Clays

[MikeDennison]

Your dern $8 pipe's gonna cost me a c-note for free shipping.

Well yeah... there's that. That's a dangerous site for me to visit.

Or, you just buy a clay and a pound of Super-Value tobacco and pay the S&H. You won't be set back a C-note and it will be a bargain of flavor.

This time I managed just to buy the pipe...nuthin' else...and just paid the S&H. Not often I'm able to get out the door that cheaply.

[Bamarick]

So, my first clay arrived this morning, and I've already taken it for a test drive. First thing I noticed is how fragile it feels...I find myself holding it by the stem very gingerly. Second thing is how small the bowl is. Then, how my lips stick to the stem unless they're completely dry. But I love how it smokes! It's very cool and dry, and I think I'm getting more flavor out of the tobacco. Overall, it's great! I'm just wondering if my anxiety is gonna flare up out of fear of snapping the stem, dropping it, or otherwise damaging it in any of the myriad ways I can imagine.

MikeDennison how long is the stem on your pipe? When I look on P&C the cheap clays all have stems under 5 inches long.

This one's a good six inches long, just by eyeballin' it. It's from SmokingPipes.com

Oh heck, I was think that you got it at P&C. Thanks!

[MikeDennison]

MikeDennison how long is the stem on your pipe? When I look on P&C the cheap clays all have stems under 5 inches long.

This one's a good six inches long, just by eyeballin' it. It's from SmokingPipes.com

Oh heck, I was think that you got it at P&C. Thanks!

Ha! Yeah, I think it was ol' [mention]Whalehead King[/mention] that picked his up at P&C. I tend to make smokingpipes.com my first stop.

[Try Cob]

Your dern $8 pipe's gonna cost me a c-note for free shipping.

Well yeah... there's that. That's a dangerous site for me to visit.

Or, you just buy a clay and a pound of Super-Value tobacco and pay the S&H. You won't be set back a C-note and it will be a bargain of flavor.

Well, I needed more Carter Hall, anyway, wanted to try a Nording compass, too. Went to SP and looked at the clay for awhile, then decided to just go ahead and order and added the Nording and other tobaccos to qualify for the free ship. Then found this am that I'd failed to ever put the clay in the cart. Doh!

So, yeah, it's either wait awhile or pay the shipping now. Likely to wait a few days for the next billing period on the CC, just because I'm about piped and tobaccoed out right now, and I do follow a budget for entertainment. A habit that's kept us in trim for many years. Not in a big hurry anyway. Heck, we all know the truth - I'll order enough to get that freebie!

So, correction, that dern $8 pipe is now up to $208, or thereabouts. I've always been this wise about money...

[Preacher1611]

Clay is great, I love mine! As WK had stated here they will break. BUT, if you're careful with them and remember that they ain't like other pipes, they can last for years. The first one I ever got I bought like 10 years ago, I've thrown it in the fire twice over the years to clean it out. Don't tap them on anything to knock the ash out, not even a pipe cork, they'll break! Even throwing them in the fire can be dangerous, I have one that the stem chipped on when I put it in the fire. I've even thrown an antique pipe bowl with about an inch of stem I found on the river in the fire to clean it with no problem: but you never know what will happen! Awesome little smokers for sure!

[MikeDennison]

Clay is great, I love mine! As WK had stated here they will break. BUT, if you're careful with them and remember that they ain't like other pipes, they can last for years. The first one I ever got I bought like 10 years ago, I've thrown it in the fire twice over the years to clean it out. Don't tap them on anything to knock the ash out, not even a pipe cork, they'll break! Even throwing them in the fire can be dangerous, I have one that the stem chipped on when I put it in the fire. I've even thrown an antique pipe bowl with about an inch of stem I found on the river in the fire to clean it with no problem: but you never know what will happen! Awesome little smokers for sure!

That's amazing! You can just burn the gunk out of'em?

[Try Cob]

Mine arrived, and I tried 'er out. Turned it every which way in my hand, seeking a comfortable grip - I'm normally a bowl-holder. Bowl runs a little hotter than a briar, but dissipates the heat faster so it reaches a reasonable sipping equilibrium. I don't like the way it feels against my teeth, but I'm not much for clenching anyway - nor is the pipe with its small, round stem, amenable to a clench. Nor do I like that it tended to stick to my lips, until I learned to moisten the bit now and then.

About halfway through the first bowl, I noticed that I was no longer shifting my grip. The wobbling I'd been doing had threatened to dump the load, but my hands found a comfortable grip, with three fingers over the stem, pinky knuckle under the bowl base, and thumb extended out and against the stem. I dubbed it Hitch-hiker Grip #42.

The pipe smoked well, once my awkwardness with it subsided. Just finished a bowl of CH for my second go-round and enjoyed the session.

I couldn't help thinking that this would be a very good way for a newbie to pipes to learn how to smoke one. I keep reading here and there about newbies burning out briars quickly - eg, one Amazon reviewer claimed he burned a hole in his rusticated Grabow Big Pipe on his third bowl. It boggles my mind. Somebody hand that man a clay, explain the slow sip and when he learns how to keep this reasonably cool, then sell him a briar.

[Preacher1611]

Clay is great, I love mine! As WK had stated here they will break. BUT, if you're careful with them and remember that they ain't like other pipes, they can last for years. The first one I ever got I bought like 10 years ago, I've thrown it in the fire twice over the years to clean it out. Don't tap them on anything to knock the ash out, not even a pipe cork, they'll break! Even throwing them in the fire can be dangerous, I have one that the stem chipped on when I put it in the fire. I've even thrown an antique pipe bowl with about an inch of stem I found on the river in the fire to clean it with no problem: but you never know what will happen! Awesome little smokers for sure!

That's amazing! You can just burn the gunk out of'em?

Yes sir, I read something on the old PSF about heating the oven up to I think 400 degrees and putting them in there: supposed to work, I haven't tried it. But yes, I've burned one of mine twice and two of mine once each and it works great! Though YMMV as I didn't make enough fire and didn't have a good coal base one time and one of mine did chip a bit on the stem... BUT, for a pretty much disposable pipe, if it breaks it breaks. I'll have to take pics and post them of the clays I've burned.

[MikeDennison]

Clay is great, I love mine! As WK had stated here they will break. BUT, if you're careful with them and remember that they ain't like other pipes, they can last for years. The first one I ever got I bought like 10 years ago, I've thrown it in the fire twice over the years to clean it out. Don't tap them on anything to knock the ash out, not even a pipe cork, they'll break! Even throwing them in the fire can be dangerous, I have one that the stem chipped on when I put it in the fire. I've even thrown an antique pipe bowl with about an inch of stem I found on the river in the fire to clean it with no problem: but you never know what will happen! Awesome little smokers for sure!

That's amazing! You can just burn the gunk out of'em?

Yes sir, I read something on the old PSF about heating the oven up to I think 400 degrees and putting them in there: supposed to work, I haven't tried it. But yes, I've burned one of mine twice and two of mine once each and it works great! Though YMMV as I didn't make enough fire and didn't have a good coal base one time and one of mine did chip a bit on the stem... BUT, for a pretty much disposable pipe, if it breaks it breaks. I'll have to take pics and post them of the clays I've burned.

Cool!

[Preacher1611]

I've still got to post some pics... BUT, the company I work for was bought out by a larger company, national company. Technically I'm not supposed to be on the interwebs for personal reasons so no more internetting for awhile. I am going to get the web at home soon so I'll be back! I'll try to pop in when I can, until they replace my computer I can still sort of do what I want. I'll try to post some pics but no promises, I'll see y'all later!