Are you a Clincher, a Holder or a Sitter?

Bonanzadriver

I'm sure there are those of you out there that have a favored method of enjoying the leaf.

I, for one, am probably more of clencher when I smoke my briars.  It seems I'm usually either workin on reviving an old estate, reading or spending time on the different pipe sites.  I find it easier to lightly clench the pipe when I'm doing this.  Heck, even my designated Golf Pipe is a sweet lil ol zulu that has a really nice thin bit that is perfect for clenching while I'm swingin the club.

Some of my favorite briars though are definitely not clenchers.  Either the pipe is too heavy or the bit is too fat to do so.

So, I'd be interested in hearing the pro's and con's of varying methods of enjoying our briars.



Dino

Woodsman

I rarely clench, I'm a holder. When I clench I tend to puff too fast, holding allows me to smoke at a much more leisurely pace.

ghostsofpompeii

I'm also more of a holder than a clencher. The only time I'm a clencher is while on walks in the park or forest preserve. When I'm home in my backyard or garage I tend to sit back, relax, and hold the pipe as I puff away.

PappyJoe

Sometimes I clench. Sometimes I hold. I rarely sit the pipe down but prefer to be sitting myself.

When I'm participating in long smoke competitions, I am actually clinching most of the time and smoking slowly. My experience is that those who hold their pipes and fiddle with the tobacco will tamp their way out of contention.

motie2

I'm a clencher. (Clincher?) Anyway, I keep my pipe chenched. (Clinched?)

Topaz75

I would firmly place myself in the sitting and clenching category. The only time I hold a pipe for any length of time is when I'm packing or tamping it. Approaching 70, I now tend to sit down for as many things as possible.

drac2485

Depends on the pipe. I started smoking large pipes that made clenching impossible. I then moved to bent, preferably Oom Paul's, so I could clench and work. Now I find myself smoking whatever but I half clench half hold the pipe. I normally just lightly hold the bowl as I smoke to check that I'm not smoking to hot, but I'm not supporting all the weight in my hand.

motie2

A thinner bit makes clenching easier, but requires care that one doesn't bite through over time. I have one pipe that has a thin bit, and it's certainly the most comfortable, although it's not my favorite.

And yes, @Topaz75, at 70, sitting is a good thing.

BTW, "Youth is wasted on the young." ~ Bitter motie2 <grin>

xDutchx

I go back and forth between clenching, and holding most of the time. I cannot taste my tobacco very well, unless I take the pipe out of my mouth, and allow my tongue to touch my palate. Sometimes I will sit the pipe down completely, but that is usually so I can do something else, and then come back later to resume the smoke.

When breaking in a pipe, sometimes I will smoke the same blend in a pipe I already have broken in, and alternate back and forth between pipes, in order to gently season the briar in the new pipe.

Topaz75

I should add that I also hold the pipe while lighting it, As a BIc aficionado, I find it helpful to rotate the pipe about 30 degrees to avoid burning my fingers and to facilitate getting a good light.

motie2

@Topaz75 -- I tell ya: get a Linse. It's a BIC for pipe smokers. Disposable and cheap.

Linse's are available on eBay and Amazon

BTW, the stupid striped Linse sticker/wrap peels off.

pipeman83

I go between clenching and holding as well, depends what I am doing while smoking the pipe.

glohman

I hold it in my hand, unless i'm fishing, then i'm clinching a corn cob.

PhilosoPiper

I tend to be more of a clencher or a sitter as about 90% of the time I smoke I am either; reading, studying, working. If I am just hanging out at the pipe shop I am a holder. As far as I can gather from what everyone else has said it seems to be that these three methods are malleable based upon the context of the smoke.

thebadgerpiper

If I'm writing, then I'll clench my pipe while typing. I'll switch to holding if I'm stuck on a part of my story, but otherwise I'll clench. The downside to clenching while writing is that I'll puff faster, which goes through the bowl quicker than I'd like.

If I'm reading, I'll hold my pipe in my hand. If I'm walking, I'll do a combination of both.

Darmon

YES, depending on the situation I do all three.

ghostsofpompeii

Just received two Baraccini 4 1/2" pocket pipes from P&C that making it very easy to clench. Much smaller than I expected - but perfect for a fifteen minute smoke.

Londy3

 I have not yet decided~.. lol.  I think I do some holding, clenching and holding.  it depends on what i am doing really.

ghostsofpompeii

I do the same. But mostly hold. Can't think of a time when I set it down while the tobacco is still lit. .

Ccdeere

Prefer to hold, like the feel of the pipe in my hand.  I only clench when I need to turn a page on a book.  I only put the pipe down when I'm done.  

motie2

Welcome to TPL, @Ccdeere.

BigSkyPiping

I tend to be a clencher. It seems like at least 75% of the time that I am doing some yard work, or working on something in my tool shed while enjoying my pipe, so I clench my pipe in my mouth while working with my hands.  This is probably also why I smoke my cobs more often than any of my other pipes.  Although if I am getting a chance to sit down and enjoy my pipe, I will hold my pipe during that time.

motie2

If you’re going to clench the pipe, holding it in your mouth, rather than your hand, you’ll probably want to try a saddle bit which is relatively thin and flat in comparison to the tapered bit, and is a little easier to keep in your jaw. The tapered bit is a little thicker which can be a help if you tend to bite a little hard.

glohman

@motie2 I definitely prefer a saddle bit when clenching. I also think they look better.

ghostsofpompeii

When I do clench it tends to be a bent pipe. Seems a bit easier on the jaw since it just kind of hangs there and occasionally rests against my chin.

Winton

Always holding. Very rarely would I need both hands for a task, requiring me to clench.

Bonanzadriver

Winton,

I haven't been able to figure out how to hold the pipe in one hand and type with the other.  ( I'm a pretty proficeint typer and don't like to hunt n peck one handed if I can avoid it.)

If it's clenchable, then that's what I do, as I'm doing as I type this to you right now.

If it's one of the awkward bits that doesn't lend itself to clenching or if it's a big chunky pipe that's uncomfortable to clench, then I sit it down and type away.

motie2

Hey @Winton -- Have not seen you around. Welcome. Look forward to reading your comments.

ghostsofpompeii

@Wintonand @Bonanzadriver I find that once I retired (and unless I'm smoking while mowing the lawn) when I do sit down to smoke ... that pretty much all I'm doing. I set aside a little time to do nothing more than sit back and enjoy a good pipe, meditated, and let my mind wander. It's then I'll plan my next activity - but once the smoke is over. So I have no need to do anything with my hands other than hold the pipe, tamp down the ashes a few times, and possibly run a pipe cleaner through the stem. Pipe smoking has become an activity all it's own.  

Rofo6672

Clencher when doing work. Holder when watching tv or a movie