New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart

[landhoney]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Great question!

The purpose of the longest, skinniest one is to smoke opium. Not my area of expertise but I've seen them around over the years.

The (now novelty) porcelain/tree-branch pipes were probably the bees knees until some bright boy figured out that briar made for a cool, long-lasting pipe chamber. Briar is recent on the scene - late 19th century; tabak started arriving in europe, I would guess, in the mid-1600s. Clay, metal and porcelain worked until something better came along.

This is strictly a guess; it'll hold water until something better comes along from a better guesser OR an actual pipe scientist.

Great answer!

Could you explain the long pipe vs. short, why have these long tobacco pipes gone "out of fashion"? Or have they not? I've heard that longer pipes cool the smoke more, is this their purpose? Or is there another advantage?