Tsuge to replace a cob?

[afiaowo]

Good evening everyone.

I have read that a cob is a better smoke than a cheap briar. I got a cob to make sure that I could actually pack and be able to smoke a pipe without finding it to be a burden. I have found that I can.

With the Tsuge on sale at smokingpipes I am wondering if the $40 product will be a briar that will increase my experience beyond a cob.

I will quote IHT in regards to my major concern for the bent brandy, “I was surprised at how small the total size of the pipe was, yet the bowl depth/diameter is of average to slightly bigger than average.”

I really want the bigger bowl than what the cob offers. I find that I’m smoking two bowls to be satisfied. But I’m also concerned about having a nose burner.

In the end I have these questions. Is the Tsuge bent brandy going to be that much better than a cob? And is the length that much of a detriment?

In a thread a number of people voiced concerns over the quality of the pipe they received. How are they smoking for you who have them?

Thanks.

[SUOrangeGuy]

Great pipes for the money. Go for it.

[IHT]

i don't have any concerns over the quality of my little Tsuge at all. it's a great little pipe.
the only issue i'd have if i were you is smoking a straight Virginia that has a tendancy to bite or burn hot (which would require research on your part - or smoke something other than a VA in it).

it's a great little pipe. if it's your first briar, that's a helluva deal. the size of the bowl is great, easily triple the total size of any cob i've ever seen.

in my quote, my surprise was just that it was small, i didn't expect it to be as small as it was. i've also said the same thing about my leonardo da vinci pipe in regards to how big it is, just wasn't expecting it to be a mammoth.

anyway, my Tsuge is fine, smokes great, looks great, great price.
there are other pipes that you can get for roughly the same price if you wanted something longer made by savinelli and big ben... i've never ordered from Frenchy before, but he carries a decent amount of affordable pipes.
this savinelli reminds me a lot of the sasieni that i have with me on this trip.


if you look at the Tsuge kaga bent brandy's, the length dimensions are the only small thing about it. the bowl/wood portion of it are regular size.
inside diameter is around .81 inches, which is plenty big. the depth of some of them range from 1.36 inches up to 1.67 or so. i'd find one with a deeper bowl than 1.3 inches though, as you already have a small cob.

here's a cool looking Bjarne that's a bit bigger. only $65 or so. add a couple tins and you have free shipping.

[j6ppc]

I like the Tsuge I have and just ordered one of the ones you referenced as well.

[Sniper2075]

I have one of the Tsuge Bent Brandy's and love it. I'm still new and don't smoke as much as I would like and still need practice packing and smoking but it does smoke much better than any of the cobs I have.

[hyper_dermic]

im smoking out of a tsuge bent brandy right now.
it was my 1st brair.... $40 is a GREAT price for one.. i paid more.

The internal bowl diameter is just fine.
I dont have any problems with biting or smoking hot.

Only issue i had was with passing a pipe cleaner.. at first i couldnt get the pipe cleaner to pass, but then i learned a trick.. bend the tip of the pipe cleaner, put it in so the bend is sideways, then when you meet resistance, turn the pipecleaner so the bend follows the bend of the pipe.. then it passes no problem.

great little pipe, i take it out with me alot due to its compact nature!

-hyp

[montecristo#2]

Tsuge question.

I read on another forum that the inside bowl coating they use on the cheaper tsuges doesn't taste so good and that some people actually sand off or remove the coating with alcohol. Has anyone who has bought one of these experienced this? If so, what did you do?

I noticed that smokingpipes.com still has their tsuge sale going on (looking at the Kaga's) and thought the prices looked pretty good, hence, the reason I am asking the question.

[IHT]

Originally Posted by montecristo#2

I read on another forum that the inside bowl coating they use on the cheaper tsuges doesn't taste so good and that some people actually sand off or remove the coating with alcohol. Has anyone who has bought one of these experienced this? If so, what did you do?

ironic. i was coming here to start a topic about this (not the Tsuge doing it to me, though).

tonight i smoked my first bowl in a new pipe with a coating in it. the smoke (Fillmore) tasted like i lit Balsa wood on fire, like a little model airplane was in the pipe, smoldering... harsh, made my throat itch, didn't get the flavor of the Fillmore at all.

also oddly enough, i smoked my Kaga bent brandy tonight before the other pipe, had some H&H Old Tartan, and it smoked great.
i have never had any "other" flavors when smoking that Tsuge Kaga that i own and you're the first to mention that others have had that issue - i haven't been to other forums in a few months due to my schedule.

[Mister Moo]

No doubt a good buy. Here's another - get it quick and save a hundred bucks.

The $40 Tsuge chimney/stacked billiand/whatever-it-is I got from SP.com a while back has been a great Penzance pipe. If Tsuge changes the marketing and manufacturing plan, the bargains they are offering may go down as famous buys a few years from now. I wish I'd bought several of the chimneys when I had the chance.

[montecristo#2]

Originally Posted by IHT

ironic. i was coming here to start a topic about this (not the Tsuge doing it to me, though).

tonight i smoked my first bowl in a new pipe with a coating in it. the smoke (Fillmore) tasted like i lit Balsa wood on fire, like a little model airplane was in the pipe, smoldering... harsh, made my throat itch, didn't get the flavor of the Fillmore at all.

also oddly enough, i smoked my Kaga bent brandy tonight before the other pipe, had some H&H Old Tartan, and it smoked great.
i have never had any "other" flavors when smoking that Tsuge Kaga that i own and you're the first to mention that others have had that issue - i haven't been to other forums in a few months due to my schedule.

IHT - thanks for the info, maybe they changed the coating on the recents batches.

Here are the forums I was referring to:

http://www.my-pipes.com/forums/pipes/tsuge-kaga-pipes

http://www.my-pipes.com/forums/pipe-...-bowl-coatings

[F. Prefect]

Originally Posted by montecristo#2

Tsuge question.

I read on another forum that the inside bowl coating they use on the cheaper tsuges doesn't taste so good and that some people actually sand off or remove the coating with alcohol. Has anyone who has bought one of these experienced this? If so, what did you do?

I noticed that smokingpipes.com still has their tsuge sale going on (looking at the Kaga's) and thought the prices looked pretty good, hence, the reason I am asking the question.

The coating on a new Kaga I have looked very similar to what I have seen on several Stanwells I have purchased in the last couple of years and I didn't notice any unusual taste with the first bowl of any of them.

Just speculating, but it may not be a coating at all. It's possible the pipes were "broken in" at the factory by briefly heating the inside of the bowl producing a thin layer of carbon that would have the effect of eliminating at least part of the taste of burning briar that is sometimes present in the first few bowls smoked in an "untreated" bowl, particularly with a hot burning tobacco. Just a guess, but the first bowl of the above mentioned pipes I own actually produced a pretty good smoke. YRMV

F. Prefect

[Sniper2075]

I'm not very experienced but I didn't notice any bad taste with the first few bowls of my 2 Tsuge's that I got from smokingpipes.com

Now I havn't smoked one of them very much as I made it my Burly pipe and I havn't smoked much Burly lately but the other I got has been smoking Vapers very nice.

[j6ppc]

The 2 tsuges I got recently were fine right outta the box. Not broken in but OK to smoke gently.

[EvanS]

Originally Posted by j6ppc

The 2 tsuges I got recently were fine right outta the box. Not broken in but OK to smoke gently.

same here

[a.paul]

I keep thinking I should get one or two while they're so cheap.