A fair question.
First of all - and like da'Rum - he's a big fan of a bent stem Falcon, to which he also adds a couple of those clay absorbant "pills". His tobaccos? Three Nuns and Clan. Now yes, yes I know that there are probably a few detractors who would kid the Ralfy for his choice, but we have to remember a couple things:
First, that this gentleman is the real deal. He has a brilliant palate, he represents a long tradition of pure and honest fine single malt whiskys, and has a truly brilliant palate. His attitude toward life is one of honesty and an appreciation for quality in spirits - an attitude that may well extend to his choices in rum (with which I heartily agree) and perhaps pipe smoking and tobacco.
Now to be fair, the Falcon is is not a pretty pipe, nor does it pretend to be. And I have every appreciation for those Italian and Danish styles that are absolutely breathtaking, or some of the classic English shapes like the straight billiard, or curved Bulldog/Rhodesian that just reek of history and tradition - my weakness. But along comes the Falcon, which is really kind of the VW Beetle of pipes - form is function design. And I happen to be a big Beetle fan as well.
The more I read of the Falcon the more I like the concept and soon will know if Ralfy and da'Rum are onto something. I suspect they are... so perhaps a discussion of the Falcon in detail is in order here.
WWRD? - What would Ralfy do?
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Capn Jimbo
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I doubt ralfy adds clay pellets to his falcon, there are soft dry rings that sit in the holm for falcons. Clay pellets wouldn't fit. He probably adds them to his other pipes with larger and deeper bowls.
Dry rings
https://www.thebackyshop.co.uk/products ... pe-filters
Waste of money. If you want to add a ring just snip an inch off the thin end of a pipe cleaner and make one. Both of these ideas suck though because they swell and end up both restricting the draw and making it so uou feel you are waterboarding yourself by trying to suck through wet material.
What I do is leave the accoutrements out and periodically unscrew the bowl and either mop the fluid up with a tissue or if I'm outside just flick the fluid out.
The falcon is a great pipe and wiyh a standard bowl perfect for a 45 minute smoke instead of an hour or more with other pipes.
The two negatives are that it's ugly and the system that is designed to facilitate easy cleaning actually promotes fluid build up due to the metal. Which as we know causes hot vapour to condense.
I am a fan of falcons because they are light, easy to vlean, relatively cheap, can be smoked without having to rest them and because of the screw on bowl are highly adaptable.
A tobacco lover need only a meer, a cob and a falcon.
Dry rings
https://www.thebackyshop.co.uk/products ... pe-filters
Waste of money. If you want to add a ring just snip an inch off the thin end of a pipe cleaner and make one. Both of these ideas suck though because they swell and end up both restricting the draw and making it so uou feel you are waterboarding yourself by trying to suck through wet material.
What I do is leave the accoutrements out and periodically unscrew the bowl and either mop the fluid up with a tissue or if I'm outside just flick the fluid out.
The falcon is a great pipe and wiyh a standard bowl perfect for a 45 minute smoke instead of an hour or more with other pipes.
The two negatives are that it's ugly and the system that is designed to facilitate easy cleaning actually promotes fluid build up due to the metal. Which as we know causes hot vapour to condense.
I am a fan of falcons because they are light, easy to vlean, relatively cheap, can be smoked without having to rest them and because of the screw on bowl are highly adaptable.
A tobacco lover need only a meer, a cob and a falcon.
in goes your eye out
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Capn Jimbo
- Rum Evangelisti and Compleat Idiot
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This has been posted before, with Ralfy discussing pipes and pipe tobacco, plus health warnings...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw8584Tso8g
He discusses pipes and cigars as accompaniments to whisky. He does use clay "pellets", discussed at 15:40. I can't find the brand he uses, but there's another one called "Nording Keystones".
http://www.marscigars.com/nording-ericskeystones.aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw8584Tso8g
He discusses pipes and cigars as accompaniments to whisky. He does use clay "pellets", discussed at 15:40. I can't find the brand he uses, but there's another one called "Nording Keystones".
http://www.marscigars.com/nording-ericskeystones.aspx
Yeah you've just misunderstood that
He just picked up the nearest pipe at hand when he mentioned the pellets. By all means buy some and give it a go. Better to learn by experience.
Nording keystones go with the Nording system pipe and wouldn't work with a Falcon.
http://www.danishpipeshop.com/picview.a ... &pictype=g
By all means buy some clay pellets and stick them in your Falcon pipe but ask yourself is it what Ralfy would do?
He just picked up the nearest pipe at hand when he mentioned the pellets. By all means buy some and give it a go. Better to learn by experience.
Nording keystones go with the Nording system pipe and wouldn't work with a Falcon.
http://www.danishpipeshop.com/picview.a ... &pictype=g
By all means buy some clay pellets and stick them in your Falcon pipe but ask yourself is it what Ralfy would do?
in goes your eye out
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Capn Jimbo
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Hah! I guess I won't be selling da'Rum a door-to-door vacumn cleaner anytime soon, lol...
It's fair to say that after very briefly demoing a number of pipe styles, he spends the bulk of time strongly recommending the Falcon, his favored Danish tobaccos (Three Nuns and Clan), mentions cleaning and reaming it, the advantage of multiple bowls, and his brand of clay pellets which he then demo's using the Falcon. He doesn't mention the Falcon bowl filters.
Ralfy follows his own path, that's for sure. In refurbishing my $12 estate Falcon (tons of carbon) the most notable feature to me is what is called the "humidome", unique to Falcons. For those who don't have a Falcon, this is a molded, circular aluminum dome that closely fits the circular hole in the bottom of the screw-on briar bowl. It's fitted closely enough to leave just enough room for the tobacco smoke to leak around the dome into the aluminum bowl and only then up through the draught hole and stem.
With use one of the issues with the Falcon is a build-up of carbon which may partially block this thin circular opening. Evidence of this is alleged to be a "whistling" sound on the draw. Thus keep the hole free of carbon is important, and Falcon even developed a special reamer for this purpose. I believe what da'Rum is pointing out is that a clay pellet might partially block the dome opening, and significantly inhibit the draw and proper function. A good observation.
Research supports this observation - can't find any Falcon owners that use the pellets, though it may be possible to do so by first laying down a tiny pinch of tobacco and then the pellet on top of this layer of tobacco, to preserve the dome opening. Or not? And many Falcon users reported using da'Rums method of filtering using a short piece of pipe cleaner around the bottom of the dome.
Speaking of bottoms, lol...
WDRD? It's clear he uses the pellets, and does demo them with the Falcon - but - does he actually use them with it? Only Ralfy knows...
It's fair to say that after very briefly demoing a number of pipe styles, he spends the bulk of time strongly recommending the Falcon, his favored Danish tobaccos (Three Nuns and Clan), mentions cleaning and reaming it, the advantage of multiple bowls, and his brand of clay pellets which he then demo's using the Falcon. He doesn't mention the Falcon bowl filters.
Ralfy follows his own path, that's for sure. In refurbishing my $12 estate Falcon (tons of carbon) the most notable feature to me is what is called the "humidome", unique to Falcons. For those who don't have a Falcon, this is a molded, circular aluminum dome that closely fits the circular hole in the bottom of the screw-on briar bowl. It's fitted closely enough to leave just enough room for the tobacco smoke to leak around the dome into the aluminum bowl and only then up through the draught hole and stem.
With use one of the issues with the Falcon is a build-up of carbon which may partially block this thin circular opening. Evidence of this is alleged to be a "whistling" sound on the draw. Thus keep the hole free of carbon is important, and Falcon even developed a special reamer for this purpose. I believe what da'Rum is pointing out is that a clay pellet might partially block the dome opening, and significantly inhibit the draw and proper function. A good observation.
Research supports this observation - can't find any Falcon owners that use the pellets, though it may be possible to do so by first laying down a tiny pinch of tobacco and then the pellet on top of this layer of tobacco, to preserve the dome opening. Or not? And many Falcon users reported using da'Rums method of filtering using a short piece of pipe cleaner around the bottom of the dome.
Speaking of bottoms, lol...
WDRD? It's clear he uses the pellets, and does demo them with the Falcon - but - does he actually use them with it? Only Ralfy knows...
If you put the pellets in the bowl and not the humidome it may work but would make the bowl capacity on the falcon very small making for a short and difficult to manage smoke. It would also be overkill as the falcon has the system to trap moisture. You'd also have difficulties getting the pellets to function as intended due to the bore of the bottom of the bowl (the correct terminology fails me and I'm too lazy to Google).
I am convinced they would be of very little use in a falcon but a briar they'd be good and also in a meer to help with patina.
I'll add at the risk of incurring the wrath of the cap'n that there is no question that ralfy is the whisky man but his other forays into reviews tend to be basic or ill informed. His absinthe review was a disaster of brands and advice and this pipe review is, although better, still not up to his awesome whisky standards.
Now i'll go hide under the bed until the yelling stops.
I am convinced they would be of very little use in a falcon but a briar they'd be good and also in a meer to help with patina.
I'll add at the risk of incurring the wrath of the cap'n that there is no question that ralfy is the whisky man but his other forays into reviews tend to be basic or ill informed. His absinthe review was a disaster of brands and advice and this pipe review is, although better, still not up to his awesome whisky standards.
Now i'll go hide under the bed until the yelling stops.
in goes your eye out
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Capn Jimbo
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My good friend. You are the master of the pipe section for a reason.
Even Ralfy has his shortcomings. In my case I am the called the Compleat Idiot of Rum (and other things) and for good reason. Thus it's time for self-flagonation - nope you read that right - drinking is surely better than this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... gYEuJ5u1K0
Nope, no anger no screaming... but on second thought, I resist!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... y0wvGiAH9g
Even Ralfy has his shortcomings. In my case I am the called the Compleat Idiot of Rum (and other things) and for good reason. Thus it's time for self-flagonation - nope you read that right - drinking is surely better than this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... gYEuJ5u1K0
Nope, no anger no screaming... but on second thought, I resist!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... y0wvGiAH9g