32", and a couple I went wider. Grabow is already there. Placement and width, both important. Good point, H.

Fri Aug 17, 2018 7:59 pm

Fr_Tom wrote: ↑Fri Aug 17, 2018 7:47 pm I always though Ted was the guy who was presmoking them all.

On a more serious note, I have always been of the school that you want the draft hole at the bottom. I have built up the heel with a little pipe mud to achieve this over the years. I have never had a problem with gurgling, but I don't think I had a problem with it before mudding the heels either. I never liked the unburned tobacco you were dumping with the ashes when the heel was a little low. FWIW...

I thought of you while I was looking for that from Tom. Lots of thoughts and opinions out there. I lean toward the bore of the draft/shank as the main gurgle reducer and the position it's drilled as dependent on that.

Houtenziel · Fri Aug 17, 2018 8:12 pm

I've never experienced gurgling specific to a high draft, but I have encountered the wasted tobacco and harshness near the bottom quite a bit. My thinking is this: Air goes into the pipe, passes by the burning tobacco which heats it. The tobacco below the ember is much cooler, and so it acts like the copper reflux packing in a still head, causing all the moisture in the smoke to condense on the bits and strands of tobacco. As the smoking session progresses, the moisture moves lower and lower into the bowl, and begins to concentrate at the heel(the moisture directly beneath the ember is evaporated, the slower you smoke, the less you'll notice this). Once the tobacco burns down near the draft hole, the air flow shifts and the ember begins to boil off the reservoir of moisture in the heel, which causes the smoking experience to become harsher, and eventually it will no longer stay lit and you'll end up with wet dottle. The severity of the issue is probably heavily influenced by atmospheric humidity, smoking cadence, and definitely the moisture level of the tobacco.

steamboat · Fri Aug 17, 2018 8:37 pm

The only wood pipes that i smoked that do not gurgle are 6mm filtered pipes smoked without the filter or insert. I will only buy 6mm going forward, that is if i even end up buying another wooden pipe. I just cant replicate my smoking experience that i have with cobs and meers anywhere close to when i smoke wood. I do have a few briars that i smoke, but will not add any for a long time.

Joseph · Sun Aug 19, 2018 3:59 am

houtenziel wrote: ↑Fri Aug 17, 2018 11:12 am
Joseph wrote: ↑Fri Aug 17, 2018 9:26 am Yes, it does seem to be slightly above the bottom of the bowl when i check with pipe cleaner. This is not as shown in diagram on Petersons site. Of course this then results in wasted tobacco possibly 10% on this small bowl. May contact Petersons, like the weight, feel and balance.
If you want to prove to yourself that the draft hole is the reason, you could buy some Nording Keystones and throw them in there which would compensate for the high draft. This should allow all the tobacco to burn and should keep it from getting swampy and harsh in the last 1/4 of the bowl. You could then acquire some pipe mud and fix it if you are so inclined... I am sure a member here would gladly donate some cigar ash to the cause.

Thanks, had'nt heard of those.

Sun Aug 19, 2018 6:31 am

well I'll jump on the bash Peterson bandwagon. I don't like them. Maybe the pre-Republic pipes were good. In fact I like the looks of the Royal Irish line today, but I never grabbed one because I would have been furious if it smoked like any other Peterson.

My opinion on the subject is that there are a handful of really good London made marques that you almost can't get a bad pipe from, and they can be had at any price point on the estate market. I am sticking with BBB, Charatan, Comoy's, Dunhill, GBD, Loewe, Orlik and Sasieni.

Sun Aug 19, 2018 5:29 pm

I always blame the user before the tool. In the case of Peterson it's nine times outta ten the opposite. If you want a Falcon just buy one. I like gimmicks just as much as everyone else does... lol

Sun Aug 19, 2018 5:47 pm

Bruyere_Royale wrote: ↑Sun Aug 19, 2018 5:29 pm I always blame the user before the tool. In the case of Peterson it's nine times outta ten the opposite. If you want a Falcon just buy one. I like gimmicks just as much as everyone else does... lol

Gimmick pipes make me feel empowered. And a Space Agey. I feel like I'm back in 1965.