Traditional Muzzleloading Association
Craftsmanship => Accoutrements => Topic started by: vthompson on March 11, 2010, 07:46:35 AM
-
I like to toke on my pipe every now and then and my pipe of choice is the one that I made from a deer antler.
I have read in numerous books about how our forefathers smoked from clay pipes and I have never done that.
I was wondering if any of you guy's knew of where I could get a clay pipe from so that I could try taking a smoke from one of them. I wouldn't even know where to look so your help would be appreciated. Thank you for your time.
-
Jas. Townsend sells good clay pipes at a fair price. Their website is:
https://www.jas-townsend.com (https://www.jas-townsend.com)
-
I love my pipe .
I don’t know how many I have maybe 15-20 ????
I do enjoy my clay’s . Myself I find a quality clay smokes much better then most anything I have . I also find , I don’t have to scrape them anywhere near what I do my modern ones .
Some draw backs are that the bowls get real hot . . They also over time will darken and seep tar through the clay . When you think about it though . that’s really a good thing . Its also probably one of the reasons they don’t clog as easily as a modern pip .
However unlike modern pipes . If the pipe gets to dirty , just set it in the fire and the heat will cook out the tar out of it
One of the issues I have with the pipes the traders like Townson , ToW and other often sell is that they are IMO cheep with very thin walls on the stems .thus you have to be careful with them or they will easily snap .
Well frankly they all snap easy . But cheaper ones more then most .
This last Christmas a good friend of mine bought me a set of clays , from this company
http://www.pipeshoppe.com/
2) Tavern Pipe’s a long stem 16 and a short stem 8
1)Elizabethan
1) Dutch Gouda
Because I been cutting back on the amount I smoke , I have been smoking the Elizabethan .
it’s a short pipe with a thick stem and small bowl . doesn’t take much tobacco. Yet I still find it satisfying and doesnt waste tabacco . Also another + is that because its small and thick stemmed , its more easily carried and less likely to have the stem break .
Now speaking of the stem issue . Through the years I have had many a clay pipe . Most times the stem will break about mid point . Thus the pipe is still usable . But with the bigger bowls your fingers do get rather hot .
. don’t discard it though . Just quill the stem .
Normally I find a clay lasts me about ohm??? 1 to 2 years if im careful
I would have to say that if I were to need anymore clay pipes . The above company is where I would go.
-
The best price I've seen lately is from Turkey foot Trading.
http://www.turkeyfootllc.com/ (http://www.turkeyfootllc.com/) These are good people to deal with. Very good. Some of their prices are silly cheap. Their goods, however, are top notch.
Clay pipes are what tobacco blenders use because they require no break in and do not influence the flavor of the tobacco.
Like Captchee says, to clean a clay pipe simply lay it in the coals of your fire and allow it to burn clean. It will come out clean as new.
Don't do as I did with a clay bowl pipe with a reed stem. I still use the bowl, but the stem......... Reed stems do not stand up to burning heat all that well.
I'm not a habitual tobacco user and have clay pipes that are over thirty years old. They may well be older, but I've only owned and smoked 'em for thirty years.
Three Hawks
-
Thanks for the websites guy's, I will definately check them out.