Bowl shape preferences by tobacco type?

Oneofsevens

So when serving certain beverages they are best presented in specifically shaped glasses; tall thin flutes for bubbly, wide open goblets for a dark Belgium beers (more my died that)... what are your favorite pipe styles / bowl shapes and sizes based on what it is that you are smoking?

Charles

The Billiard is my preferred pipe and the Bulldog is my second.  I smoke both aromatics and English tobacco in them and have pipes dedicated to aromatics only and English only.  I have some corncobs, Meerschaum, bent pipes, straight apples, and even a the Peterson "XL12" in particular, based off of the "Baskerville," which derived its name from one of Holmes' best known adventures, Hound of the Baskervilles.  I smoke only Dunhill English blends in this one.

xDutchx

I don't pay too much attention to the external shape of a pipe when matching blends, however I do like pipes that are comfortable in the hand, such as Brandys, Apples, Cuttys, Bulldogs, etc.

When I buy a pipe and get a chance to inspect the bowl, I will have a general idea whether I will dedicate the pipe to Latakia blends, Virginia blends, or some sub genre of Virginias.

I tend to like wide bowled chimney style pipes for Latakia blends that are voluminous, and shorter wide bowled pipes for Latakia flakes and crumble cakes. Wider bowled pipes can be more challenging for a new smoker, because they cycle a higher volume of oxygen, and can heat up quickly if you're not paying attention to your smoking cadence.

I find that a higher number of pipes in my collection, tend to match better to Virginia blends. I believe this is because a higher number of pipe makers prefer to make pipes in the .70 to .85 range, simply because smoking quality can suffer if the bowl on a particular pipe is too wide. However, when you find a wide bowled pipe, that doesn't smoke hot, they can perform very well with Latakia blends, IMO.

For Virginia flakes, I will usually always choose a small bowled pipe, but the width is secondary. I find that a wider bowled pipe will  in most cases give a richer fuller flavor, compared to a taller narrow bowled pipe in the .70 range. It's not that the wider bowled pipe is always superior when it comes to flavor, but the differences in the two different geometries will give me the opportunity to experiment using different pipes for the same blend.

Essentially, what I am looking for is a match between pipe and tobacco that results in better flavor, than any other combos I have tried. Finding a match that is extraordinary can take some time, because there are many variables, including the condition of my palate on a given day. The reality to it, is that some blends have the potential to be much more complex than others, but that doesn't mean that you can't smoke an aged Virginia that is one dimensional, and come to the conclusion that it is a fantastic blend.

Another factor that can affect the match, is the briar that a particular pipe is made from. Most briar will fall into the average category with most blends, but sometimes you will find a match that is definitely noticeable.

I have read that conical shaped bowls are great for Balkan blends, however my best smoking conical shaped bowl, is a small flake pipe I have dedicated to Blackwoods Flake.

As with many things in life, a lot of satisfaction can come with experimentation, as long as you are not in a rush to reach the destination.