Newer guy going to buy a BIG Ben Wade freehand

IsraelHands

Hello All,
Newer pipe smoker, almost one year. Enjoying the hobby. Considering buying this nice estate Ben Wade freehand. However, it has a HUGE BOWL!!  1x2 inches!!  I love the free hand shape and the idea of smoking out of a larger chunk of wood. It appeals to my creative contemplative time when I smoke my pipes. My biggest pipe bowl I have now is 8/10" wide x 1 1/2" deep. Can I smoke that much tobacco?  I'm not sure. Advice on packing? How do these big bowls smoke? Please advise. Thank you in advance for your expertise.
Kindly, ChrisK

Corey562

@IsraelHands I love a big bowl I have a couple I made that have a inside dia. of about 7/8 and a depth of almost 2in. They will eat a tin of tobacco up quick but they do make for a nice long smoke.

KA9FFJ

@IsraelHands I just load my big bowls as if they were ordinary size bowls. Wind up with a bowl 2/3 full. I never fill a bowl to the top to help avoid charting. Anyway, works for me...

KA9FFJ

That should have been "charring", not charting...

ghostsofpompeii

@IsraelHands I on the other hand prefer small to mid-size bowls for a smoke of about 45 minutes. But it all depends on your preferred smoking. I'd rather have two or three medium sized bowls throughout the day than something lasting over an hour a stretch.

KA9FFJ

@ghostsofpompeii I'm with you on the smaller bowls. Usually when I do have time to enjoy a smoke, I can't afford to light up a 2 hour pipe. My small pipes are my go-to pipes most of the time... I still do not load my pipes to the rim, as .mentioned earlier, to help deter charring...

thebadgerpiper

I have a Nording freehand, and while I don't smoke it every week, it's a good pipe. As other posters have said, you don't have to fill a pipe all the way to the top. Fill it as high as you feel like, or have time for. I do own a Ben Wade Canadian pipe, and it's one of my favorites. You should enjoy it.

Londy3

Hey @IsraelHands, got a picture of the pipe your going to buy?