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Churchwardens, love em or hate em?

I love the shape of the Prince pipe.  I own the Savinelli Di Piazza Spanga and its so awesome. Lately, i have been looking at the Churchwarden with the Prince shape and its starting to grow on me.  What do you think of the Churchwarden?  I know it can be very inconvenient due to its size but would love to hear from y'all about them. 

The History of Churchwardens

Tobacco and pipe history at large is fraught with mystery and mystique, and the noble Churchwarden is no exception there.
Some believe that the shape takes its name from night watchmen of
churches, hearkening to a time when churches would always remain
unlocked, with the distance between face and bowl allowing the
"churchwarden" to smoke while keeping his line of vision clear. Others
believe that the added length of stem allowed for the night watchmen to
smoke with their pipes out of the church window, while some assert that
the name is derived from the ability to rest the pipe on the church pew
directly in front of the smoker. Regardless of however you imagine the
church's night watchman smoking his faithful briar, it's clear that, in
order to explore the shape's origins, one must step back, practically to
tobacco's inception in the western world.

The Churchwarden was once as ubiquitous to the pipe smoking community as the noble tamper is today, with roots as far back as the late 18th or early 19th century (depending on who you ask).
Though pipes have been produced from such materials as brass, pewter,
and even lead, clay was the primary medium used in American pipe
creation until the latter part of the nineteenth century. Longer clay
pipes were among those seen in pioneer-era taverns, where they would
occasionally be owned by the establishment for use by patrons. This
convention is perhaps what grants the Churchwarden its colloquial
association with moments of stationary respite, but, make no mistake,
the elongated configuration stuck around well after the advent of the
briar pipe. The shape retained popularity for quite some time, but fell
out of fashion as the pipe smoking population became increasingly more
mobile and in need of handier, more compact designs.

Comments

  • The Churchwarden is without a doubt a pipe to be smoked while doing nothing else but smoking. You can't perform any other physical activity while a foot long Churchwarden is dangling from your mouth. It's not a clencher - unless you have jaw muscles of steel. But it is the perfect pipe for self reflection, contemplation, and relaxing. One can't help but be whisked away to days gone by or thoughts of Hobbits, Wizards, and movies featuring an old Victorian groundskeeper strolling through the cemetery keeping a sharp eye out for body snatchers. The smoke is cool so it's the perfect pipe to reach for when you want a smoke but concerned about aggravating a nasty bit of tongue bite from a previous smoke.   
  • mfresamfresa Master
    @Londy3, your question gives me the opportunity to express my wholehearted opinion that the churchwarden is the most underrated pipe shape in the world.  They are relatively inexpensive, compared to other shapes, and deliver a high quality smoke, with all types of blends.  I have 3 of them, 2 which I made myself, and love them.  They keep the smoke out of your eyes, allow the smoke to cool (a bit) before reaching your mouth, and as ghostsofpompeii said so well, put you in a state of reflection, and often deep relaxation.  Mine are a mini-vacation after work, or on weekends when SWMBO give me a couple of hours off.  I highly recommend you get at least one, and put your favorite blend in it once per day until you have achieved the happy state of zen that they can bring.  Bon apetite!!
  • Topaz75Topaz75 Professor
    I really like the MM Cobbit series. For example, the Cobbit Dwarf is referred to as a semi-churchwarden and is about 7 inches long. It's an inexpensive corn cob and I think an excellent smoker. It has the advantages of a churchwarden, yet is light and manageable enough to clench if you want or need to do so. Two thumbs up from this reviewer.
  • Most of you know that I have a twisted sense of humor some days, and at night things can get even more out of hand. I have a couple churchwardens myself in my collection. When I read the title of the thread, the skit "Men on Films," happened to be the first thing that came to mind.

    At the time, it just seemed like the right thing to do. :^)

  • CcdeereCcdeere Newcomer
    I love the idea of a churchwarden...I'm uncertain how practice they are. The bowls often seem a bit small also. All that being said, I'm watching for one that catches my eye to add to my collection. Would be nice to kick back in tha woods and enjoy it.
  • I have 4 including a Cobbit Dwarf and an extended Dwarf.MM Churchwarden Mod
  • motie2motie2 Master
    <<Even If They Come From Lothlórien (Cornell & Diehl Berries & Cream in a McQueen Wizard Churchwarden) 
    Erin McRoy / May 25, 2014

    Even though my tobacco arrived on Tuesday, I spent a few days curled up with my Cornell & Diehl Byzantium before moving on to the aromatics.  So I didn’t get around to writing this review until Sunday, and then was met with the choices of which tobacco to review.  Well, I only have one Churchwarden it happened to be Churchwarden Sunday.  Being a McQueen Wizard Churchwarden, I reserve it for the sweetest of aromatics, and good hobbit pipeweed, so I pulled out my three aromatic blends to compare them.
              The bag note of the Berries and Cream is so sweet that I can hardly believe it is tobacco. The tobacco is a Black Cavendish and Burley blend, topped with vanilla and blackberry brandy, and they did not skimp on the casing.  Being totally honest with you, I’m tired of trying to claim that I am neither a Cavendish nor a cased tobacco fan.  Lately, each time I try them, they prove me to be a liar, and I find myself enjoying them.  So, this time we’ll see…
                 Despite that, the tobacco is not too moist and has no need to be aired before packing in your pipe.  The Churchwarden loads easily, and I tamp it with a wooden tamper that came with the pipe. With my limited mobility, Churchwardens are difficult for me to light, but I always enjoy a good smoke from them. This is where the title comes in.  The room note of this tobacco is so pleasing, that it would impress your in-laws even if they came from Lothlórien.
              And the taste?  Well, let’s just say I can’t believe it’s tobacco.  It tastes like candy. I can sincerely see the elves of Rivendell importing tobaccos like this from Bree and other places in and around the Shire.  I wonder if this was what Tolkien was smoking as he put pen to paper to describe the various elven palaces in Middle Earth? The pipe, well, I love this particular Churchwarden to death, and it always gives me a good smoke, even if that smoke is always a dreaded aromatic.  And the tobacco?  Well, at least this time I’m not a liar.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, and look forward to the next bowl.
              The gurgle and the dottle were nowhere near as bad as I feared and the bowl smoked coolly with no need to re-light and not even a hint of tongue bite.  Smooth as Irish cream, and sweet as honey nectar. The only thing that I could say that could be considered bad about this tobacco is, it’s Cavendish and Burley!  In other words, though smooth and enjoyable, there’s no oomph, no power!  It just doesn’t satisfy that nicotine urge! But, if you’re not hoping for that nicotine rush, this tobacco is great, and I thoroughly recommend it.
               And if you’re someone who believes in fairies, be they Sidhe or Alfar, bogguns or dwarves, it can’t hurt to keep some around for offerings, and who knows?  Elrond went somewhere, maybe it was to your house.  It would be nice to greet him with a bowl for his pipe when he gets here wouldn’t it?
               Also, I doubt he has Visa, so you will have to order it for him from http://www.smokingpipes.com, for $2.00 to $3.34 USD per ounce depending on quantity ordered.  He’ll want a lot, so you might want to order the 16 ounce bag, so that you’ll get some. Great tobacco! <shrug> still can’t get over my changed tastes.>>
  • Hitz53Hitz53 Newcomer
    I like the Missouri Meerschaum church wardens known as the Cobbits. There are three varieties. They all smoke well. Briar church wardens not so much.
  • Londy3Londy3 Master
    I think i am going to get the MM church warden.  Thanks for all the feedback folks!
  • I love my churchwardens. I have 3 from the MM Cobbit series, and one from Mr. Brog. Unfortunately, when I finally decided to spend some money and ordered a Savinelli Qandale Rustic 626. I received an email from the dealer saying it is back-ordered 4-6 weeks.  So I am trying to patiently wait for it.
  • Had one Savinelli, It broken and never replaced it. I just don't care about them, for me, they are not practical ones.
  • They are great for sitting on the porch and listening to ball games.  I have several.
  • @Lutrasaurus - I too have a Mr. Brog churchwarden but I haven't smoked it in a couple of years. My collection of churchwarden includes a Cobbit Shire, a Savinelli, a Meerschaum by Servi, I also have a Bavarian with a long stem and a a long-stem, 3 piece Meerschaum - I think they call them Saxophone pipes. 
  • Selecting a Tobacco Pipe Based on How You Smoke
    https://thispipelife.com/tpl-article/29/

    Excerpt: << ...... let’s say that you tend to smoke hot and burn your tongue frequently. What’s going to help? One good bet is a churchwarden, as the long stem gives the smoke more time to cool. >>

  • I love my churchwardens particularly when reclined and reading a book as the bowl sits on my chest / belly and the stem has no load on it, makes for a almost hands free smoke.
  • @motie2 .Were those two pipes predominately created for "twisted" and "warped" minds... 😲
  • @KA9FFJ
     if you picture it in use, the second one looks weird but would seem to be practical while one is slouched in a comfortable chair.
  • @motie2. Or one could just sit it on a table of convenient height by your side, since it looks to be a sitter... 😬
  • @motie2 Cab you imagine trying to get a pipe cleaner through that twisted pipe stem. 
  • I've found the perfect use for my Churchwardens. I've acquired a few aromatic blends in my cellar that no matter how gently you sip on the pipe, the blend will leave you with a sever case of tongue burn. I tend to pack those blends away to be used at a later date when creating some new Frankenstine blend mixed with some ultra sweet and excessively moist tobacco - a light sprinkle as if I were adding a condiment like salt or pepper to a steak. A few evenings ago I discovered a Churchwarden could tame the beast of the biting blends. Maybe it's the long stem that cools the smoke before it finally reaches your mouth. But the blend that I was seriously considering tossing out ending up a pleasant smoke in a Churchwarden. So I'll keep that in mind next time I find myself in a similar situation with a new blend that burns hot.  
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