It is not known exactly where and when the first smoking pipe appeared. Scientists believe that it was invented by the Indian tribes of Central America, in particular the Mayan tribe. At the places of their settlements, archaeologists found ancient pipes depicting various plots, animals, people. And what do modern pipes look like? What types and types are they? What materials are they made of and is it possible to make a pipe with your own hands? You will learn about all this from this article.
The design of a modern smoking pipe
To begin with, we will understand the design features of the tube. A smoking pipe consists of several parts that have a specific purpose.
A bowl is the rounded portion of the pipe filled with tobacco. The size of this part can be different and depends on what kind of tobacco the pipe is intended for.
A tobacco chamber is a depression in a bowl for filling with tobacco.
A chubuk is a part of a tube going from a bowl to a mouthpiece. A chubuk can have several small openings that allow air to pass through. This facilitates the smoking process.
Through the smoke channel, smoke enters from the cup to the mouthpiece. What depends on the quality of the production of the smoke channel, what kind of smoking pipe will be in terms of properties.
The mouthpiece is hermetically connected to the chubuk. It can be straight or curved, with a flat or round hole in the smoke channel. In some types of tubes, the hole can be divided into two parts, such a mouthpiece will be called two-channel.
The mouthpiece is the end of the mouthpiece, which is placed in the mouth, between the teeth and lips. Sensations during smoking largely depend on the quality and shape of this part of the tube. Most often, the mouthpiece has a traditional shape, but in some cases the smoke hole is located in its upper part, so that the smoke, without touching the tongue, rises to the palate.
The neck connects the mouthpiece with the chubuk. It is made of silver or other materials.
The filter is designed to cool the smoke. It can be made of paper, cardboard, balsa wood, foam. Smoking pipe can be used without filter. After smoking, the filter must be removed so that the pipe does not deteriorate. Many refuse to use the filter, because they believe that it conceals some shades of tobacco taste.
Now you know what elements the tube consists of. The material this accessory is made of is also of great importance. Consider what the tubes are made of.
Briard
Briar pipes are very popular. Briard is the root thickening of heather. A bowl with a chubuk is made from it, the mouthpiece is made of other materials. Durable briar tubes do not heat up. They are easy to clean.
They can be of different quality and vary greatly in price. Cheap low quality briar tubes can be putty. Over time, the putty will begin to stand out in color and may fly off.
Tree
Wooden tubes are also quite popular. The tube may be made of a single piece of wood or may be stacked. Only a bowl can be made of wood. For the manufacture of tubes using apple, pear, cherry, beech and valuable wood. A tree with a pungent odor, tarry, coniferous does not fit.
Wooden tubes burn out over time, and they have to be replaced. After use, such a tube requires prolonged drying. Products are relatively cheap, with the exception of those made from precious wood.
Corn
Corn tubes are cut from the stalk, which is the core of the corncob. The handset is very light, cheap, but short-lived. It is fragile and quickly burns out, so you will have to change it often, perhaps several times a year.
The corn tube is easy to clean, filters smoke and absorbs moisture well.
Clay
Clay tubes were once widespread, but today they are most often used as an original gift or souvenir. The tube can be made entirely of clay or have only a clay bowl.
Using the clay pipe for its intended purpose is not very convenient, because it is fragile, cracking due to temperature changes (it must not be smoked in the cold), it is very hot. But clay pipes decorated with carvings and various ornaments look great as an element of the collection.
Foam
Foam is a rare natural material, consisting of the smallest pressed shells. The foam is strong, durable. It absorbs moisture well, does not heat up and does not fade, is easy to clean. Foam tube is considered to be one of the best.
But all these advantages relate only to tubes cut from a single block of foam! If pressed crumbs are used to make the accessory, the product quality drops significantly, it loses all its advantages and becomes extremely fragile. In order not to purchase such a fake, you need to remember that a foam tube is expensive and you can not buy it in every store.
Pumpkin
A very rare and valuable material for the manufacture of the tube is the gourd. The tobacco chamber in such pipes is made of foam or porcelain. But it’s not easy to buy a natural pumpkin, most often they mimic a gourd with other materials.
Tube shapes
How do smoking pipes differ in shape? The photos show that there is a wide variety in the shapes and types of tubes. The shape and height of the bowl, the bend are different. There are several classifications of smoking pipes, we will consider several basic types.
Types of smoking pipes in shape:
- Billiards - the most common group of forms. Almost cylindrical chubuk and bowl. The Chubuk and the mouthpiece assembly are a bit like a cue, hence the name of the form.
- Chimney - reminds billiards with a deep tobacco chamber and a tall bowl. Such a pipe is intended for an experienced smoker, as it smokes for several hours and tobacco can fade.
- Liverpool - billiards with a long chubuk and a short mouthpiece.
- Lovat - resembles a liverpool with a saddle-shaped mouthpiece.
- Canadian - has a long flattened forelock with an oval section and a short mouthpiece.
- Bulldog - has a bowl consisting of two cones with a diamond-shaped in proportion chubuk.
- Dublin is a conical bowl wide above and narrow below.
- Poker - has a flat bottom, so that the handset can be placed on the table.
- Sweat - the bowl resembles a pot, the tube is massive, with thick walls.
- Prince - a low bowl, a curved mouthpiece.
- Apple is a very popular form with a spherical bowl.
- Tomato - has an oval bowl.
- Brandy - the bowl repeats the shape of the glass for the drink of the same name.
- Egg - accordingly, the bowl has the shape of an egg.
- Freehands are non-canonical pipes.
How to choose a handset
In a store with a wide assortment, a beginner can just get confused - such an abundance of sizes, shapes, materials. Is it possible to buy just a tube you like or is it necessary to pay attention to its characteristics? The choice of the first such thing is important, since it depends on it whether you will enjoy smoking and become a person who loves pipes. How to choose a handset for a beginner? There are several points to pay attention to.
The first thing to decide is the shape of the tube. It is better to choose a simple classic cylindrical shape. The fact is that some pipes require more attention when smoking, can go out, etc. The product should be pleasant and comfortable in your hand.
The next choice is a curved or straight tube. Very often, beginners are attracted to models with a strong bend. But handling such a pipe requires some experience. For the first time, straight or with a slight bend are best.
One of the most controversial questions is whether a filter is needed in the handset. It softens and conceals the taste of tobacco. Each smoker decides independently which pipe to choose.
The filter of the tube does not affect the quality of smoking, so here you can be guided by your own preferences.
How to make a pipe yourself
Smoking pipe - a skillful and elegant item. Only a master can make a good pipe. For the initial processing, tools, a machine tool and a drill are used, and the final completion is done only manually. If you want to make a pipe yourself, you need to not only have the necessary knowledge and be able to work with your hands, but also have the tools. If you want to do a quality thing, then be prepared for the fact that a pipe made with your own hands will cost more than buying a new one.
The fact is that it consists of fairly fine details. Of great importance is the quality of the smoke channel. It is quite difficult to cut and process the smoke channel and the tobacco chamber well. But if you still want to make a pipe yourself, you can purchase a special blank, the so-called hobby block. A pipe made by yourself from a hobby block will require a minimum of tools.
A hobby block is a piece of wood of a rectangular or cubic shape in which a tobacco chamber and a smoke channel are already made. A plastic mouthpiece is already attached to the workpiece. It turns out that all the delicate work that requires special knowledge has already been done, and the owner of the hobby block is left with the most interesting thing - to come up with the shape of the bowl and give these shapes to the blank. After carving the mold, the bowl must be sanded, polished.
The process of working with a hobby block is good in that it is interesting, gives room for imagination and, very importantly, the result is a really high-quality smoking pipe. The choice of hobby blocks is quite wide, they differ in the shape of the mouthpiece, the diameter and height of the tobacco bowl. Using these blanks, you can make good and different smoking pipes at home.